[Introduction to 5G] What is QoS?

QoS Overview

First of all, what is QoS?

QoS, Quality of Service, i.e., the quality of service provided by the operator to the subscriber, determines the subscriber's satisfaction with the service provided by the operator and is a comprehensive reflection of the network service capability.

Why is there QoS?

The reason why there is QoS is that users with different priorities in the cell need to provide different throughput rates and different latency guarantees to ensure differentiation and fairness among multiple users, and to provide services that match the user's requirements so that the user's consumption reflects the value.

For example, if we use cell phones to watch videos, ordinary users can only watch standard definition videos with less clear picture quality, and sometimes even lag, and the following images are not what we want to see; while VIP users can watch HD or ultra-HD videos with clear picture quality, and the images are smooth and lag-free, and will not fall off the chain at critical moments.

How is QoS managed?

QoS management allows different services to compete unequally for limited network resources by establishing various service data on a suitable wireless bearer (DRB, Data Radio Bearer) to achieve differentiated experience assurance and quality of service, and is a control mechanism for the network to meet service quality of service requirements. the strategy of QoS management is twofold.

On the one hand, to guarantee the quality of service for individual users

For a single user in the cell, the user data is carried on a suitable DRB and the corresponding parameters are configured to ensure the quality of service for that user.

On the other hand, providing differentiated services among multiple users

For all users in the cell, resource coordination between different users with different service data to achieve differentiated services, i.e., use limited system resources to serve the needs of more users and provide services that match the user requirements to maximize system capacity.

QoS management can provide end-to-end quality of service assurance, which requires the joint collaboration of all network nodes (UE<->base station<->core network) experienced by the service between originator and responder to guarantee it.

Having addressed the three queries above, what about QoS in 5G?

Due to the different architectures of NSA and SA networks, the QoS management under NSA and SA networks also differs in the nodes of the network between the initiator and the responder.

Under NSA networking, eNodeB as MeNB (Master eNodeB) handles the control plane data required to establish the bearer, and gNodeB as SgNB (Secondary gNodeB) participates in user plane data triage. Huawei supports both Option 3 and Option 3x architectures, as shown in the figure.

• In Option 3 architecture, the NR user-plane data shunt anchor point is at the eNodeB. NR user-plane data is supported to be carried on the eNodeB or shunted to the gNodeB through the eNodeB.

• In Option 3x architecture, the NR user-plane data shunt anchor point is at gNodeB. NR user-plane data is supported to be carried on gNodeB or shunted to eNodeB via gNodeB.

• Under SA networking, the control plane and user plane data required to establish the bearer are handled by gNodeB. Huawei supports Option 2 architecture

So the QoS under the NSA network and SA network are also different, and I will talk about QoS under different networks in later articles.

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