4G Onyx QoS Management

Introduction

This application note describes the Quality of Service (QoS) management functionality in GXC's Onyx solution. For detailed information on the 3GPP QoS architecture offered in 3GPP LTE Networks, refer to 3GPP TS 23.107 — "QoS Concept and Architecture".

In 3GPP, QoS refers to the network's ability to differentiate and prioritize between different types of traffic, applications, services, and subscribers based on their specific QoS requirements. For example, during periods of congestion, real-time services can be prioritized over non-real-time services, and premium subscribers prioritized over basic subscribers to provide a differentiated quality experience.

Onyx QoS Management

Figure: Onyx QoS Architecture illustrates the Onyx QoS management functionality in a mobile network, highlighting how bearers are utilized to handle different types of traffic between a User Equipment (UE) and the Public Data Network (PDN).

Onyx QoS Architecture

• User Equipment (UE) — Client devices that generate different types of traffic, such as email, video streaming, IoT monitoring, and IoT management.
• Packet Data Network (PDN) — External networks or services, such as the internet or private corporate networks, that the UE access to utilize services such as email, video streaming, IoT monitoring, and IoT management.
• Bearer — A logical connection between the UE and the PDN to facilitate data transmission. Each bearer corresponds to a specific data flow, enabling differentiated traffic treatment. QoS management occurs at the bearer level, where QoS characteristics associated with the bearer determine how traffic flowing through that bearer is treated within the network. Bearers are of two types — Default and Dedicated.

  • Default Bearer — The first bearer established when a UE connects to the network. It provides basic connectivity between the UE and PDN, enabling basic services and internet access, and carries both user data and signaling traffic. The QoS of the default bearer is always Non-Guaranteed Bandwidth (Non-GBR), suitable for low-priority data traffic. It remains established until the UE detaches from the network or the user session is terminated.
  • Dedicated Bearer — Additional bearers established between the UE and the PDN for specialized services/traffic such as video streaming, IoT data transmission, etc. QoS of dedicated bearers can be either Guaranteed Bandwidth (GBR) or Non-Guaranteed Bandwidth (Non-GBR). Dedicated bearers are released when the UE detaches from the network or the user session is terminated.
• APNs — An Access Point Name (APN) specifies the PDN (public internet or private corporate networks) that the subscribers/UE should connect to. One default bearer is established per APN. The QoS category associated with the APN specifies the QoS policy for the default bearer.

  For information on creating and managing APNs, see 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Manage APNs.
• Applications — Application definitions specify the traffic classification rules that distinguish between different types of data flows based on their flow characteristics (direction, protocol, peer IP address, and source and destination ports). Multiple flow classification rules can be used to define what constitutes an application.

  For information on creating and managing applications, see 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Manage Applications.
• Application Groups — Application groups categorize similar applications based on factors such as data rate, latency sensitivity, and reliability requirements. For example, all real-time streaming applications can be grouped into one application group, while all monitoring applications can form another group. One dedicated bearer is established per application group. The QoS category associated with an application group specifies the QoS policy for the data flows associated with all applications in that group.

  For information on creating and managing application groups, see 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Manage Application Groups.
• QoS Categories — QoS categories are predefined QoS policies that can be associated with APNs and application groups, simplifying the QoS configuration process. If required, operators can create their own custom QoS categories.

  For APNs, the system supports the following QoS categories:

  QoS Category	QCI	Priority	PDB	PER	Use Cases
  NA	5	1	100ms	10^-6	IMS signaling
  High Priority Data	6	6	300ms	10^-6	Buffered video/TCP based
  NA	7	7	100ms	10^-3	Live streaming
  Medium Priority Data	8	8	300ms	10^-6	Buffered video/TCP based
  Low Priority Data	9	9	300ms	10^-6	Buffered video/TCP based

  For application groups, the system supports the following QoS categories.

  Guaranteed Bandwidth Type (GBR):

  QoS Category	QCI	Priority	PDB	PER	Use Cases
  Live Audio	1	2	100ms	10^-2	Conversational voice
  Live Video	2	4	150ms	10^-3	Video/live streaming
  Real-time Applications	3	3	50ms	10^-3	Real-time gaming
  High Priority Data	4	5	300ms	10^-6	Non-conversation video/buffered streaming

  Non-Guaranteed Bandwidth Type (Non-GBR):

  QoS Category	QCI	Priority	PDB	PER	Use Cases
  NA	5	1	100ms	10^-6	IMS signaling
  High Priority Data	6	6	300ms	10^-6	Buffered video/TCP based
  NA	7	7	100ms	10^-3	Live streaming
  Medium Priority Data	8	8	300ms	10^-6	Buffered video/TCP based
  Low Priority Data	9	9	300ms	10^-6	Buffered video/TCP based

• Subscriber Groups — Subscriber groups categorize UE/subscribers into different groups based on their usage patterns and other criteria. Members of the same group share a common APN and set of application groups, allowing a uniform QoS policy to be applied across all members. For example, all camera devices can be grouped into a "Cameras" group, and all IoT scanners into an "IoT Scanners" group. By default, the system creates the "Default" and "Mesh Nodes" subscriber groups in the network.

