Adax Solutions for the MME
(Mobile Management Entity)

Adax supports all the key features required of an MME implementation (see below) starting with IPsec. The Cavium-based Adax PacketRunner and PktAMCs offer integrated security features for all of the MME signaling requirements starting with SCTP and including S1, Diameter and GTP-C.

Adax also supplies the lower layer intelligence and software functionality to identify and prioritize traffic management based on Quality of Service parameters.

MME – Mobile Management Entity

The MME is the key control-node for the LTE access-network. It is responsible for idle mode UE (User Equipment) tracking and paging procedures including retransmissions. It is involved in the bearer activation/deactivation process and is also responsible for choosing the SGW for a UE at the initial attach and at time of intra-LTE handover involving Core Network (CN) node relocation. It is responsible for authenticating the user (by interacting with the HSS). The Non Access Stratum (NAS) signaling terminates at the MME and it is also responsible for generation and allocation of temporary identities to UEs. It checks the authorization of the UE to camp on the service provider’s Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN) and enforces UE roaming restrictions.

The MME is in charge of all the Control plane functions related to subscriber and session management. From that perspective, the MME supports the following:

• Security procedures – this relates to end-user authentication as well as initiation and negotiation of ciphering and integrity protection algorithms.
• Terminal-to-network session handling – this relates to all the signaling procedures used to set up Packet Data context and negotiate associated parameters like the Quality of Service.
• Idle terminal location management – this relates to the tracking area update process used in order for the network to be able to join terminals in case of incoming sessions.