開源LTE核心網路移動管理組件的S6a介面代碼重構

Abstract

下世代行動網路聯盟NGMN認為，5G的應用將逐步在2020年之後開始推出，而現今社會人們對於網路的需求和依賴也日益加深，未來將不會只有一般的手機連上網路，舉凡包括自動駕駛車、智慧家電等，都將連上網為人們提供更先進、更方便的服務，而現今4G LTE的網路元件和架構顯然無法因應各式各樣需求的連網裝置和使用者，提供客製化的服務滿足這些不同需求和特性的用戶或是連網裝置，因為這些網路元件都是由特定廠商生產和維護，任何更動都將仰賴特定廠商，缺乏彈性(Flexibility)及擴展性(Scalability)，而解決此一困境的方式，就是將核心網路元件虛擬化為虛擬網路功能(Virtual Network Function)，布建於一般用途的硬體，並為不同需求的使用者或是裝置，開出客製化的網路切片(Network Slice)，去服務他們。 本篇論文將基於開源核心網路軟體，修改其架構以及對其程式碼進行重構，用以滿足可以動態且很有彈性的提供客製化的虛擬網路功能，供不同需求的使用者或連網裝置使用，整個開發由一數人的團隊進行，而本篇論文將針對移動管理組件(Mobility Management Entity)的S6a介面，進行代碼的重構，使其在未來可以擴充成為服務不同需求使用者的客製化模組。

Next Generation Mobile Networks believes that 5G applications will gradually roll out after 2020, and nowadays for the needs and dependence of the network is also growing. In the future, not only the mobile phones but also automatic driving car, intelligent appliances, etc., will connect to the Internet for us providing more advanced and more convenient services. But the 4G LTE network components and architecture are unable to provide customized services for the different kinds of network devices and users which have different requirements and characteristics. Because these network components are produced and maintained by the specific vendor, whatever changes will rely on the specific vendor. It’s lack of flexibility and scalability. The way to solve this dilemma is to virtualize network components to Virtual Network Functions and deployed on general-purpose hardware. Then provide customized network slice to serve different characteristics of users or devices. This paper will be based on open source core network software, modify its architecture and refactor its source code to dynamically and flexibility provides customized Virtual Network Functions for different requirements of users or devices. The development of our project is carried out by a team of several people, and this paper will be focused on the Mobility Management Entity’s S6a interface. It can be extended into different characteristics of the customized module to provide services for various particular users or devices in the future after done of code refactoring.