  Each subscriber group is associated with a single APN. All the subscribers/UE associated with a subscriber group connect to the same APN.

  Each subscriber/UE can be associated only with a single subscriber group.

  All the subscribers/UE associated with a subscriber group use the same set of application groups.

  Each subscriber group can contain multiple application groups. Within a subscriber group, the order in which application groups are prioritized determines which application group (QoS policy) is applied when there are overlapping traffic selection rules.

  The "Mesh Nodes" subscriber group is visible only to GXC Administrators.

  For information on creating and managing subscriber groups, see 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Manage Subscriber Groups.
• Subscriber Accounts — For information on creating and managing subscriber accounts, see 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Manage Subscriber Accounts.
• Guaranteed Bandwidth / Guaranteed Bit Rate (GBR) — (Applicable only to GBR bearers.) The minimum GBR per EPS bearer guaranteed by the network. It is specified separately for uplink and downlink traffic.
• Maximum Bandwidth / Maximum Bit Rate (MBR) — Specifies the maximum data rate allowed per EPS bearer in the network. It is specified separately for uplink and downlink traffic. Any packets arriving at the bearer after the configured MBR is exceeded will be discarded. The MBR can be higher than the GBR.
• QoS Parameters — The QoS parameters specified in the QoS categories determine how the traffic flowing through the bearers is treated in the network.

  • QoS Class Identifier (QCI) — Specifies the QoS level or class for data traffic. Each QCI value represents the following set of QoS characteristics: QCI=<QCI class Id> (PDB=<packet delay budget>, PER=<packet error rate>).

    • Packet Delay Budget (PDB) (50 ms–300 ms) — Specifies the maximum allowable end-to-end delay for a packet while traversing the network from source to destination. PDB is crucial for applications and services with real-time requirements, such as video streaming. It ensures that packets are delivered within a specified time frame, maintaining responsiveness and communication quality.
    • Packet Error Rate (PER) — Specified as "10^-2", "10^-3", or "10^-6", where 10^-6 means for every 1,000,000 (10^6) transmitted packets, up to one packet is allowed to contain errors or be lost during transmission. PER is a key metric for assessing the reliability of communication links. It is critical for applications where data integrity is essential, such as file transfers or mission-critical applications. A lower PER indicates better performance and fewer errors with packet delivery. For more information, see 3GPP TS 23.203 > Table 6.1.7.
    • Pre-emption Priority / Allocation and Retention Priority (ARP) — Indicates the priority level of a bearer for resource allocation during network congestion.
    • Pre-emption Capability — Indicates whether, during periods of network congestion, establishment of the corresponding bearer could lead to the release of an established lower-priority bearer.
    • Pre-emption Vulnerability — Indicates whether, during periods of network congestion, the corresponding bearer can be released to make way for a new bearer with a higher priority.

How it Works

The following illustration depicts the QoS configuration associations, including relationships between subscribers/UE, subscriber groups, APNs, application groups, applications, and QoS categories.

Onyx QoS Configuration Associations

1

Each subscriber/UE is associated with a specific subscriber group.

2

Each subscriber group is associated with an APN and a set of application groups.

3

Each APN is associated with a PDN, which specifies the network that subscribers/UE in the subscriber group can access, and a QoS category, which specifies the QoS policy for traffic flows associated with the APN.

4

Each application group is associated with specific applications, which classify different types of traffic based on their flow characteristics.

5

Each application group is associated with a specific QoS category, which specifies the QoS policy for the traffic flows associated with its applications.

6

When a subscriber/UE registers with the network, it sends an Attach Request to the AP, which includes the APN identifying the PDN to connect to. The network verifies the UE's identity and checks if the UE is authorized to access the requested APN. The network then establishes the default bearer and applies the QoS policy specified in the APN to the default bearer.

7

After the default bearer is established, the network sets up a dedicated bearer for each application group associated with the subscriber group and applies the QoS policy specified in the application group to it.

