PCC - Policy and Charging Control

Course overview:

The PCC - Policy and Charging Control course offers a comprehensive – yet easily understandable – description of the purpose, principles, architecture for Policy and Charging Control as specified by 3GPP. The course focuses on PCC used with UMTS and EPS (with GTP-based core network). Relevant functional entities, protocols and interfaces are described, and signalling flows are used to illustrate the PCC mechanisms.

Pre-requisites:

General knowledge about the architecture, terminology and modes of operation of the GSM/UMTS/EPS access and core networks is highly recommended. Basic knowledge of the Internet Protocol (IP) family is useful.

Course contents

3GPP System Overview

• GPRS/UMTS network architectures and mode of operation

• EPS (Evolved Packet System) – architecture and mode of operation

• PDNs (Packet Data Networks)

• QoS handling

PCC Introduction and Architecture

• IP Connectivity access networks (IP-CANs)

• PCC high level principles

• PCC nodes/functions (PCRF, SPR, AF and PCEF)

• Protocols and Reference points used for PCC

• Sessions, Bearers and Service Data Flows (SDF)

The Diameter protocol

• The Diameter protocol

• Commands and and Attribute Value Pairs

• Diameter routing principles

• PCC Diameter use case

Policy Control part 1

• What does Policy Control include?

• Role of PCRF, PCEF, TDF, AF, OCS and SPR

• Generation of PCC rules

• Contents of PCC rules – SDF description, Charging and QoS parameters

• ADC – Application Detection and Control

• Signalling flows on Gx, Rx, Sd and Sy

Policy Control part 2

• User plane handling in PCEF

• QoS authorization and control for Service Data Flows and IP-CAN Bearers

• Gating and Redirect

• Event reporting and Usage Monitoring

• Relevant signalling flows

• Roaming scenarios with local breakout or home routed access

• Home PCRF and Visited PCRF

• Interaction on the S9 interface for roaming scenarios

Online Charging

• Online Credit Control

• Flow Based Charging (FBC) activities

• The Gy/Ro reference point

• Usage and Event reporting

• Diameter for Online Charging

Offline Charging

• Offline Charging principles

• Flow Based Charging (FBC) activities

• Usage reporting and Event reporting

• Relevant signalling flows

• Protocols ( Diameter, GTP’ and FTP)

• Reference points (Gz, Ga, Rf)

• CDR content

Return to list of training courses