1. Multi-access Edge Computing (MEC) Tutorial
Nurit Sprecher, Nokia
ETSI MPLS+SDN+NFV World 2017 , Paris, France

2. Can be leveraged by applications to create value
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:
Proximity
Ultra-low latency
High bandwidth
Real-time access to radio network and context information
Location awareness
Can be leveraged by applications to create value

3. 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
Interactive
Analytical
Security and privacy
Distributed

4. MEC Business Benefits Business transformation
A new value chain and an energized ecosystem, based on Innovation and business value
Wider collaboration can help to drive favorable market conditions for sustainable business for all players in the value chain.
Business transformation
New market segments (enterprises, verticals and subscribers);
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.

5. Examples of MEC Service Scenarios

6. MEC Service Scenario Categories
Consumer-oriented Services
Operator and third-party services
Network-performance and QoE improvements
Examples: gaming, remote desktop applications, augmented and assisted reality, cognitive assistance, stadium/retail services, etc.
Examples: video analytics, connected vehicles, Enterprise services, Big Data, security and safety, active device location tracking, etc.
Examples: video optimization and acceleration, contact/DNS caching, network utilization optimization, etc.

7. 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

8. 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

9. RAN-aware Content Optimization
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

10. 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.

11. 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.

12. Consumer-oriented Service Scenarios Application Computation Offloading
Offload of CPU-heavy tasks
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.

13. MEC and 5G

14. 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 13

15. 5G Network Architecture Drivers
HetNet
New 5G RIs
Network Flexibility
Technology
Enablers
New Services &
Business models
MEC is a key technology and architectural concept for enabling the transformation to 5G

16. MEC: Major Strides towards 5G Era
Complements SDN and NFV and advances the transformation of the mobile- broadband network into a programmable world
Ensures highly efficient network operation and service delivery and ultimate personal experience
Enables a myriad of new use cases across multiple sectors.
Enables a new value-chain and fresh business operations
Programmability
TCO and QoE
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.

17. ETSI ISG MEC

18. ETSI ISG MEC Formed in September 2014; first meeting in December 2014
Founding members
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
Formed under the auspices of the ETSI ISG
Exposes real-time radio network and context information
Enables a new value-chain, fresh business segments
Stimulates innovation

19. 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

20. Let’s Reflect on the Work Status…
Published
Technical Requirements, including use cases (GS MEC 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)
Work-in-progress
Work Items relating to the MEC APIs, management interfaces and essential platform functionality:  
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 eco- systems)
End 2014
End 2015
End 2016
ETSI MEC first term
ETSI MEC second term
© ETSI All rights reserved

21. 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 (as far as possible) the NFV infrastructure management entity.
MEC is fully compliant with the 3GPP architecture
MEC uses existing 3GPP functional elements and reference points.
NFV
3GPP
Third-party applications can be intelligently and flexibly deployed in a seamless manner on different MEC platforms (based on technical and business parameters).
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.
Orchestration
Deployment scenarios

22. MEC Architecture
© ETSI All rights reserved

23. 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
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 All rights reserved

24. 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
© ETSI All rights reserved

25. MEC Framework * UE = User Equipment (Smartphone, Device)
© ETSI All rights reserved
* UE = User Equipment (Smartphone, Device)

26. MEC Reference Architecture
© ETSI All rights reserved
* UE = User Equipment (Smartphone, Device) | CFS = Customer Facing Service | LCM = LifeCycle Management | ME = Mobile Edge

27. Mobile Edge Application(s)
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Data plane
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Mobile edge applications:
Run as virtual machines
Typically consume, but may also provide mobile edge services
May provide information to aid the lifecycle management (e.g. indication of availability)
Have associated rules and requirements and rules regarding:
DNS configuration and traffic redirection (originate/inspect/modify)
Compute/ Storage/Networking resources, maximum latency, required services
The rules and requirements are validated by mobile edge system level management
Assisted by mobility information may relocate user state
If supported, may be relocated to another mobile edge host ME
app
Service
© ETSI All rights reserved

28. Mobile Edge Platform Mobile edge platform:ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Data plane
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Mobile edge platform:
An environment where applications can discover, advertise, consume and offer mobile edge services
Controls data-plane in the virtualization infrastructure (“SDN”) based on traffic rules
Configures DNS proxy/server based on DNS records from the mobile edge platform manager
Provides mobile edge services. May also consume mobile edge services provided by the applications
Provides access to persistent storage and time of day information
Mobile edge platform
ME service
Service registry
Traffic rules control
DNS handling
© ETSI All rights reserved

29. Mobile Edge System-level Management: Orchestrator
Maintains an overall view of the system and mobile edge hosts, available resources, available services 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
Maintenance of a record of on-boarded packages
Preparation of the virtualization infrastructure manager(s) to handle the apps
Selection of the appropriate host for the application, satisfying its rules and requirements
Triggers application instantiation and termination
Optionally, triggers application relocation
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Data plane
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Mobile edge
orchestrator
© ETSI All rights reserved

30. Mobile Edge System-level Management: Operations Support System (OSS)
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Data plane
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Operations support system
OSS:
Allows the network operator to trigger management and control actions, including the configuration of policy.
Receives requests from external entities (User app LCM proxy, CFS portal) for mobile edge application instantiation or termination.
Receives requests from the User app LCM proxy for mobile edge applications relocation between external clouds and the mobile edge system (optional).
Determines if requests can be granted, and forwards granted requests to orchestrator.
© ETSI All rights reserved

