Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) Tutorial
Nurit Sprecher, Nokia
ETSI Tutorial @ MPLS+SDN+NFV World 2017 , Paris, France
1
Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC)
An Environment for Innovation and Value Creation
Offers applications and content
providers cloud-computing
capabilities and an IT service
environment at the edge of the
network
This environment is characterized by:




Can be leveraged by applications to create value
2
Proximity
Ultra-low latency
High bandwidth
Real-time access to radio network
and context information
 Location awareness
Why MEC?
Unparalleled Quality of Experience
Contextualized services, tailored to individual needs and preferences
Efficient utilization of the Radio and the network resources
Innovative applications and services towards mobile subscribers,
enterprises and vertical segments
Real time
3
Interactive
Analytical
Security and
privacy
Distributed
MEC
Business Benefits
A new value chain and an
energized ecosystem, based on
Wider collaboration can help to drive favorable market
conditions for sustainable business for all players in the value
Innovation and business value
chain.
New market segments (enterprises, verticals and subscribers);
Business transformation
short innovation cycle;
revenue generation and differentiation
A myriad of new use cases
Video acceleration, augmented reality, connected vehicles,
IoT analytics, enterprise services, network performance and
utilization optimization, retail, eHealth, etc.
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EXAMPLES OF MEC SERVICE SCENARIOS
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MEC
Service Scenario Categories
Consumer-oriented Services
Examples: gaming, remote desktop applications, augmented and assisted reality, cognitive assistance, stadium/retail services, etc.
Operator and third-party services
Examples: video analytics, connected vehicles, Enterprise services, Big Data, security and safety, active device location tracking, etc.
Network-performance and QoE improvements
Examples: video optimization and acceleration, contact/DNS caching, network utilization optimization, etc.
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Consumer-oriented Service Scenarios
Augmented Reality
High bandwidth low latency content delivery
The MEC application analyses the output from a device’s camera and the precise
location; objects viewed on the the device camera are overlaid with local augmented
reality content.
Enables unique experience of a visitor to a museum or other (indoors or outdoors)
points of interest
Ensures low latency and high rate of data processing
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Operator and third-party services
Video Analytics
Intelligent Video Analytics
Distributed live video streams analytics at the mobile edge
Events are triggered automatically (e.g. movement, missing objects, crowd, etc.);
enables fast detection and action triggering
Optimizes backhaul and transport capacity
Applicable to public safety, smart cities
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Network-performance and QoE improvements
Intelligent Video Acceleration
RAN-aware Content Optimization
A Radio Analytics MEC application provides the video server with an indication on the
throughput estimated to be available at the radio downlink interface
The information can be used to assist TCP congestion control decisions and also to
ensure that the application-level coding matches the estimated capacity at the radio
downlink.
Enables improved video quality and throughput
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Operator and Third-party Services
Connected Vehicles
Vehicle-to-infrastructure
Existing cloud services are extended into the highly distributed mobile base station
environment, leveraging the existing LTE connectivity.
The MEC application operates as a roadside unit for vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I).
Road hazards can be recognized and warnings can be sent to nearby cars with
extremely low latency.
Enables a nearby car to receive data in a matter of milliseconds, and the driver to react
instantly.
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Operator and Third-party Services
Unified Enterprise Communications
Local breakout to Enterprise Network
Deployment of Small Cells on enterprise premises with enterprise applications
supported in the MEC environment.
Unified communications with enterprise PBX, allowing the enterprise user's BYOD to be
used for enterprise communications.
Internal calls routed locally, traffic rules based on user’s enterprise or subscription
identity, local routing of messaging.
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Consumer-oriented Service Scenarios
Application Computation Offloading
Offload of CPU-heavy tasks
app
app
app
app
Mobile edge host
Backend Server
Consumers can use low complexity devices by off-loading compute capacity to the MEC
host.
New compute intensive services like auto-translation and recommendations
synthesised can be delivered in near real-time, and to low complexity devices.
Operators can provide value added services by utilising application data available at the
mobile edge host.
