Section: 4.3.25 Dedicated Core Networks (DCNs) 4.3.25.1 General
Content: This feature enables an operator to deploy multiple DCNs within a PLMN with each DCN consisting of one or multiple CN nodes. Each DCN may be dedicated to serve specific type(s) of subscriber. This is an optional feature and enables DCNs to be deployed for one or multiple RATs (e.g. GERAN, UTRAN, E-UTRAN, WB-E-UTRAN and NB-IoT). There can be several motivations for deploying DCNs, e.g. to provide DCNs with specific characteristics/functions or scaling, to isolate specific UEs or subscribers (e.g. M2M subscribers, subscribers belonging to a specific enterprise or separate administrative domain, etc.). A DCN comprises of one or more MME/SGSN and it may comprise of one or more SGW/PDN GW/PCRF. This feature enables subscribers to be allocated to and served by a DCN based on subscription information ("UE Usage Type"). The feature in this clause handles both DCN selections without any specific UE functionality, i.e. it works also with UEs of earlier releases and UE assisted DCN selection. The main specific functions are for routing and maintaining UEs in their respective DCN. The following deployment scenarios are supported for DCN: - DCNs may be deployed to support one RAT only, (e.g. only dedicated MMEs are deployed to support E-UTRAN and dedicated SGSNs are not deployed), to support multiple RATs, or to support all RATs. - Networks deploying DCNs may have a default DCN, which is managing UEs for which a DCN is not available or if sufficient information is not available to assign a UE to a DCN. One or multiple DCNs may be deployed together with a default DCN that all share the same RAN. - The architecture supports scenarios where the DCN is only deployed in a part of the PLMN e.g. only for one RAT or only in a part of the PLMN area. Such heterogeneous or partial deployment of DCNs may, depending on operator deployment and configuration, result in service with different characteristics or functionality, depending on whether the UE is inside or outside the service area or RAT that supports the DCN. NOTE 1: Heterogeneous or partial deployment of DCNs may result in increased occurrence of UEs first being served by a CN node in the default DCN and then being redirected to a CN node in the DCN that serves the UE when the UE moves from areas outside of DCN coverage to an area of DCN coverage. It may also result in an increased re-attach rate in the network. As this has impacts on the required capacity of the default CN nodes deployed at edge of DCN coverage, it is not recommended to deploy DCNs heterogeneously or partially. - Even if the DCN is not deployed to serve a particular RAT or service area of PLMN, the UE in that RAT or service area may still be served by a PDN GW from the DCN. High level overview for supporting DCNs is provided below. Details are captured in appropriate clauses of this specification, TS 23.060[ General Packet Radio Service (GPRS); Service description; Stage 2 ]  [7] and TS 23.236[ Intra-domain connection of Radio Access Network (RAN) nodes to multiple Core Network (CN) nodes ]  [30]. - An optional subscription information parameter ("UE Usage Type") is used in the selection of a DCN. An operator configures which of his DCN(s) serves which UE Usage Type(s). The HSS provides the "UE Usage Type" value in the subscription information of the UE to the MME/SGSN. Both standardized and operator specific values for UE Usage Type are possible. - The serving network selects the DCN based on the operator configured (UE Usage Type to DCN) mapping, other locally configured operator's policies and the UE related context information available at the serving network, e.g. information about roaming. UEs with different UE Usage Type values may be served by the same DCN. Moreover, UEs that share the same UE Usage Type value may be served by different DCNs. - If the configuration shows no DCN for the specific "UE Usage Type" value in the subscription information, then the serving MME/SGSN serves the UE by the default DCN or selects a DCN using serving operator specific policies. - Some subscribers may be configured without "UE Usage Type" value. In this case, the MME/SGSN may select the DCN that serves the UE using locally configured operator's policies and the UE related context information available at the serving network (other than UE provided DCN-ID). The MME/SGSN performs procedures described in clauses 5.19.1 and 5.19.2. - The "UE Usage Type" is associated with the UE (describing its usage characteristic), i.e. there is only one UE Usage Type" per UE subscription. - For each DCN, one or more CN nodes may be configured as part of a pool. - For MME, the MMEGI(s) identifies a DCN within the PLMN. For SGSNs, a group identifier(s) identifies a DCN within the PLMN. That is, the group of SGSNs that belong to a DCN within a PLMN. This identifier may have the same format as NRI (e.g. an NRI value that does not identify a specific SGSN node in the serving area) in which case it is called "Null-NRI" or it may have a format independent of NRI, in which case it is called "SGSN Group ID". The "Null-NRI" or "SGSN Group ID" is provided by an SGSN to RAN which triggers the NNSF procedure to select an SGSN from the group of SGSNs corresponding to the Null-NRI/SGSN Group ID (see clause 5.19.1). NOTE 2: SGSN Group IDs enable to handle deployment scenarios where in a service area all NRI values are allocated to SGSNs and hence no NRI value remains that can be used as Null-NRI. - The dedicated MME/SGSN that serves the UE selects a dedicated S-GW and P-GW based on UE Usage Type. - At initial access to the network if sufficient information is not available for RAN to select a specific DCN, the RAN may selects a CN node from the default DCN. A redirection to another DCN may then be required. - To redirect a UE from one DCN to a different DCN, the redirection procedure via RAN, described in clause 5.19.1, is used to forward the NAS message of the UE to the target DCN. - All selection functions are aware of DCN(s), including the network node selection function (NNSF) of RAN nodes, for selecting and maintaining the appropriate DCN for the UEs.