8

After the bearers are established, data packets are transmitted over the bearers — the default bearer handles general data traffic and the dedicated bearers handle traffic for their respective application groups.

9

At the UE and the Onyx Edge, downlink and uplink packets are routed to their respective bearers according to the application definitions associated with the corresponding application group.

• Uplink data packets (originating from the UE) are routed to the appropriate bearer based on the application definitions associated with the applications running on the UE.
• At the Onyx Edge, downlink data packets are inspected and routed to the appropriate bearers based on the application definitions in the corresponding application group.

10

The default and dedicated bearers are released when:

• The UE detaches from the network.
• The user session is terminated.
• Network/operator policies trigger bearer release under specific conditions.

Limitations

This section outlines the limitations of the QoS Management feature in this release.

1. The QoS functionality works end-to-end only with UE connected to APs that are directly connected with an Onyx Edge.
2. When application definitions are modified, changes will not affect current sessions. The modifications will only come into effect when the UE establishes a new session.
3. Downlink-only application groups are not supported. To ensure the creation of a dedicated bearer, at least one uplink rule (even if it is a dummy rule) must be included in any of its member applications.
4. A maximum of four simultaneous dedicated bearers are supported per UE.
5. It is possible that not all dedicated bearers (one per application group) will always be established — for example, due to radio resource constraints.
6. The Onyx Edge can only create up to 15 TFTs in a bearer. This is further restricted by how many TFTs can be encoded within 255 octets in the "Create Bearer Request" message. Consequently, this restricts the number of flows across all applications within an application group.
7. Preemption Vulnerability and Preemption Capability functionality are not qualified in this release.

Manage QoS Configuration

This section describes the QoS configuration workflow for:

• A new network
• A new UE/subscriber type in an existing network

QoS Configuration Workflow — New Network

This section describes the QoS configuration workflow for a new network.

QoS Configuration Workflow — New Network

1

Create APNs.

Specify the default bearer characteristics (associate with a predefined QoS category or define a custom QoS category).

See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create APNs.

2

Create application definitions.

Specify the flow classification rules.

See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create Applications.

Avoid creating new application definitions unless there is a specific requirement to prioritize certain types of traffic over others.

3

Create application groups.

• Specify the application group's QoS characteristics (associate with a predefined QoS category or define a custom QoS category).
• Associate the application group with application definitions.

See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create Application Groups.

4

Create subscriber groups.

• Associate the subscriber group with an APN.
• Associate the subscriber group with application groups.

See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create Subscriber Groups.

By default, the system creates the "Default" and "Mesh Nodes" subscriber groups in the network. The "Mesh Nodes" subscriber group is visible only to GXC Administrators. Avoid creating subscriber groups unless there is a specific requirement.

5

Create subscriber accounts.

Associate each subscriber account with a specific subscriber group.

See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create Subscriber Accounts.

QoS Configuration Workflow — New UE Type

This section describes the QoS configuration workflow for adding a new UE/subscriber type — such as a camera or a POS scanner — to an existing network.

For QoS configuration recommendations for basic internet, IoT telemetry, and video streaming traffic types, refer to QoS Sample Configurations for Recommended Common Data Services.

QoS Configuration Workflow — New UE/Subscriber Type

1

Review client application(s) running on the new UE/subscriber type.

2

Review existing subscriber groups, APNs, application groups, and applications.

If you associate a subscriber group with an application group that is not applicable to all UE in that subscriber group, resources may be unnecessarily allocated to that application group for those UE. In such cases, it is recommended to create a new subscriber group.

1. If an existing subscriber group (along with its associated application groups and applications) meets the UE's requirements, simply add the UE to that subscriber group.
2. If a new subscriber group is required:

   1. (If required) Create a new APN.

      • Specify the default bearer characteristics (associate with a predefined QoS category or define a custom QoS category).

        See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create APNs.
   2. (If required) Create the application definition.

      • Specify the flow classification rules. See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create Applications.
   3. (If required) Create the application group.

      • Specify the application group's QoS characteristics (associate with a predefined QoS category or define a custom QoS category).
      • Associate the application group with application definitions.

      See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create Application Groups.
3. Create the subscriber group.

   When adding a new application group that is not applicable to all devices in the subscriber group, extra unnecessary resources may be allocated to that application group for those devices.

   • Associate the subscriber group with an APN.
   • Associate the subscriber group with application groups.

   See 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide > Create Subscriber Groups.

By default, the system creates the "Default" and "Mesh Nodes" subscriber groups in the network. The "Mesh Nodes" subscriber group is visible only to GXC Administrators. Avoid creating subscriber groups unless there is a specific requirement.