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MEC AND 5G
13
5G Use Cases and Requirements
5G Use Cases Families and Related Examples
Build a virtual zero latency gigabit and ultra reliable experience for
people and objects when and where it matters
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5G Network Architecture Drivers
HetNet
New 5G RIs
Network
Flexibility
Technology
New Services &
Enablers
Business models
MEC is a key technology and architectural concept for
enabling the transformation to 5G
MEC: Major Strides towards 5G Era
Complements SDN and NFV
and advances the
transformation of the mobilebroadband network into a
programmable world
Programmability
Ensures highly efficient
network operation and service
delivery and ultimate personal
experience
TCO and QoE
Enables a myriad of new use
cases across multiple sectors.
Enables a new value-chain and
fresh business operations
Business Opportunities
MEC helps satisfying the demanding requirements for the 5G era in terms of expected throughput,
latency, scalability and automation; it also offers additional privacy and security and ensures significant
cost savings.
Many of the use cases can be enabled with MEC prior to 5G.
ETSI ISG MEC
ETSI ISG MEC
Formed in September 2014; first meeting in December 2014
Founding
members
Formed under the
auspices of the
ETSI ISG
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Creates an open
and standardized
IT service
environment
Hosts third-party
applications at the
edge of the mobile
network
Compliance with
regulatory and
legal requirements
Exposes real-time
radio network and
context
information
Enables a new
value-chain, fresh
business segments
Stimulates
innovation
ETSI ISG MEC: What Do We Specify?
The ISG MEC work to produce normative Group Specifications that will allow the efficient and
seamless integration of applications from vendors, service providers, and third-parties across
multi-vendor MEC platforms.
MEC platform API
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Let’s Reflect on the Work Status…
Published
Work-in-progress
 Technical Requirements, including use cases (GS MEC
 Work Items relating to the MEC APIs, management
interfaces and essential platform functionality:
002)
 Framework and Reference Architecture (GS MEC 003)
 Terminology (GS MEC 001)
 MEC Proof of Concept (PoC) (GS MEC-IEG 005)
 Service Scenario (GS MEC-IEG 004)
 ETSI White Paper “Mobile Edge Computing - a key
technology towards 5G “ (Link)
 Webinar on “Boosting user experience by innovating at
the mobile network edge” (Link)
End 2014
End 2015
ETSI MEC first term
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© ETSI 2012. All rights reserved

API principles, mobile edge platform application enablement,
radio network information API, Location API, UE identity API,
bandwidth management API, system, server and platform
management, application lifecycle and policies, and UE
application interface
 Study items related to MEC integration in NFV
environment and end-to-end mobility.
 Work Items which aim to increase MEC market
acceleration (MEC metrics best practices, MEC business
case examples, MEC requirements for multi-vendor ecosystems)
End 2016
ETSI MEC second term
Mobile Edge Computing: Framework
 MEC utilizes the NFV infrastructure.
The NFV infrastructure may be dedicated to MEC or
shared with other network functions or applications.
• MEC uses existing 3GPP functional elements and
reference points.
 MEC uses (as far as possible) the NFV
infrastructure management entity.
NFV
Third-party applications can be intelligently and
flexibly deployed in a seamless manner on
different MEC platforms (based on technical and
business parameters).
Orchestration
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MEC is fully compliant with the 3GPP
architecture
3GPP
MEC supports multiple deployment scenarios,
including at hotspots, at metro-aggregation sites
or baseband hotels, at the cloud RAN, at a
centralized data center and at the edge of the
core network.
Deployment scenarios
MEC ARCHITECTURE
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© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
ETSI MEC Architecture: Principles
MEC – the basic idea:
• brings the cloud closer to the network edge
• opens the edge for applications from third-parties
• provides services to enhance applications with context information (such as radio network
information, location) to benefit from running near the edge
• enables ultra low latency and traffic redirection
• location does matter!
