lteInterface

The lteInterface table models the different types of interfaces between LTE devices.

LTE interfaces modelled in NCIM

The following table lists the LTE interface types that are modelled in NCIM, and shows which interface types are used to connect different LTE elements. The interface types are described below the table.
Table 1. LTE interfaces modelled in NCIM
LTE element EIR eNodeB HSS MME PCRF PGW SGW SGSN
Equipment Identity Register (EIR)

eirFunction

      S13        
Evolved NodeB

enbFunction

  X2   S1-MME     S1-U  
Home Subscriber Server (HSS)

hssFunction

      S6a        
Mobility Management Entity (MME)

mmeFunction

S13 S1-MME S6a S10     S11 S3
Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF)

pcrfFunction

          Gx    
Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW)

pgwFunction

        Gx   S5

S8

 
Serving Gateway (SGW)

sgwFunction

  S1-U   S11   S5

S8

  S4
Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)

ranSGSN

            S4  
Gx
Interface between the PGW and the Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF). In particular, this is the interface between the Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) or the PGW and the PCRF.
OAM
Operational and maintenance interface, used to manage the device.
SGi
Interface between the PGW and any packet data network.
S1
Interface between the eNodeB and the core network.
S1-MME
Control plane interface between an eNodeB and an MME.
S1-U
User plane interface between an eNodeB and one or more SGWs.
S3
Control plane interface between an MME and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN). The interface is used to manage mobility inter-3GPP Radio Access Technology (RAT) mobility between, for example, LTE and UMTS or GPRS.
S4
Control and user plane interface between an SGW and a Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN).
S5
Modelled in NCIM as a user plane interface between an SGW and a PGW within the same Public Land Mobile Network (PLMN).
Note: The S5 interface can carry control and user plane data but in NCIM it is modelled as user plane only.
S6a
Control plane interface between MME and Home Subscriber Server (HSS).
S8
Equivalent to the S5 interface except that it connects an SGW in the Visited PLMN (VPLMN) to a PGW in the roaming subscriber's Home PLMN (HPLMN).
Note: The S5 interface can carry control and user plane data but in NCIM it is modelled as user plane only.
S10
Inter-MME control plane interface.
S11
Control plane interface between an MME and an SGW.
S13
Control plane interface between MME and the Equipment Identity Register (EIR).
X2
Modelled in NCIM as a control plane interface between neighbouring eNodeBs. Used for signalling between neighbouring eNodeBs.
Note: The X2 interface can carry control and user plane data but in NCIM it is modelled as control plane only.
The following table describes the lteInterface table.
Table 2. lteInterface table
Column name Type Constraints Description
entityId Integer FOREIGN KEY

NOT NULL

 
interfaceType Enumeration   Type of LTE interface. Takes one of the following values:
  • Gx
  • OAM
  • SGi
  • S1
  • S1-MME
  • S1-U
  • S3
  • S4
  • S5
  • S6a
  • S8
  • S10
  • S11
  • S13
  • X2