QoS Sample Configurations for Recommended Common Data Services

This section presents QoS sample configurations recommended for basic internet, IoT telemetry, and video streaming traffic types, which represent different types of traffic with distinct characteristics.

QoS requirements vary based on factors such as operator policies, subscription plans, service types, device capabilities, specific use cases, etc. When defining QoS requirements, analyze all probable use cases, and clearly define the service profile, identifying characteristics, requirements, and priorities to fine-tune QoS configurations. Subsequently, regularly monitor network performance and optimize the QoS configurations based on observed traffic patterns, device behavior, and changing network conditions.

Basic Internet Traffic

Basic internet traffic encompasses a variety of data types such as web browsing, email, and other general internet activities. In general, the characteristics of basic internet traffic are best effort with moderate latency and throughput requirements.

The following sample configuration should provide adequate QoS for basic internet browsing activities, ensuring that users can access web content efficiently without significantly impacting higher priority network traffic.

1

APN Configuration: The APN configuration must account for all required use cases.

2

Sample Application configuration:

• Name: Internet Browsing
• Description: Internet Browsing Application
• Direction: Bidirectional (traffic flows in upstream and downstream directions)
• Protocol: TCP (commonly used for web browsing and other internet activities)
• Peer IP/Subnet: 1.1.0.0/16 (the peer's IP subnet range allowed for communication)
• Peer Port: 443 (the peer's port number, typically associated with HTTPS traffic, commonly used for secure web browsing)

3

Sample Application Group configuration:

• Name: Basic Internet App Group
• Applications: Internet Browsing
• Downlink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 30 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for downstream traffic received by the subscriber/UE)
• Uplink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 5 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for upstream traffic sent by the subscriber/UE)
• Guaranteed Bandwidth: No (clear the checkbox)
• QoS Category: Low Priority Data

  The Non-Guaranteed Bandwidth "Low Priority Data" QoS category settings:

  • QCI: 9
  • PDB: 300ms
  • PER: 10^-6
  • Pre-emption Priority (ARP): 9

4

Sample Subscriber Group configuration:

• Name: Basic Internet Subscriber Group
• APN: internet
• Select Application Groups: Basic Internet App Group

The QCI configured for the Application Group and the APN must be different. The "Low Priority Data" QoS category uses QCI 9.

IoT Telemetry Traffic

Internet of Things (IoT) telemetry involves the collection and transmission of data from sensors and devices in an IoT ecosystem. It can include data such as temperature, humidity, motion, etc. IoT telemetry data typically involves many small packets generated by IoT devices.

Latency requirements for IoT telemetry data can vary. Some applications, like environmental monitoring, may have more relaxed latency constraints, while industrial control systems may require low latency for real-time decision-making. Throughput requirements for IoT telemetry data tend to be relatively low, as individual data packets are often small. However, the volume of data from numerous devices can accumulate, requiring efficient handling and processing. In general, the characteristics of IoT telemetry data are reliable delivery, moderate latency, and throughput.

IoT Alert Notification Traffic

Recommended configuration for IoT Alert Notifications with Guaranteed Bandwidth:

The following sample configuration should provide adequate QoS for IoT GBR traffic within the network, ensuring a guaranteed minimum bandwidth of 0.5 Mbps in both directions while allowing a maximum bandwidth of 1 Mbps, ensuring timely delivery of critical IoT telemetry data.

1

APN Configuration: The APN configuration must account for all required use cases.

2

Sample Application configuration:

• Name: IoT Alert Notification
• Description: IoT Alert Notification Application
• Direction: Bidirectional (traffic flows in upstream and downstream directions)
• Protocol: TCP (suitable for reliable and ordered data delivery)
• Peer IP/Subnet: 1.1.0.0/16 (the peer's IP subnet range allowed for communication)
• Peer Port: 443 (commonly used for secure HTTPS communication, with encrypted data transmission for enhanced security)

3

Sample Application Group configuration:

• Name: IoT Telemetry GBR App Group
• Applications: IoT Alert Notification
• Downlink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 1 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for downstream traffic received by the subscriber/UE)
• Uplink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 1 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for upstream traffic sent by the subscriber/UE)
• Guaranteed Bandwidth: Yes
• Downlink Guaranteed Bandwidth (Mbps): 0.5 Mbps (minimum guaranteed bandwidth for downstream traffic received by the subscriber/UE)
• Uplink Guaranteed Bandwidth (Mbps): 0.5 Mbps (minimum guaranteed bandwidth for upstream traffic sent by the subscriber/UE)
• QoS Category: High Priority Data

  The Guaranteed Bandwidth "High Priority Data" QoS category settings:

  • QCI: 4
  • PDB: 300ms
  • PER: 10^-6
  • Pre-emption Priority (ARP): 5

Traffic categorized under the QoS category "High Priority Data" with GBR takes precedence over traffic categorized as "High Priority Data" without GBR.