MEC framework and reference architecture
•
•
•
•
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Specified in ETSI GS MEC 003 (Link To )
Aligned with NFV principles
Focuses on what is unique about the Mobile Edge
Allows flexibility in deployment
© ETSI 2013. All rights reserved
ETSI MEC Architecture: Basics
Mobile edge host
• offers virtualisation infrastructure to run mobile edge applications
• can be an add-on to network elements, or standalone
• can share virtualisation infrastructure with other network functions  NFV
Mobile edge management and orchestration
• facilitates running applications at the right location at the right time
• based on technical & business parameters
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© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
MEC Framework
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© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
* UE = User Equipment (Smartphone, Device)
MEC Reference Architecture
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© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
* UE = User Equipment (Smartphone, Device) | CFS = Customer Facing Service | LCM = LifeCycle Management | ME = Mobile Edge
Mobile Edge Application(s)
CFS portal
User
app
LCM
proxy
UE app
Mobile edge
applications:
Operations
•
Run support
as virtualsystem
machines
•
Typically consume, but may also provide mobile edge
services
•
Mobile edge
May provide
information to aid the lifecycle management
orchestrator
(e.g. indication of availability)
•
Have associated rules and requirements and rules
regarding:
•
Mobile edge
platform
•
Service
ME
app
ME
app
Virtualisation
Data plane
infrastructure
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© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
DNS configuration and traffic redirection
(originate/inspect/modify)
Mobile edge
Compute/ Storage/Networking resources, maximum
platform manager
latency, required services
The rules and requirements are validated by mobile edge
system level management
Mobile edge host
•
Assisted by mobility information may relocate user state
•
Virtualisation
If supported,
may be relocated to another mobile edge
infrastructure manager
host
Mobile Edge Platform
CFS portal
User
app
LCM
proxy
UE app
ME service
Service registry
Mobile edge
ME
app
Service
Traffic
DNS
platform
rules
handling
control
ME
app
Mobile edge
platform
Virtualisation
Data plane
infrastructure
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© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
Mobile edge host
Operations
Mobile
edgesystem
platform:
support
• An environment where applications can discover,
advertise,
consume
Mobile
edge and offer mobile edge
services orchestrator
• Controls data-plane in the virtualization
infrastructure (“SDN”) based on traffic rules
• Configures DNS proxy/server based on DNS
records
fromedge
the mobile edge platform manager
Mobile
platform
manager
• Provides
mobile
edge services. May also
consume mobile edge services provided by the
applications
• Provides access to persistent storage and time of
Virtualisation
day information
infrastructure manager
Mobile Edge System-level Management:
Orchestrator
Orchestrator:
•
•
User
Maintains an overall view of the system and mobile
UE app
app
edge hosts, available resources, available services LCM
proxy
and topology
On-boards application packages, including
•
an integrity check and authenticity
•
validation of the application rules and requirements;
if necessary adjusts them to comply with operator
policies
•
•
•
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CFS portal
Mobile edge
Maintenance of a record of on-boarded packages platform
•
Service
Preparation of the virtualization infrastructure
manager(s) to handle the
ME
ME apps
•
app
app host for
Selection of the appropriate
the application,
satisfying its rules and requirements
Virtualisation
Data plane
Triggers application instantiation
and termination
infrastructure
Mobile edge host
Optionally, triggers application relocation
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
Operations
support system
Mobile edge
orchestrator
Mobile edge
platform manager
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile Edge System-level Management:
Operations Support System (OSS)
CFS portal
UE app
User
app
LCM
proxy
OSS:
•
Operations
Operations
support
support
system
system
Mobile edge
orchestrator
Allows the network operator to trigger management and
control actions, including the configuration of policy.
•
•
•
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Receives requests from external entities (User app LCM
Mobile edge
proxy, CFS portal) for mobile edge application instantiation
platform
or termination.
Service
Mobile edge
platform manager
Receives requests from the
LCM proxy for
MEUser appME
mobile edge applicationsapp
relocation app
between external
clouds and the mobile edge system (optional).
Virtualisation
Data plane
Determines if requests caninfrastructure
be granted, and forwards
Mobile edge host
granted requests to orchestrator.
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile Edge Host-level Management:
Mobile Edge Platform Manager
CFS portal
UE app
Mobile edge platform manager:
•
User
app
LCM
proxy
Element management of the mobile edge
Operations
support system
Mobile edge
orchestrator
platform
•
Lifecycle management of mobile edge apps,
includes notifying the orchestrator of app
related lifecycle events
31
•
Management of application rules, including
•
service authorization, traffic rules, DNS
ME
ME
configuration, conflict resolution
app
app
Receives virtual resource fault reports and
Virtualisation
plane
performance measurements Data
from
the VIM
infrastructure
and processes them
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
Mobile edge
platform
Service
ME
ME app ME app
platform rules & lifecycle
elementMobile
reqtsedge mgmt
mgmt
mgmt
platform manager
Mobile edge platform
manager
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile Edge Services
• Three options: Platform  App, App  App, App  Platform
App1
• Service registered in the mobile edge platform services list
PLAT
• Mobile edge app needs to be authorized to consume a service
Radio Network
Information Service
Location
Bandwidth Manager
Information Service
Service
Provides:
Provides:
Enables:
• Up-to-date radio network
• Location information: Cell ID,
• Allocation of bandwidth to ME
applications
conditions
geolocation, etc.
