Page 8 - 3GPP Highlights

TECHNICAL HIGHLIGHTS

ENABLING EDGE COMPUTING

APPLICATIONS IN 3GPP

By Suresh Chitturi, 3GPP Working Group SA6 Chair.

Edge Computing is a concept that enables services to be
hosted close to the service consumers and provides benefits
such as efficient service delivery with significant reduction ASP - End User
in end-to-end latency and decreased load on the transport Application agreement
network. The benefits of Edge Computing will strengthen Service Provider End Users
the promise of 5G and expand the prospects for several new
and enhanced use cases – including virtual and augmented
reality, IoT, Industrial IoT, autonomous driving, real-time
multiplayer gaming, split computing – once the large scale ASP - ECSP MNO
infrastructure and pervasive Wide Area Networks are in agreement subscription
place.
The deployment of edge computing involves relationships
between multiple providers. Edge Computing Service ECSP - MNO
agreement
Providers (ECSP) will play an important role in the
construction of infrastructure used by the Mobile Network
Operators (MNO) and by Application Service Providers
(ASP) – enabling them to host their Edge applications close Edge Computing
Service Provider Mobile Network Operator
to the users.
In Release 17, we aim to provide native support of Edge
Computing in 3GPP networks. These efforts include
initiatives across several working groups in 3GPP including [1] 3GPP TR 23.758 - Study on application architecture for enabling Edge Applications
[2] 3GPP TS 23.558 - Architecture for enabling Edge Applications
SA6 [1] [2], SA2 [3], SA3 [4], SA4 [5] and SA5 [6], which [3] 3GPP TR 23.748 - Study on enhancement of support for Edge Computing in 5GC
cover application layer architecture, core network [4] 3GPP TR 33.839 - Study on Security Aspects to support Edge Computing in 5GC
enhancement, security, media processing, and [5] 3GPP TR 26.803 - Study on Streaming Architecture extensions For Edge processing
management aspects respectively. [6] 3GPP TR 28.814 - Study on enhancements of Edge Computing management

ARCHITECTURE FOR ENABLING EDGE APPLICATIONS

In January 2020, SA6 initiated normative The application architecture for enabling service differentiation
specification work on the architecture for Edge Applications is designed based on (e.g. by enabling/disabling the Edge
enabling Edge Applications based on the the following architectural principles: Computing features).
comprehensive study and conclusions in
TR 23.758 [1]. The objective of the work • Application Client portability: Changes • Flexible deployment: There can be
is to define an enabling layer to facilitate in logic of AC to interact with EAS, multiple ECSPs within a single
communication between the Application compared to existing cloud environment, PLMN operator network. The Edge Data
Clients (AC) running on the UE and the are avoided. Network can be a subarea of a PLMN.
Edge Application Servers (EAS) deployed • Edge Application Server portability: • Interworking with 3GPP network:
on the Edge Data Network. Changes in logic of Application To provide Edge Computing features,
Servers when resident in Edge Hosting already developed or to be developed
This includes aspects of service
provisioning and EAS discovery. In Environment, compared to existing in 3GPP network (such as location
addition, the work aims to provide cloud environment, are avoided. service, QoS, AF traffic influence),
support services such as application An EAS should be able to run in Edge to EAS, the application architecture
context transfer between EASs for service Hosting Environments of multiple ECSP, supports interworking with 3GPP
continuity, service enablement and without any modification. network using existing capability
capability exposure APIs towards the EAS. • Service differentiation: The mobile exposure functions such as NEF
network operator is able to provide and PCF.
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