4

Sample Subscriber Group configuration:

• Name: IoT Devices Subscriber Group
• APN: internet
• Select Application Groups: IoT Telemetry GBR App Group

The QCI configured for the Application Group and the APN must be different. The "Low Priority Data" QoS category uses QCI 9.

IoT Metrics Collection Traffic

Recommended configuration for IoT Metrics Collection with Non-Guaranteed Bandwidth:

1

APN configuration: APN configuration must account for all required use cases.

2

Sample Application configuration:

• Name: IoT Metrics Collection
• Description: IoT Metrics Collection Application
• Direction: Bidirectional (traffic flows in upstream and downstream directions)
• Protocol: TCP (suitable for reliable and ordered data delivery)
• Peer IP/Subnet: 1.1.0.0/16 (the peer's IP subnet range allowed for communication)
• Peer Port: 443 (commonly used for secure HTTPS communication, with encrypted data transmission for enhanced security)

3

Sample Application Group configuration:

• Name: IoT Telemetry Non-GBR App Group
• Applications: IoT Metrics Collection
• Downlink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 1 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for downstream traffic received by the subscriber/UE)
• Uplink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 1 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for upstream traffic sent by the subscriber/UE)
• Guaranteed Bandwidth: No (clear the checkbox)
• QoS Category: High Priority Data

  The Non-Guaranteed Bandwidth "High Priority Data" QoS category settings:

  • QCI: 6
  • PDB: 300ms
  • PER: 10^-6
  • Pre-emption Priority (ARP): 6

Traffic categorized under the QoS category "High Priority Data" with GBR takes precedence over traffic categorized as "High Priority Data" without GBR.

4

Sample Subscriber Group configuration:

• Name: IoT Devices Subscriber Group
• APN: internet
• Select Application Groups: IoT Telemetry Non-GBR App Group

The QCI configured for the Application Group and the APN must be different. The "Low Priority Data" QoS category uses QCI 9.

Video Streaming Traffic

Video streaming is a real-time, bandwidth-intensive application that involves the continuous transmission of video data. Video streaming, particularly HD and 4K streaming, requires higher bandwidth compared to basic internet traffic. Low latency is crucial for live streaming applications, such as live sports or news broadcasts, whereas on-demand video streaming services may tolerate slightly higher latency. In general, the traffic characteristics are continuous streaming, low latency, and high and consistent throughput.

Recommended configuration for Video Streaming data:

1

APN Configuration: The APN configuration must account for all relevant network use cases.

2

Sample Application configuration:

• Name: Video Streaming
• Description: Video Streaming Application
• Direction: Bidirectional (traffic flows in upstream and downstream directions)
• Protocol: TCP (suitable for reliable and ordered data delivery)
• Peer IP/Subnet: 1.1.0.0/16 (the peer's IP subnet range allowed for communication)
• Peer Port: 443 (commonly used for secure HTTPS communication, with encrypted data transmission for enhanced security)

3

Sample Application Group configuration:

• Name: Video Streaming App Group
• Applications: Video Streaming
• Downlink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 1 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for downstream traffic received by the subscriber/UE)
• Uplink Max Bandwidth (Mbps): 15 Mbps (maximum allowed bandwidth for upstream traffic sent by the subscriber/UE)
• Guaranteed Bandwidth: Yes
• Downlink Guaranteed Bandwidth (Mbps): 1 Mbps (minimum guaranteed bandwidth for downstream traffic received by the subscriber/UE)
• Uplink Guaranteed Bandwidth (Mbps): 3 Mbps (minimum guaranteed bandwidth for upstream traffic sent by the subscriber/UE)
• QoS Category: Live Video

  The Guaranteed Bandwidth "Live Video" QoS category settings:

  • QCI: 2
  • PDB: 150ms
  • PER: 10^-3
  • Pre-emption Priority (ARP): 4

4

Sample Subscriber Group configuration:

• Name: Camera Devices Subscriber Group
• APN: internet
• Select Application Groups: Video Streaming App Group

The QCI configured for the Application Group and the APN must be different. The "Low Priority Data" QoS category uses QCI 9.

Related Documentation

• 4G Onyx Portal Operations Guide
• GXC Glossary

Contact GXC

To get in touch with GXC, please visit https://gxc.io/contact-us/.