• Measurements and statistical
• Location of specific or all UEs
information related to the user
served by radio nodes associated
plane
with ME host
• Information about the UEs served
by the radio node(s) associated
with the host. E.g., UE context
and radio access bearers
• Changes in UE information
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App2
App3
Mobile edge services:
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
• Optional: Location of a category
of UEs
• List of all UE in a location
• Location of all radio nodes
associated with ME host
* UE = User Equipment (Smartphone, Device)
• Prioritization of certain traffic
routed to ME applications
Mp1: Interfacing between Mobile Edge
Applications and the Mobile Edge Platform
CFS portal
User
app
LCM
proxy
UE app
Operations
Mp1 bundles
all communications between the
support system
mobile edge applications and the mobile edge
platform.
•
Mobile edge
service
registration, service discovery and
orchestrator
communications support for mobile edge
services
•
Mp1
Mp1
Mobile edge
platform
Service
ME
app
ME
app
Virtualisation
Data plane
infrastructure
33
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
application availability, session state
relocation support procedures
Mobile edge
• traffic rules and DNS rules activation
platform manager
• access to persistent storage and time of
day information
Mobile edge host
Mp1 is the main point of interoperability between
platform Virtualisation
operator and application provider.
infrastructure manager
MEC APPLICATION PROGRAMMING INTERFACES
34
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
Opening the Network Edge towards the
Developer Community
Developer community
…
Service
ME app 1
ME app 2
ME app 3
ME app 4
MEC0nn
Service
ME app n
APIs: REST-HTTP style + Data model + JSON[&XML] formats + Message Bus Hooks
Richardson maturity model level 2..3
MEC012
Radio Network
Information API
MEC013
Location API
MEC014 UE
Identity API
MEC015
Bandwidth
Manager API
ETSI-defined Mobile Edge Services
MEC0nn
35
= ETSI MEC API specification
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
MEC011
App Enablement
Mobile edge platform / Mp1
API0nn
= Third party ME service API specification
MEC009 API Principles
APInnn
Example:
MEC 012 radio network information API
Provides up-to-date radio
network information to
mobile edge applications
and platform.
Notifications
Bearer establishment
E-RAB modification
• Discoverable over Mp1
interface
• Granularity of information per
cell, UE, QCI class and
snapshot or over time
E-RAB release
UE timing advance
UE measurement report
of signal conditions
UE Carrier aggregation
Queries
UE handovers
Cells associated
with ME app instance
Bearers associated
with ME app instance
36
© ETSI 2016. All rights reserved
Maximum interoperability
High-volume – low latency
Data Structures + JSON
Data Structures
S1 bearer info
REST Subscribe (TMF “Hub”)
Message Buses hooks
UE Mobility info
Notify via HTTP
Delivery via Message Bus
MEC AND NFV
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Relationship to NFV
Complementary Concepts which can Exist Independently
 Focused on porting network functions to
virtual environments
 Focused on creating an open environment in
the RAN, allowing 3rd-party
application/service integration (applicationlevel enablers and APIs)
 Enables the migration from a proprietary
appliance-based setup to a standard,
hardware and cloud-based infrastructure
 Creates a new value chain and an energized
ecosystem, based on innovation and business
value
 Virtual functions can be connected or chained
together to create communication services.
 Enables a myriad of new use cases across
multiple sectors
RAN Virtualization
MEC
Notes
 MEC reuses the NFV virtualization infrastructure and the NFV infrastructure management to the
largest extent possible.
 The scope of MEC is focused and its business objective differs from that of NFV.
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REALIZING THE MEC ARCHITECTURE
IN NFV ENVIRONMENTS
39
MEC in NFV: Overview
MEC uses a virtualization platform for running
applications at the mobile network edge.
