Planning and Implementing Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) in General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Network

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Planning and Implementing MultimediaMessaging
Service (MMS) in General Packet Radio Service
(GPRS) Network

• Masters Thesis Presentation
• Student Li Tan (59727M)
• Supervisor Prof.Sven-Gustav Häggman

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Presentation Outline

• Introduction
• MMS in GPRS Network
• Case Study Planning and Implementing MMS in GPRS
  Network
• Summary and Conclusions

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Introduction

• General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) is a
  data-centric packet bearer service, which enables
  the packet data to be sent and received across
  the mobile network.
• Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS) is similar to
  Short Message Service (SMS) but it offers the
  multimedia capability to mobile messaging.
• GPRS is currently used as the data bearer of MMS
  due to its high data rate and increasing
  popularity.

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Introduction (cont.)

• MMS is such a new technology that neither vendors
  nor mobile operators have much experience about
  it.
• The major research problem addressed in this
  thesis is how to plan and implement MMS in the
  existing GSM/GPRS network of mobile operators.
• The objective of this thesis is to describe the
  common problems in planning and implementing MMS
  in GPRS network and provide solution to these
  problems.

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Introduction (cont.)

• The scope of this thesis work is about the
  planning and implementation of multimedia
  messaging service itself.
• The solving method for the above mentioned
  research problem is performing a case study.
• The result of this thesis work is applicable as a
  general guidance for MMS planning and
  implementation for the commercial mobile
  operators.

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MMS in GPRS Network
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MMS is a Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)
Application
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Multimedia Messaging
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Case Study

• The case study is about planning and implementing
  MMS in GPRS network for a mobile operator.
• The mobile operator in the case study is an
  imaginary operator. The most important data for
  the operator are constructed from the actual data
  of primary mobile operators all over the world.

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Requirements Analysis Basic Requirements

• Support the basic MO MT messaging functionality
• Support the MO ET and EO MT messaging
  functionality
• Support the MO AT and AO MT messaging
  functionality
• Support the Inter-MMSC messaging functionality
• Provide the reporting and statistical
  functionality
• Provide the interface to the operators Network
  Management System (NMS)
• Provide the charging data generation and charging
  system interfacing functionality

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Requirements Analysis Special Requirements

• Supporting Mobile Number Portability (MNP)
• Interfacing to the operators self-developed
  subscriber database
• Legacy Support
• Personal Album (PA) service
• Security

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Planning MMS in GPRS Network

• The first principle of planning MMS in GPRS
  network use a dedicated WAPGW for MMS traffic.
• This is due to the different properties of
  multimedia messaging traffic and WAP browsing
  traffic. The multimedia messaging traffic is much
  more bursty than WAP browsing traffic.

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Connect MMS Solution to GPRS Network

• Access Point Name (APN) must be defined in the
  DNS server of GPRS backbone.
• Gateway IP Address the GGSN must know to which
  WAPGW the multimedia messaging traffic should be
  routed.
• MMSC URL the URL of MMSC to accept the POST or
  GET request from WAPGW

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Performance and Stability Dimensioning

• The second principle of planning MMS in GPRS
  network do a careful performance and stability
  dimensioning at the planning stage.
• The cluster solution was chosen to achieve the
  performance and stability requirements from the
  operator.
• The MMSC product vendor must do the formal
  performance and stability testing for its
  product.

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IP Network Planning

• The IP network planning is the most important
  part of planning MMS in GPRS network.
• The third principle of planning MMS in GPRS
  network make a high-performance IP network
  infrastructure.
• The fourth principle of planning MMS in GPRS
  network high-availability solution must be used
  to achieve the reliability.

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Load Balancing via BIGIP Switch
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Legacy Support V.S. Personal Album (PA)

• Both applications accept the multimedia message
  routed from MMSC.
• Both applications store the multimedia message in
  the internal database.
• Both applications allow the subscriber to view or
  further manipulate the multimedia message via
  certain web portal.
• Both applications allow the subscriber to send
  multimedia message to the other subscribers.
• Both applications generate the short message.
• Due to the similarity between these two
  applications, it is better to implement them in a
  similar way and use the same server to host them.
  
• This leads to the fifth principle of planning MMS
  in GPRS network centralize the similar
  functionality to ease the implementation,
  operation and maintenance.

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Planning and Implementation Roadmap for MMS in
GPRS
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Implementing MMS in GPRS Network

• The first principle of implementing MMS in GPRS
  network perform a careful plan inspection before
  doing the system commissioning.
• The second principle of implementing MMS in GPRS
  network do a formal performance test again
  during system acceptance test phase to avoid
  performance appraisal problem.

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Summary and Conclusions

• Five principles about planning MMS in GPRS
  network have been described through the case
  study
• Use a dedicated WAPGW for MMS traffic
• Do a careful performance and stability
  dimensioning at the planning stage
• Make a high-performance IP network infrastructure
• High-availability solution must be used to
  achieve the reliability
• Centralize the similar functionality to ease the
  implementation, operation and maintenance

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Summary and Conclusions

• Two principles about implementing MMS in GPRS
  network have been described through the case
  study
• Perform a careful plan inspection before doing
  the system commissioning
• Do a formal performance test again during system
  acceptance test phase to avoid performance
  appraisal problem