ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC); Framework and Reference Architecture

DGS/MEC-0003Arch

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 30-Mar-2016
• Technical Committee: MEC - Multi-access Edge Computing
• Current Stage: 12 - Completion
• Due Date: 05-Apr-2016
• Completion Date: 31-Mar-2016

Standards Content (Sample)

ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)






GROUP SPECIFICATION
Mobile Edge Computing (MEC);
Framework and Reference Architecture
Disclaimer
The present document has been produced and approved by the Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) ETSI Industry Specification
Group (ISG) and represents the views of those members who participated in this ISG.
It does not necessarily represent the views of the entire ETSI membership.

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2 ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)



Reference
DGS/MEC-003Arch
Keywords
architecture, MEC
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3 ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)
Contents
Intellectual Property Rights . 5
Foreword . 5
Modal verbs terminology . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 References . 6
2.1 Normative references . 6
2.2 Informative references . 6
3 Definitions and abbreviations . 6
3.1 Definitions . 6
3.2 Abbreviations . 7
4 Overview . 7
5 Mobile Edge Computing framework . 8
6 Reference architecture . 9
7 Functional elements and reference points . 10
7.1 Functional ele me nts . 10
7.1.1 Mobile edge host . 10
7.1.2 Mobile edge platform. 10
7.1.3 Mobile edge application . 10
7.1.4 Mobile edge system level management . 11
7.1.4.1 Mobile edge orchestrator . 11
7.1.4.2 Operations Support System (OSS) . 11
7.1.4.3 User application lifecycle management proxy . 11
7.1.5 Mobile edge host level management . 11
7.1.5.1 Mobile edge platform manager . 11
7.1.5.2 Virtualisation infrastructure manager . 12
7.1.6 User equipment application . 12
7.1.7 Customer facing service portal . 12
7.2 Reference points . 12
7.2.1 Reference points related to the mobile edge platform. 12
7.2.2 Reference points related to the mobile edge management . 12
7.2.3 Reference points related to external entities . 13
8 Mobile edge services . 13
8.1 General . 13
8.2 Radio Network Information . 13
8.3 Location . 14
8.4 Bandwidth Manager . 14
Annex A (informative): Key concepts . 15
A.1 Mobile edge host selection . 15
A.2 DNS support . 15
A.3 Application traffic filtering and routing . 16
A.4 Support of application and UE mobility . 16
A.4.1 Background: UE mobility . 16
A.4.2 Mobile edge application scenarios for UE mobility . 16
A.4.2.1 Mobile edge applications not sensitive to UE mobility . 16
A.4.2.2 Mobile edge applications sensitive to UE mobility . 16
A.4.2.2.1 Maintaining connectivity between UE and mobile edge application instance . 16
A.4.2.2.2 Application state relocation . 16
A.4.2.2.3 Application instance relocation within the mobile edge system . 17
ETSI

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A.4.2.2.4 Application instance relocation between the mobile edge system and an external cloud
environment . 17
A.5 Integrating MEC and NFV in the same network deployment . 17
History . 18

ETSI

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5 ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)
Intellectual Property Rights
IPRs essential or potentially essential to the present document may have been declared to ETSI. The information
pertaining to these essential IPRs, if any, is publicly available for ETSI members and non-members, and can be found
in ETSI SR 000 314: "Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs); Essential, or potentially Essential, IPRs notified to ETSI in
respect of ETSI standards", which is available from the ETSI Secretariat. Latest updates are available on the ETSI Web
server (https://ipr.etsi.org/).
Pursuant to the ETSI IPR Policy, no investigation, including IPR searches, has been carried out by ETSI. No guarantee
can be given as to the existence of other IPRs not referenced in ETSI SR 000 314 (or the updates on the ETSI Web
server) which are, or may be, or may become, essential to the present document.
Foreword
This Group Specification (GS) has been produced by ETSI Industry Specification Group (ISG) Mobile Edge
Computing (MEC).
Modal verbs terminology
In the present document "shall", "shall not", "should", "should not", "may", "need not", "will", "will not", "can" and
"cannot" are to be interpreted as described in clause 3.2 of the ETSI Drafting Rules (Verbal forms for the expression of
provisions).
"must" and "must not" are NOT allowed in ETSI deliverables except when used in direct citation.
ETSI

