Course 561: GPRS Fundamentals

After completing this course, students will be able to:

• Understand the functionality of a GPRS network
• Understand GSM system evolution to GPRS
• Explain the basics of GPRS network planning
• Explore project planning process of GPRS networks
• Understand the engineering tools and procedures required for GPRS engineering and planning
• Understand existing and emerging standards for GSM, GPRS, EDGE and UMTS
• Review successful GPRS deployments
• Discuss successful and unsuccessful GSM/GPRS deployments
• Step through a practical process for managing a GSM/GPRS project
• Explore advanced features in GSM and GPRS networks
• Explain GPRS architecture and services
• Understand GPRS protocols and their functions
• Describe functions of SGSN, GGSN, BG, and CG
• Describe IP network architecture and functions
• Discuss obstacles of Packet-Switched Mobile Networks
• Review GPRS Network Architecture and Protocols
• Discuss GPRS architecture and services
• Understand the functionality of a GPRS network
• Explore GPRS Attach/Detach and PDP Context Activation/Deactivation procedures
• Explain the basics of GPRS security
• Explore GPRS troubleshooting
• Understand the GPRS flows and traffic cases in data transfer and signaling
• Explore EDGE and E-GPRS

Introducing of GPRS to the GSM World

• Executive overview of GSM and GRS
• Key network features of GPRS
• IP and Packet switching
• GPRS packet based Air Interface
• New Infrastructure nodes
• Software upgrade to some existing network elements.
• Spectrum efficiency
• GSM & GPRS nodes and interfaces
• GPRS areas
• GPRS procedures
• Mobility Management (MM)
• Session Management (SM)
• Radio Resource Management (RR)
• GSM/GPRS combined procedures

GPRS network architecture

• GPRS nodes and interfaces
• GPRS air interface
• Base Station Subsystem
• GPRS Logical Channels
• Role of SGSN, GGSN, and HLR
• GPRS procedures

GPRS Air Interface

• Channel coding, CS1-CS4
• Uplink and Downlink frequency bands
• TDMA-frames and multiframes
• Radio resource sharing
• GPRS logical channels
• Air interface protocols
• SNDCP
• LLC
• RLC/MAC

SGSN Protocol Stack

• GPRS - GMM
• SNDCP, LLC
• Network Service (NS)
• GTP
• SS7 - MAP

• GPRS - GTP

• GPRS - LLC Relay
• BSSGP
• Network Service
• SS7 - SCCP

• GPRS - BSSAP+
• SS7 - MAP (GSM Phase II+)
• TCAP
• SCCP
• ISUP
• MTP Level 3
• MTP Level 2 and MTP Level 1

GPRS MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION

• Session Management
• Non-anonymous and anonymous PDP contexts
• The no-anonymous PDP context means that
• Routing (Data Transmission)
• Mobility management
• Troubleshooting cases

EGPRS (EDGE)

• What is EDGE?
• 8PSK modulation
• EDGE channel coding, MCS1-MCS9
• Changes to the RLC/MAC
• Link Adaptation
• Incremental Redundancy
• GERAN Iu-mode
• GERAN Iur-g

GPRS Network Planning

• GPRS planning
• Radio Access Network Planning
• IP Planning
• Project planning process of GPRS networks
• Engineering tools and procedures required for GPRS engineering and planning
• Review successful GPRS deployments
• Successful and unsuccessful GSM/GPRS deployments
• Step through a practical process for managing a GSM/GPRS project
• IP network architecture and functions
• Private and public IP-address allocation
• GPRS Tunneling Protocol (GTP)
• Connection to an external network
• IP-Address Allocation
• Public and private addresses
• Access Point Name (APN) resolution and usage
• DNS, DHCP and RADIUS
• Roaming in GPRS
• Data Transfer and Charging
• HLR and the User Profile
• Current SGSN Address GPRS Roaming
• Inter-PLMN backbone and GRX´s
• GRX-networks and QoS

GPRS Traffic Cases

• GPRS Call Flow
• Basic Call and Data Scenarios
• GPRS Attach and Detach
• PDP Addresses for Each GPRS User in the PLMN
• Data connection establishment
• Cell change to a new SGSN area
• GPRS backbone protocols
• GRX-networks and QoS
• Data Transfer and Charging
• Data transfer with relevant header contents
• GSNs CDRs