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GSM Mobility Management

Originals by: Rashmi Nigalye, Mouloud Rahmani, Aruna Vegesana, Garima Mittal, Fall 2001
Prof. M. Veeraraghavan, Polytechnic University, New York
GSM architecture overview
Network layout
Protocols
Addresses & identifiers
Location management
Call delivery + location update
Security
Handover management
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GSM network layout
GSM Network
(PLMN)
MSC region
MSC region
MSC region
Location area
BSC
BSC
Location
area

BTS BTS
PLMN: Public Land Mobile Network
MSC: Mobile Switching Center
BTS: Base Transceiver Station
BSC: Base Station Controller
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GSM network layout
BSC
MSC
BSC
BTS
EIR
HLR
AUC
VLR
BTS
BTS
Um
A
Abis
E
B,C
OMC
GMSC
PSTN
ISDN
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GSM MAP protocol
GSM MAP similar to IS41 MAP
MAP uses Transactions Capabilities
Part (TCAP) of the SS7 stack
MAP functions:
Updating of location information in VLRs
Storing routing information in HLRs
Updating and supplementing user profiles
in HLRs
Handoff of connections between MSCs
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What is a location area (LA)?
A powered-on mobile is informed of an incoming
call by a paging message sent over the PAGCH
channel of a cell
One extreme is to page every cell in the network
for each call - a waste of radio bandwidth
Other extreme is to have a mobile send location
updates at the cell level. Paging cut to 1 cell, but
large number of location updating messages.
Hence, in GSM, cells are grouped into Location
Areas updates sent only when LA is changed;
paging message sent to all cells in last known LA
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Addresses and Identifiers
International Mobile Station Equipment Identity (IMEI)
It is similar to a serial number. It is allocated by equipment
manufacturer, registered by network, and stored in EIR
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI)
MCC MNC MSIN
MCC: Country Code
MNC: Mobile Network Code
MSIN: Mobile Subscriber Identification Number
When subscribing for service with a network, subscriber receives (IMSI)
and stores it in the SIM (Subscriber Identity Module) card.
The HLR can be identified by a VLR/MSC from the IMSI.
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Addresses and Identifiers
Mobile Subscriber ISDN (MSISDN)
The real telephone number: assigned to
the SIM
The SIM can have several MSISDN
numbers for selection of different
services like voice, data, fax
CC NDC SN
NDC: National Destination Code (NDC identifies operator);
SN: Subscriber Number; CC: Country Code;
Digits following NDC identifies the HLR
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Addresses and Identifiers
Mobile Station Roaming Number
(MSRN)
It is temporary location dependent
ISDN number
It is assigned by local VLR to each MS in
its area.
CC NDC SN
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Addresses and identifiers
Temporary Mobile Subscriber
Identity (TMSI)
It is an alias of the IMSI and is used in its place for
privacy.
It is used to avoid sending IMSI on the radio path.
It is an temporary identity that is allocated to an MS by
the VLR at inter-VLR registration, and can be changed by
the VLR
TMSI is stored in MS SIM card and in VLR.

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TMSI, IMSI, MSRN and MSISDN
Unlike MSISDN, IMSI is not known to the GSM user. The
CC of MSISDN translates to an MCC of IMSI as follows,
e.g, Denmark CC: 45 MCC: 238
TMSI is used instead of IMSI during location update to
protect privacy. As user moves, TMSI is used to send
location update. Thus a third party snooping on the wireless
link cannot track a user as he/she moves.
MSRN is the routing number that identifies the current
location of the called MS.
MSRN is temporary network identity assigned to a mobile
subscriber.
MSRN identifies the serving MSC/VLR.
MSRN is used for call delivery (calls incoming to an MS).
MSISDN is the dialed number to reach a GSM user
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Addresses and Identifiers
Location Area ID (LAI)
CC: Country Code, MNC:Mobile Network
Code, LAC: Location Area Code
LAI is broadcast regularly by Base
Station on BCCH
Each cell is identified uniquely as
belonging to an LA by its LAI
CC MNC LAC
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Location management
Set of procedures to:
track a mobile user
find the mobile user to deliver it calls
Current location of MS maintained by
2-level hierarchical strategy with
HLRs and VLRs.
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Ways to obtain MSRN
1. Obtaining at location update MSRN for the MS
is assigned at the time of each location update,
and is stored in the HLR. This way the HLR is in
a position to immediately supply the routing info
(MSRN) needed to switch a call through to the
local MSC.
2. Obtaining on a per call basis This case requires
that the HLR has at least an identification for
the currently responsible VLR. When routing
info is requested from the HLR, it first has to
obtain the MSRN from the VLR. This MSRN is
assigned on a per call basis, i.e. each call involves
a new MSRN assignment
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Routing information: case when MSRN
is selected per call by VLR/MSC
If MSRN is allocated to each subscriber visiting at an MSC, then
the number of MSRNs required is large. If instead, an MSRN is
allocated only when a call is to be established, then the number of
MSRNs is roughly equal to number of circuits at MSC a much
smaller number hence MSRNs typically allocated per call by
VLR/MSC
MSISDN
GMSC
HLR

