sG NR in BULLETS

1.15 NETWORK SLICING

* Network Slicing refers to the selection and allo<.:allon of network r,esour<.:es to suit the requiremt:nts ofa specific service. For example,
an eM!3B user is likely to require high throughputs so that user should be allocated network resources which support high throughputs.
In contrast, a URLLC user is likely to require low latency so that user should be allocated network resources which support low latency
* A Network Slice includes resources from both the Core Network and Access Network
* A IJasc Station using the Control Plane (CP)- User Plane (UP) Separation architecture may support multiple CU-UP. Each CU-UP can
support a different set of Network Slices. For example, one CU-UlP may be dedicated to eMBB services, while another CU-UP may be
dedicated to URLCC services. A CU-UP provides the CU-CP with its list of supported Network Slices within the El Application
Protocol (El AP) signalling used to establish the El interface, e.g. using the El AP: GNB-CU-UP El Setup Request message
* A Base Station provides the AMF with a list of supported Network Slices per Tracking Area within the NGAP: NG Setup Request
message. Similarly, the AMF provides the Base Station with a list of supported Network Slices per PLMN within the NGAP: NG Setup
Response message, i.e. the Base Station and AMF exchange their supported Network Slices when establishing their NG interface
connection. The information exchanged can be subsequently updated using the NGAP: RAN Configuration Update and NGAP: AMF
Configuration Update messages
* Network Functions within the 50 Core Network provide the Network Function Repository Function (NRf) with a list of supported
Network Slices when registering with the NRF. The set ofsupported Network Slices ts stored by the NRF as part ofthe Network
Function profile. Other Network Fun<.:tions subsequently use the 1'ffiF's Network Function Discovery service to identify the set of
Network Slices supported by each registered Network Function
* A POU Session belongs to only one Network Slice per PLMN. When a UE is roaming, a PDU Session may use one Network Slice in
the Visited PLMN and a second Network Slice in the Home PLMN. AUE can use multiple Network Slices by establishing multiple
POU Sessions with different service requirements
* A Network Slice is identified by its Single Network Slice Selection Assistance Information (S-NSS/\1) which is a concatenation of:
o a Slice/Service Typ e (SST) 8 bits
o a Slice Differentiator (SD) 24 bits
* The SST refers to the expected Network Slice behaviour in tcn11s of the features and services that it supports. 3GPP has standardised
the SST values presented in Table 19. These standardised values address the three main use cases for 50. Standardised values arc
particularly useful for roaming, i.e. they allow each network to interpret SST values in the same way. 3UPP has reserved values Oto
127 for standardised SST. Non-standardised values can also be used for the SST. Non-standardised values allow operators to introduce
Network Slices which support their own spe<.:ific service requirements. 3GPP has reserved values 128 to 255 for non-standardised SST

SST Se:rvice Type

1 enhanced Mobile Broadband (eMBB)
2 Ultra Reliable Low Latency Communications (URLLC)
3 Massive Machine Type Cornmunicatioos (mMTC)
Table 19- Slice/Service Type (SST) values standardised by 3GPP
* The SD is optional but can be used to differentiate between Network Slices which have the same SST value. This may be used ifan
operator offers the same service type to multiple subscriber groups. For t:xample, subscriber group 'A' may be offered the eMBB
service using {SST= 1, SD I }, whereas subscriber group 'B' may be offered the eMBB service using {SST = I, SD = 2}
* A set of one or more S-NSSAT is known as an NSSAI. 3GPP has defined 3 categories ofNSSAJ:
o Configured NSSAI: a general set ofS-NSSAI which arc available within a specific PLMN. If a UE is provided with a Configured
NSSAT on a Visited PLMN then the UE can also be provided with a mapping between the S-NSSAJ on the visited network and the
corresponding S-NSSAI on the home network. Up to 16 S-I\ISSAJ can be included within a Configured NSSAJ. The AMF uses the
NAS: Registration Accept or NAS: Configuration Update Command messages to signal the Configured NSSAI to the UE
o Allowed NSSAI: the set of S-NSSAJ which the 5G Core Network has authorised for a specific UE. There can be a maximum of8
Network Slices within an Allowed NSSAI, i.e. a single UE can be served by a maximum of8 Network Slices. Using all 8 Network
Slices would require the UE to establish 8 POU Sessions. Similar to the Configured NSSAI, the AMF uses the NAS: Registration
Accept or NAS: Configuration Update Command messages to signal the Allowed NSSAI to the UE. The Allowed NSSAI is also
signalled to the Base Station using the NGAP: Initial Context Setup Request message. The Base Station can usc this information
when allocating resources for the lJE
o Requested NSSAJ: the set ofS-NSSAJ which the UE would like to access. There can be a maximum of8 Network Slices within a
Requested NSSAI. The Requested NSSAI is provided to the Base Station within the RRC Setup Complete message. The Base
Station can use this information during the AMF selection procedure ifa 50-S-TMSI has not been provided, i.e. the Base Station
extracts an AMF identity from the 50-S-TMSI ifit is availalble, otherwise the Base Station attempts to select an AMF whi<.:h