31. Mobile Edge Host-level Management: Mobile Edge Platform Manager
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Data plane
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Mobile edge platform manager:
Element management of the mobile edge platform
Lifecycle management of mobile edge apps, includes notifying the orchestrator of app related lifecycle events
Management of application rules, including service authorization, traffic rules, DNS configuration, conflict resolution
Receives virtual resource fault reports and performance measurements from the VIM and processes them
Mobile edge platform manager
ME platform element mgmt
ME app rules & reqts mgmt
ME app lifecycle mgmt
© ETSI All rights reserved

32. Mobile Edge Services PLAT Radio Network Information Service Location
Three options: Platform  App, App  App, App  Platform
Service registered in the mobile edge platform services list
Mobile edge app needs to be authorized to consume a service
PLAT
App2
App1
App3
Radio Network Information Service
Provides:
Up-to-date radio network conditions
Measurements and statistical information related to the user plane
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
Location
Information Service
Provides:
Location information: Cell ID, geolocation, etc.
Location of specific or all UEs served by radio nodes associated with ME host
Optional: Location of a category of UEs
List of all UE in a location
Location of all radio nodes associated with ME host
Bandwidth Manager
Service
Enables:
Allocation of bandwidth to ME applications
Prioritization of certain traffic routed to ME applications
© ETSI All rights reserved
* UE = User Equipment (Smartphone, Device)

33. Mp1: Interfacing between Mobile Edge Applications and the Mobile Edge PlatformME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Data plane
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Mobile edge host
Virtualisation infrastructure
Virtualisation
infrastructure manager
Mobile edge
platform manager
orchestrator
Operations support system
User
LCM
proxy
UE app
CFS portal
Service
Mp1 bundles all communications between the mobile edge applications and the mobile edge platform.
service registration, service discovery and communications support for mobile edge services
application availability, session state relocation support procedures
traffic rules and DNS rules activation
access to persistent storage and time of day information
Mp1 is the main point of interoperability between platform operator and application provider.
Mobile edge platform ME
app
Service
Mp1
© ETSI All rights reserved

34. MEC Application Programming Interfaces
© ETSI All rights reserved

35. Opening the Network Edge towards the Developer Community
ME app 4
Service
APInnn
ME app n
Service
MEC0nn
MEC009 API Principles …
ME app 1
ME app 2
ME app 3
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
MEC011 App Enablement
ETSI-defined Mobile Edge Services
Mobile edge platform / Mp1
MEC0nn
= ETSI MEC API specification
API0nn
= Third party ME service API specification
© ETSI All rights reserved

36. Example: MEC 012 radio network information API
Provides up-to-date radio network information to mobile edge applications and platform.
Discoverable over Mp1 interface
Granularity of information per cell, UE, QCI class and snapshot or over time
Notifications
UE timing advance
UE measurement report of signal conditions
Bearer establishment
E-RAB modification
E-RAB release
UE handovers
UE Carrier aggregation
Queries
Cells associated with ME app instance
UE Mobility info
Bearers associated with ME app instance
S1 bearer info
Maximum interoperability
High-volume – low latency
Data Structures + JSON
Data Structures
REST Subscribe (TMF “Hub”)
Message Buses hooks
Notify via HTTP
Delivery via Message Bus
© ETSI All rights reserved

37. MEC and NFV

38. Relationship to NFV Complementary Concepts which can Exist Independently
Focused on porting network functions to virtual environments
Enables the migration from a proprietary appliance-based setup to a standard, hardware and cloud-based infrastructure
Virtual functions can be connected or chained together to create communication services.
Focused on creating an open environment in the RAN, allowing 3rd-party application/service integration (application- level enablers and APIs)
Creates a new value chain and an energized ecosystem, based on innovation and business value
Enables a myriad of new use cases across multiple sectors
RAN Virtualization
MEC
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.
Notes

39. Realizing the MEC Architecture In NFV Environments

40. In MEC deployment in NFV environment:
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 All rights reserved

41. 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 All rights reserved

42. MEC in NFV Architecture (under Consideration)
CFS portal
UE app
User app LCM
proxy
Operations support system
Mobile edge appli- cation orchestrator (MEAO)
NFVO
Mobile edge platform manager - NFV (MEPM-V)
ME app rules & reqs mgmt
ME platform element mgmt
ME App (VNF)
Service
Data plane
NFVI
VNFM (ME platform LCM)
Mp1
Mx1
Mx2
Mm8
Mm9
Mm2
Mm1
Mm3*
Mv1
Mv3
Mp3
Nf-Vi
Mm5
Vi-Vnfm = Mm6
VIM
Os-Ma-nfvo
Or-Vnfm
Or-Vi
Ve-Vnfm-vnf
Ve-Vnfm-em
Nf-Vn
Mv2
Mp2*
Other mobile edge platform
VNFM (ME app LCM)
Mobile edge platform (VNF)
© ETSI All rights reserved
NFV reference points
MEC reference points
MEC-NFV reference points

43. MEC Proof of Concept

44. 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: ETSI- MEC-PoC

45. What Next?

46. ETSI ISG MEC: What Next? First term (2015-2016)
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 ( )
Second term ( )

47. Release 2 Objectives From To Mobile Edge Computing
Support for 3GPP and non-3GPP access technologies (WiFi and fixed).
Expend the support types of virtualization (to render the environment as attractive as possible for third-parties)
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
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
Study new use cases
Enable MEC deployments in NFV environment
From
Mobile Edge Computing To
Multi-access Edge Computing

48. 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.

49. Thank you! THANK YOU Contact Details: Nurit Sprecher
ETSI MEC Support:
Thank you!