MSC/VLR



MSISDNIMSI, VLR number
MSRN
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Call routing to a mobile station:
case when HLR returns MSRN
GMSC
BSC
BSC
EIR
HLR
AUC
VLR
MSC
BTS
BTS
BTS
LA 1
LA 2
ISDN
1
MS
1
MSISDN
6
TMSI
4
MSRN
3
MSRN
2
MSISDN
7
TMSI
7
TMSI
7
TMSI
8
TMSI
5
MSRN
MSC
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Messages exchanged: call delivery
PSTN
GMSC
HLR
VLR
Target
MSC
Originating
Switch
GMSC
HLR
VLR
Target
MSC
1. ISUP IAM
2. MAP_SEND_ROUTING_INFO
3. MAP_PROVIDE_ROAMING_NUMBER
4. MAP_PROVIDE_ROAMING_NUMBER_ack
5. MAP_SEND_ROUTING_INFO_ack
6. ISUP IAM
1
2
3
4
5
6
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Find operation in GSM
ISDN switch recognizes from the MSISDN that
the call subscriber is a mobile subscriber.
Therefore, forward the call to the GMSC of the
home PLMN (Public Land Mobile Network)
GMSC requests the current routing address
(MSRN) from the HLR using MAP
By way of MSRN the call is forwarded to the local
MSC
Local MSC determines the TMSI of the MS (by
querying VLR) and initiates the paging procedure in
the relevant LA
After MS responds to the page the connection can
be switched through.
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GSM security
Authentication
What signed response (SRES) are you able to
derive from the input challenge RAND by
applying the A3 algorithm with your personal
key Ki (Ki is per subscriber)?
equal?
RAND (128bit)
SRES
A3 algorithm
Ki
SRES
A3 algorithm
Ki
MS
RAND
network
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GSM security
Encryption
Digital technology easy to encrypt voice data
A5 derives a ciphering sequence of 114 bits for each
burst independently
XOR 114 bits of a radio burst with 114 bits of a ciphering
sequence generated by A5
A5 algorithm
Kc (64 bits)
MS
frame number
(22 bits)
A5 algorithm
BTS
Kc
frame number
S2(114)
ciphering
S2
deciphering
S1
ciphering
S1(114)
deciphering
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Key management
Ciphering key Kc is generated using algorithm A8 in the same
manner as SRES (from RAND and Ki)
Each time a mobile station is authenticated the MS and
network compute the ciphering key Kc by running algorithm
A8 with the same inputs RAND and Ki as for SRES
Ciphering with Kc applies only when the network knows the
identity of the subscriber it is talking to.
Bootstrap period during which network does not know
who the subscriber is
Up to and including the first message carrying the non-
ambiguous subscriber identity is carried in the clear
(unencrypted)
Protection: use TMSI instead of IMSI when possible
TMSI should be exchanged during protected signaling
(ciphered) procedures
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Location registration
MS has to register with the PLMN to get communication
services
Registration is required for a change of PLMN
MS has to report to current PLMN with its IMSI and
receive new TMSI by executing Location Registration
process.
The TMSI is stored in SIM, so that even after power on or
off, there is only normal Location Update.
If the MS recognizes by reading the LAI broadcast on
BCCH that it is in new LA, it performs Location Update to
update the HLR records.
Location update procedure could also be performed
periodically, independent of the MS movement.
The difference in Location Registration and Location Update
is that in location update the MS has already been assigned
a TMSI.
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Location registration
MS BSS/MSC VLR HLR AUC
IMSI Ki
A3 & A8
Generate
TMSI
Loc.Upd.Req
(IMSI,LAI)
Upd Loc.Area
(IMSI,LAI)
Aut.Par.Req
Auth.Info.Req
(IMSI)
(RAND)
Authenticate
(IMSI,Kc,
RAND,SRES)
Aut. Info.
(IMSI)
(RAND)
Authentic. Req (IMSI,Kc,
RAND,SRES)
Auth.Info
Auth.Resp.
(SRES)
(SRES)
Auth.Resp
Update
Location
(IMSI,MSRN)
SRES
RAND Ki
Kc
SRES
Contd...
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(contd) Location registration.
MS BSS/MSC
VLR
HLR AUC
A5
Generate
TMSI
(Kc)
Start Ciph.
Ciph.Mod.Com.
Message M
Kc
Kc(M)
Ins.Subsc.Data
(IMSI)
Forw. New TMSI
(TMSI)
Subs.Dat.Ins.Ack
Loc.Upd.Accept
(IMSI)
Loc.Upd.Accept
Ciph.Mod.
Kc(M)
A5
Kc(M)
Kc
M
TMSI Realloc.Ack
TMSI Realloc.Cmd.
TMSI.Ack
Loc.Upd.Accept
can be combined
New TMSI is received by MS
(TMSI Reallocation) in ciphering mode.
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Location update
MS BSS/MSC VLR HLR AUC
IMSI, TMSI
Ki, Kc, LAI
Start ciphering.
Authentication
Loc.Upd.Req
(TMSI,LAI)
Update Loc.Area
(TMSI,LAI)
Update Location
(IMSI,MSRN)
Generate
TMSI
Start ciphering
(Kc)
IMSI
Insert Subscriber. data
Subs. Data Insert Ack
(contd..)
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(..contd) Location update.
MS BSS/MSC
VLR
HLR AUC
(IMSI)
Auth.Info.Req
(IMSI,Kc, RAND,SRES)
Auth.Info
Start ciphering.
Forward new TMSI
Auth. Para. Req
Loc. Upd. Acept
Loc. Upd. Acept
TMSI Ack
TMSI Reallocation
Complete
TMSI Realloc. Cmd.
(TMSI)
Auth. Info.
(IMSI,Kc, RAND,SRES)
(IMSI)
(IMSI)
Loc. Upd. Acept
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Types of handover
(same as handoff)
There are four different types of
handover in the GSM system. Handover
involves transferring a call between:
Channels (time slots) in the same cell
Cells (Base Transceiver Stations) under the
control of the same Base Station Controller
(BSC),
Cells under the control of different BSCs, but
belonging to the same Mobile services
Switching Center (MSC), and
Cells under the control of different MSCs.
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Attributes of radio-link handover
Hard handover
MAHO
Backward
COS selection scheme: static
Cross-over switch: anchor switch

