Software architecture for data storage concepts within future mobile telecommunication systems

Abstract

In current mobile telecommunication networks, databases and the subscriber data is distributed among multiple network domains and database systems. The heterogeneous data storage concept is based on the permanent evolution of the mobile networks and the support of different kinds of network technologies. Dependent on the particular network domain and the dedicated technology, distributed subscriber data has to be accessed via specialised protocols.This thesis proposes a novel software architecture for the next generation profile register (NGPR) - an approach to provide subscriber information using a logically centralised register for subscriber data from several mobile network domains. The NGPR subscriber data model supports a network-independent layer that references to different kinds of network-specific data (such as subscribed services, user related data and run-time data). Appropriate adapters ensure the reusage of network-independent data for several specific mobile core domains or administrative systems. This thesis includes an UMTS interoperability concept for the SS7 (signaling system no. 7) and IP-based domains by utilising the service-oriented architecture (SOA). SOA concepts provide the flexibility to integrate different network-specific domains by data services. The data services (based on web services technology) are supported in a conventional way and by a binary mode in order to improve performance for the telecommunication networks. The service framework of the NGPR manages data services in general and links requests from the mobile domains to relevant subsets of subscriber data. NGPR data services support network-specific and generic interfaces that are proposed within concepts of the next generation networks or UMTS release 6. Based on SOA, the NGPR architecture provides subscriber data convergence and simplified data access. Therefore, several specialised and generic network domains can be directly supported by the network-independent layer of the NGPR. Especially administrative systems and network nodes of closed domains are supposed to take advantage of the interoperability concept and the converged data of the NGPR.

Date of Award	2007
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	University of Plymouth