In MEC deployment in NFV environment:
• MEC uses the NFVI as the virtualization platform
•
• Standalone
• Sharing with NFV
Mobile edge applications run on the NFVI (alongside the
VNFs)
© ETSI 2015. All rights reserved
MEC in NFV study at ETSI ISG MEC
ETSI MEC is performing a study on the “Deployment of Mobile
Edge Computing in an NFV environment”
Design decisions made so far by MEC
• Mobile edge applications appear as VNFs to the NFV environment
• The mobile edge platform runs as a VNF and is managed as such
• The mobile edge host dissolves
• NFV MANO components are re-used as far as possible
• Parts of Mobile Edge Orchestration are delegated to the NFVO
• The Mobile Edge Application LCM is delegated to a VNFM
© ETSI 2015. All rights reserved
MEC in NFV Architecture (under Consideration)
Mx1
CFS
portal
UE app
Other
mobile
edge
platform
Operations support system
Mm8
Mx2
User
app
LCM
proxy
Os-Ma-nfvo
Mm1
Mm9
Mobile edge application orchestrator
(MEAO)
Mv1
NFVO
Mm3*
Mm2
Or-Vi
Or-Vnfm
Mp3
Mv2
Mp1
Mm5
Mobile edge
platform
(VNF)
ME
platform
element
mgmt
ME app
Ve-Vnfm-em
rules &
reqs mgmt
VNFM (ME
platform
LCM)
Mobile edge platform
manager - NFV
(MEPM-V)
Service
VNFM (ME
app LCM)
ME App
(VNF)
Ve-Vnfm-vnf
Nf-Vn
Mp2*
Nf-Vn
Vi-Vnfm = Mm6
Nf-Vi
Data plane
VIM
NFVI
Mv3
NFV reference points
© ETSI 2015. All rights reserved
MEC reference points
MEC-NFV reference points
MEC PROOF OF CONCEPT
43
MEC Proofs of Concept (PoC)
MEC PoCs demonstrate the viability of
MEC implementations; the results and
lessons learnt from the MEC PoCs will be
channeled to the MEC ISG specification
activities.
The first ETSI MEC PoC ZONE was an
integral part of the MEC Congress 2016;
six PoCs were successfully showcased.
For an updated list of the ongoing PoCs
and further details, please see: ETSIMEC-PoC
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WHAT NEXT?
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ETSI ISG MEC: What Next?
On September 14, 2016, the ETSI Director-General approved the
extension of the life of the ISG MEC for a two-year period
Introducing the concept, establishing the
community, laying the foundations and providing
basic specifications
Building on the first term foundations:
 Finalize and maintain the 1st term work (release 1)
 Work on future releases
 Maintain overall ownership in ETSI MEC
 Strengthen collaboration with other organizations and
orchestrate the MEC-related activities; encourage
other industry organizations to build on our work
rather than reinvent
 Work constructively with open source communities
First term (2015-2016)
46
Second term (2017-2018)
Release 2 Objectives
47
Support for 3GPP and
non-3GPP access
technologies (WiFi
Expend the support
types of virtualization
(to render the
Study possible new
charging models
which may be
and fixed).
environment as
attractive as possible
for third-parties)
applicable to MEC
Coordinate
experimentation and
showcasing of MEC
solutions
Expedite the
development of
innovative
applications and to
ensure a low entry
barrier
Study possible new
charging models
which may be
applicable to MEC
Fill any gaps related to
lawful interception
Develop Testing
specifications and test
methodologies;
Coordinate PlugTests
Study new use cases
Enable MEC
deployments in NFV
environment
From
To
Mobile Edge Computing
Multi-access Edge Computing
Epilogue
MEC has created a great momentum in the industry, adding a new dimension and paving
the way towards new opportunities.
MEC is evolving into a key building block in the evolution of mobile-broadband networks,
complementing NFV and SDN.
MEC is identified as a key enabler for IoT and mission-critical, vertical solutions.
MEC is widely recognized as one of the key architectural concepts and technologies for 5G;
Many of the use cases can be enabled with Mobile Edge Computing prior to 5G.
MEC enables a myriad of new use cases across multiple sectors as well as innovative
business opportunities.
•The work on release 2 will broaden the applicability of the MEC technology and will
render the MEC environment even more attractive to third-party application
developers.
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THANK YOU
Contact Details:
Nurit Sprecher
[email protected]
ETSI MEC Support:
[email protected]
Thank you!
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