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Handover (MAHO)
Handovers are initiated by the BSS/MSC
(as a means of traffic load balancing).
During its idle time slots, the mobile scans
the Broadcast Control Channel of up to 16
neighboring cells, and forms a list of the
six best candidates for possible handover,
based on the received signal strength.
This information is passed to the BSC and
MSC, at least once per second, and is used
by the handover algorithm.
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Handover procedures in GSM
BSC
MSC-A
BSC
MSC-B
BTS 1
BTS 3
BTS 2
BSC
MSC-C
BTS 3
Connection route
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
8
9
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Inter MSC basic handover
MS/BSS 1
MSC-A
Handover required
HA Indication
MSC-B
VLR-B
Radio chan. Ack
Handover report
MS/BSS 2
Allocate Handover number
RLC
ANS
REL
End Signal
HB Indication
HB Confirm
Handover report
Perform Handover
IAM
ACM
Send End Signal
End of Call
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Subsequent handover from MSC-B to MSC-A

MS/BSS 1
MSC-A
HB Indication
HB Confirm
MSC-B
VLR-B
Subseq. Handover
Acknowledge
MS/BSS 2
RLC
REL
End Signal
HA Required
HA Indication
Handover report
Perform subsequent
Handover
End of Call
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Subsequent handover from MSC-B to MSC-C

MSC-A
MSC-C
Perform Handover
Radio chan. Ack.
MSC-B
Allocate Handover
Number
MS
IAM
ACM
HA Request
Perform subsequent
Handover
VLR-C
Send Handover report
HB Indication
(Contd)
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(contd) Subsequent handover from MSC-B to MSC-C
MSC-A
MSC-C
Send End Signal
Handoff Report
MSC-B
MS
REL
RLC
HA Indication
Perform subsequent
Acknowledge
HB Confirm
ANS
MSC-B VLR-B
End Signal
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Abbreviations
ISC: International switching center
OMC: Operations and maintenance center
GMSC: Gateway switching center
MSC: Mobile switching center
VLR: Visitor location register
HLR: Home Location register
EIR: Equipment Identification register
AUC: Authentication center
BSC: Base station controller
BTS: Base transceiver station
MS: Mobile subscriber
TMSI: Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity
IMSI: International Mobile Subscriber Identity


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References
The GSM Sytem for Mobile
communications by Mouly & Pautet
Wireless and Mobile Network
Architectures by Yi-Bing Lin & Imrich
Chlamtac
Wireless Personal Communications Systems
by Dr. Goodman
GSM Switching, Services and Protocols by
Jorg Eberspacher and Hans-Jorg Vogel