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6 ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)
1 Scope
The present document provides a framework and reference architecture for Mobile Edge Computing that describes a
mobile edge system that enables mobile edge applications to run efficiently and seamlessly in a mobile network. The
present document also describes the functional elements and the reference points between them, and a number of
mobile edge services that comprise the solution. It finally presents a number of key concepts related to the mobile edge
architecture.
2 References
2.1 Normative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
Referenced documents which are not found to be publicly available in the expected location might be found at
http://docbox.etsi.org/Reference.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
The following referenced documents are necessary for the application of the present document.
[1] ETSI GS MEC 002: "Mobile Edge Computing (MEC); Technical Requirements".
2.2 Informative references
References are either specific (identified by date of publication and/or edition number or version number) or
non-specific. For specific references, only the cited version applies. For non-specific references, the latest version of the
referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
NOTE: While any hyperlinks included in this clause were valid at the time of publication, ETSI cannot guarantee
their long term validity.
The following referenced documents are not necessary for the application of the present document but they assist the
user with regard to a particular subject area.
[i.1] ETSI GS MEC 001: "Mobile-Edge Computing (MEC); Terminology".
[i.2] ETSI GS NFV 002: "Network Functions Virtualisation (NFV); Architectural Framework".
[i.3] "OpenStack++ for Cloudlet Deployment".
NOTE: Available at http://reports-archive.adm.cs.cmu.edu/anon/2015/CMU-CS-15-123.pdf.
[i.4] "Adaptive VM Handoff Across Cloudlets".
NOTE: Available at http://reports-archive.adm.cs.cmu.edu/anon/2015/CMU-CS-15-113.pdf.
[i.5] ETSI GS MEC 017: "Mobile-Edge Computing (MEC); Deployment of Mobile Edge Computing in
an NFV environment".
3 Definitions and abbreviations
3.1 Definitions
For the purposes of the present document, the terms and definitions given in ETSI GS MEC 001 [i.1] apply.
ETSI

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3.2 Abbreviations
For the purposes of the present document, the abbreviations given in ETSI GS MEC 001 [i.1] and the following apply:
CFS Customer Facing Service
NFVI-PoP Network Functions Virtualisation Infrastructure Point of Presence
OSS Operations Support System
4 Overview
The present document presents a framework and a reference architecture to support the requirements defined for Mobile
Edge Computing in ETSI GS MEC 002 [1].
The framework described in clause 5 shows the structure of the Mobile Edge Computing environment.
The reference architecture described in clause 6 shows the functional elements that compose the mobile edge system,
including the mobile edge platform and the mobile edge management, as well as the reference points between them.
The functional elements and reference points listed in clause 7 describe the high-level functionality of the different
functional elements and reference points.
Clause 8 describes the high-level functionality of a number of mobile edge services, comprising the solution for Mobile
Edge Computing.
Annex A describes at a high-level a number of key concepts that underlie the principles used to develop the framework
and reference architecture described in the present document.
ETSI

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8 ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)
5 Mobile Edge Computing framework
Mobile Edge Computing enables the implementation of mobile edge applications as software-only entities that run on
top of a virtualisation infrastructure, which is located in or close to the network edge. The Mobile Edge Computing
framework shows the general entities involved. These can be grouped into system level, host level and network level
entities.
UE
Mobile edge system level management
rd
3
party
Mobile Mobile
edge app edge app
Mobile edge
Mobile Mobile
platform
edge app edge app
Mobile edge
host level
management
Mobile edge applications
Virtualisation infrastructure
(e.g. NFVI)
Mobile edge host
3GPP Local External
network network network

Figure 5-1: Mobile Edge Computing framework
Figure 5-1 illustrates the framework for Mobile Edge Computing consisting of the following entities:
• mobile edge host, including the following:
- mobile edge platform;
- mobile edge applications;
- virtualisation infrastructure;
• mobile edge system level management;
• mobile edge host level management;
• external related entities, i.e. network level entities.
ETSI
Mobile edge
system level
Networks Mobile edge host level