'?9
5G NR in BULLETS

supports the set ofrcqucsted Network Slices. The Requested NSSAJ is provided to the AMF within the NJ\.S: Regis/ration
Requesl message. The AMF can forward the Requested NSSAI to the Network Slice Selection Function (NSSF) which can verify
that the UE is subscribed to the requested Network Slices and can determine the set of allowed Network Slices
* The UE generates the Requested NSSAI from the Allowed NSSJ\I if the UE has already been provided with an Allowed NSSAT for the
current serving PLMN. Otherwise, the UE generates the Requested NSSAI from the Confi gured NSSAJ. The UE can also generate the
Requested NSSAI using the Allowed NSSAI in combination with one or more S-NSSAI from the Configured NSSAJ
* The UE can request a specific Network Slice (S-NSSAI) when establishing a new POU Session. Figure 67 in Section 1.13 illustrates
the lJE specifying a single S-NSS/\1 within the N/\S: UL NAS Transport message when forwarding a NAS: POU Session
Establishment Request to the AMF (for subsequent forwarding to an SMF). The S-NSSJ\I corresponds to the Network Slice which the
UE would like to have allocated to the requested POU Session. The AMF is able to use the requested S-NSSAI to help select an
appropriate SMF. The Network Slice allocated to a POU Session is specified within the NAS: POU Session Establishment Accepl
message
* Figu re 68 summarises the signalling procedures which involve Network Slices during interface and Network Function setup, UE
registration and POU Session establishment (message names are not shown for the interface and Network Function setup phase to help
simplify the figure)
Other
Base Station Base Station Network
CU-CP CU-UP AMF NRF Functions

Interface & Network . El AP: GNB-CU-UP El SE UP REQUEST HTTP PUT: HTTP PUT:
Function Setup NF Profile NF Profile
(exchange of supported NGAP: NG Setup Request
Netwark Slices)
NGAP: NG Setup Response

uE
RRC Setup Complete UE
NAS: Registration Reques
(Requested NSSAI/ Registration
A (Requested NSSAI)
V

NAS: Registration Accept

(A lowed NSSAI, Configured NSSAI/
--
sMF

UL NAS Transport(NM · POU Session Establishme, t Request) POU Session

(S·NSSAI requested for loou Session) Setup
V
NAS: POU Session Establishment Response
(S-NSSAI allocated to POU Session)

I
Figure 68- Signalling procedures involving Network Slices
* Figure 69 illustrates the use of network slice' A' within a visited PLMN, combined with the use of network slice '2' within the Home
PLMN. This figure corresponds to a 'Home Routed' roaming architecture rather than a 'Local Breakout' roaming architecture. The
'Local Breakout' roaming architecture provides connectivity to the Data Network directly fi-om the visited PLMN

I' -
NS
�;FI I l I 1
N PCF AUSF AF HomePLMN

I l
Visited PLMN � J r I
�� -I
Network Slice

r
Network Slice
'2'
"A'
-----_j AMF
j
SM F s� \ uoM
I

I H H
________________.,

:: ,,/" -
- ,.- .,- --... -"\.
l1
UPFj;..--:-----
·-
UE

''
RAN
.
�---------------------------'
''
..-J
:
'-
c__
Data Network
r
Figure 69- 'Home Routed' roaming scenario using network slices within both Visited and Home PLMN
* 3GPP References: TS 23.501, TS 24.501, TS 38.300, TS 38.413, TS 23.003

Bo