Page 64 - ITU-T Focus Group IMT-2020 Deliverables

2 ITU-T Focus Group IMT-2020 Deliverables

I.4 Living list document #4 - Common architecture framework proposed in [b-ITU-T IMT-I-255]

NOTE – Following is the proposed text for IMT-2020 network architecture framework in [b-ITU-T IMT-I-255].
For more details of the proposal, refer to [b-ITU-T IMT-I-255].

I.4.1 General framework and architectural principles
According to [IMT-2020 network requirement], following high level architectural principles are considered
for the IMT-2020 network:
• Support network slicing to accommodate various services with typical service categories, i.e.
enhanced mobile broadband, massive IoT, ultra-reliability and low latency communications, and
autonomous vehicles.
• Minimize access and core network dependencies, design converged core network to adapt various
access network.

• Separation of control and user plane functions in core network side, allowing independent scalability
and evolution, allowing flexib8le deployment.
• Design the network function and interconnection with leveraging NFV and SDN technology.

• Support network capability exposure to enable rich value-added services.
• Design uniform network management system which cover both IMT-2020 system and legacy 2G, 3G
and LTE networks.
Figure 1 shows the IMT-2020 general framework diagram, which is comprised of 5 different domains and
corresponding sub-networks or sub-planes.

Application servers plane Service
orchestration
(incl. slice-O)
Network capability exposure plane
domain
Application
Network service
orchestration
Packet core network
Database plane Network Function
5G Access Transport Data and Entity Management and orchestration domain Security domain
UE domain 5G network functions networks networks Control plane networks Management
plane
User plane

Virtual resource Resource
management
plane
Physical resouce
domain
Resource

Figure 1 – IMT-2020 general framework diagram
Resource domain: consists of a set of virtual or physical resource (compute, networking, storage) which support running of 5G
network functions.
5G Network functions domain: consists of access network (including 5G RAN, evolved LTE RAN, WiFi access network and fixed
access network), transport network (including fronthaul, backhaul and backbone/core network), packet core network (including
control plane functions, user plane functions and database planes functions), data network (including IMS or service function chains
etc), which support 5G service execution.
Management and orchestration domain: consists of resource management plane, network functions and network element
management plane, network service orchestration, and service orchestration plane (including network slice orchestration), which
support E2E management and orchestration of 5G network and service.
Application domain: consists of network capability exposure plane and application servers plane, which enable various value-
added services.
Security domain: consists of security functions which ensure the security of whole 5G system.

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