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9 ETSI GS MEC 003 V1.1.1 (2016-03)
6 Reference architecture
The reference architecture shows the functional elements that comprise the mobile edge system and the reference points
between them.
Figure 6-1 depicts the mobile edge system reference architecture. There are three groups of reference points defined
between the system entities:
• reference points regarding the mobile edge platform functionality (Mp);
• management reference points (Mm); and
• reference points connecting to external entities (Mx).
Mx1
CFS
portal
Mm8 Operations Support System
User
UE
app
app
LCM Mm1
Mx2
proxy
Mm9
Mobile edge
orchestrator
Mm2 Mm3
Other
mobile
Mm4
ME
edge
Mp3
service
platform
ME ME app ME
Service registry
Mp1 Mp1
platform rules & app
element reqts lifecycle
mgmt mgmt mgmt
Service
Traffic
DNS
Mm5
rules
handling
Mobile edge platform
control
ME ME ME
manager
app app app
Mobile edge platform
Mm6
Mp2
Data plane
Virtualisation infrastructure
Other
manager
Virtualisation infrastructure
mobile Mm7
edge host Mobile edge host

Figure 6-1: Mobile edge system reference architecture
The mobile edge system consists of the mobile edge hosts and the mobile edge management necessary to run mobile
edge applications within an operator network or a subset of an operator network.
The mobile edge host is an entity that contains a mobile edge platform and a virtualisation infrastructure which
provides compute, storage, and network resources, for the purpose of running mobile edge applications. The mobile
edge host is further described in clause 7.1.1.
The mobile edge platform is the collection of essential functionality required to run mobile edge applications on a
particular virtualisation infrastructure and enable them to provide and consume mobile edge services. The mobile edge
platform can also provide services. The mobile edge platform is further described in clause 7.1.2.
Mobile edge applications are instantiated on the virtualisation infrastructure of the mobile edge host based on
configuration or requests validated by the mobile edge management. Mobile edge applications are further described in
clause 7.1.3.
The mobile edge management comprises the mobile edge system level management and the mobile edge host level
management.
ETSI
Mobile edge
Mobile edge host level
system level

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The mobile edge system level management includes the mobile edge orchestrator as its core component, which has an
overview of the complete mobile edge system. The mobile edge system level management is further described in
clause 7.1.4.
The mobile edge host level management comprises the mobile edge platform manager and the virtualisation
infrastructure manager, and handles the management of the mobile edge specific functionality of a particular mobile
edge host and the applications running on it. The mobile edge host level management is further described in
clause 7.1.5.
7 Functional elements and reference points
7.1 Functional elements
7.1.1 Mobile edge host
The mobile edge host is an entity that contains the mobile edge platform and a virtualisation infrastructure which
provides compute, storage, and network resources for the mobile edge applications. The virtualisation infrastructure
includes a data plane that executes the traffic rules received by the mobile edge platform, and routes the traffic among
applications, services, DNS server/proxy, 3GPP network, local networks and external networks.
7.1.2 Mobile edge platform
The mobile edge platform is responsible for the following functions:
• offering an environment where the mobile edge applications can discover, advertise, consume and offer mobile
edge services (see clause 8), including, when supported, mobile edge services available via other platforms;
• receiving traffic rules from the mobile edge platform manager, applications, or services, and instructing the
data plane accordingly. When supported, this includes the translation of tokens representing UEs in the traffic
rules into specific IP addresses;
• receiving DNS records from the mobile edge platform manager and configuring a DNS proxy/server
accordingly;
• hosting mobile edge services, possibly including services that are described in clause 8;
• providing access to persistent storage and time of day information.
7.1.3 Mobile edge application
Mobile edge applications are running as virtual machines (VM) on top of the virtualisation infrastructure provided by
the mobile edge host, and can interact with the mobile edge platform to consume and provide mobile edge services
(described in clause 8).
In certain cases, mobile edge applications can also
...