The Home Location Register is a database within the Home Public Land

Mobile Network.
1. It provides routing information for Mobile Terminated calls and Short Message
Service. It is also
responsible for the maintenance of user subscription information.
2. This is distributed to the relevant VLR -Visitor Location Register or SGSN Serving GPRS
Support Node through the attach process and mobility management procedures
such as Location
Area and Routing Area updates.
3. HLR stores and manages all mobile subscriptions belonging to a specific
operator. The HLR
is considered the most important database because it stores permanent data
about subscribers,
including subscribers supplementary services, location information, and.
authentication
parameters buys When a person a subscription, it is registered in the operators
HLR.
4. The HLR can be implemented with the MSC/VLR or as a stand-alone database.
5. A HLR contains user information such as account information, account status,
user
preferences, features subscribed to by the user, users current location, etc. The
data stored in
HLRs for the different types of networks is similar but does differ in some details.
6. HLRs are used by the Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs) to originate and deliver
arriving mobile
calls.
HLR Redundancy

When a single HLR fails, all subscribers with records in that HLR will not be able
to roam or receive
calls. HLR Redundancy can prevent such a loss of subscriber activity. This feature
is achieved by
having an additional HLR node for each HLR node in the network. HLR
Redundancy provides
protection against disaster situations such as fire at an HLR site. At the same
time, it will give
protection against Signalling failures towards an HLR and will also lower the lack
of availability
caused by HLR restarts.
With this feature, the subscriber can make and receive calls even in disastrous
situations like an
earthquake with little or no change in network continuity or functionality. The
HLR Redundancy
feature, allows failure to be invisible to the network and the subscriber. A mated
HLR is introduced
in such a way that subscribers and load are shared in normal operation, and
when one HLR fails,
the other picks up all traffic normally routed to the pair.

2. VLR

A VLR is a database, similar to a HLR, which is used by the mobile network to

temporarily hold
profiles of roaming users (users outside their home area). This VLR data is based
on the user
information retrieved from a HLR. MSCs use a VLR to handle roaming users.

Database contains information about all mobile stations currently located in the
MSC service area.
VLR contains temporary subscriber information needed by the MSC to provide
service for visiting
subscribers. The VLR can be seen as a distributed HLR. The Ericsson VLR is
always integrated in
the MSC. When a mobile station roams into a new MSC service area, the VLR
connected to that
MSC requests and stores data about the mobile station from the HLR. If the
mobile station makes
a call at another time, the VLR will already have the information needed for call
setup.

3. How are the HLR and VLR used?

Each mobile network has its own HLRs and VLRs. When a MSC detects a mobile
users presence
in the area covered by its network, it first checks a database to determine if the
user is in his/her
home area or is roaming, i.e., the user is a visitor.
a. User in Home Area: HLR has the necessary information for initiating,
terminating, or receiving a
call.
b. User is Roaming: VLR contacts the users HLR to get the necessary
information to set up a
temporary user profile.
The users location is recorded in the HLR, and in case the user roaming, it is also
recorded in the
VLR.
Suppose that the user wants to make a call:
a. User in Home Area: MSC contacts the HLR prior setting up the to call.
b. User is Roaming: MSC contacts the VLR prior to setting up the call.
Suppose that