1. InterWorking and Mediation Function (IWF) Cloud Native User's Guide
  2. About InterWorking and Mediation Function

2 About InterWorking and Mediation Function

The key capabilities of InterWorking and Mediation Function include:

  • Protocol Translation:
    • Allows 5GC NF to interwork the EPC network elements or vice versa
    • Supports diameter to HTTP/2 and vice versa protocol conversion capabilities
  • Message Mediation:
    • Allows API transformation to resolve inter-NF inter-operational issues
    • Allows users to create policy rules to execute mediation transformation

About Mediation Capability

Mediation capability:
  • Allows user to perform HTTP/2 signaling API message mediation with vendor-specific implementations and resolve interoperability issues for 5GC inter-NF communication.
  • Supports dynamic message transformation based on the configured policy rules.

Figure 2-1 Mediation Capability


img/mediation_capability.png

The IWF mediation feature allows the user to configure the mediation policies that are executed on incoming and outgoing NF messages.

The IWF Mediation supports the following capabilities:

  • Header: Used to make custom changes to the request and/or response headers (add, remove, and modify).
  • Body IEs: Used to make custom changes to HTTP message bodies.
  • Method/Status Code: Used to update the method name or status code in messages.
  • URL Rewriting: Modify any URLs in the API messages.
  • Transformation: Used to convert between JSON and XML.
  • Message Actions: Forward/Reject/Drop/Message Copy the messages based on configured rules.

About Protocol Translation

The Protocol Translation enables inter-working between EPC network elements and 5GC NFs. Perform mapping of HTTP/2 to Diameter messages and vice versa.

Figure 2-2 Protocol Translation


img/protocol_translation.png

Protocol translation enables migration and inter-working strategy for an LTE network by performing protocol translation.

  • Diameter-HTTP/2 inter-working is based on generic framework using IE mapping configuration and includes built-in support for the following Diameter-HTTP/2 inter-working use cases.
    • Inter-working between AF(CSCF) & PCF for IMS, QoS Control, SDC, and so on, use cases - Rx to N5
    • Inter-working between NF & PCRF for IMS, QoS Control, SDC, and so on, use cases - N7 to Gx
  • Supports for HTTP/2 to HTTP/1.1
  • Supports payload transformation - JSON to XML
  • Supports customization of inter-working IEs of HTTP/2 and diameter messages

PCF Session Binding Discovery success case img/pcf_discovery.png