Diameter Protocol

Overview

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Copyright 2006 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

 Foreword
The Diameter protocol is intended to provide an
Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA)
framework for applications such as network access or IP
mobility

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 References
RFC3558

3GPP TS 29.229

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 Objectives
Upon completion of this course, you will be able to:
Know the structure of Diameter protocol.

Describe the application of Diameter in the SIP condition

Describe the procedure of the Diameter application

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 Contents
1. Diameter Protocol Overview

2. Diameter for SIP Application

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 Contents
1. Diameter Protocol Overview
1.1 Diameter introduction

1.2 Diameter framework

1.3 Message structure

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Whats Diameter?
Diameter protocol
An AAA protocol, provide Authentication, Authorization and
Accounting (AAA) function
Advanced than radius, so it is called diameter

AAA server AAA server

Radius Diameter
NAS AAA client

PPP
DSL WLAN

3G

Traditional network
Future network

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New demands on AAA protocols
Network access requirements for AAA protocols
Failover

Transmission-level security

Reliable transport

Agent support

Server-initiated messages

Capability negotiation

Peer discovery and configuration

Roaming support

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Characteristic
The Diameter base protocol provides the following facilities
Delivery of AVPs (attribute value pairs)

Capabilities negotiation

Error notification

Extensibility, through addition of new commands and AVPs

(required in [AAAREQ]).

Basic services necessary for applications, such as handling of

user sessions or accounting

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 Contents
1. Diameter Protocol Overview
1.1 Diameter introduction

1.2 Diameter framework

1.3 Message structure

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Diameter framework
Diameter specification consists
The Diameter base protocol
Transport Profile [AAATRANS]
Applications
Mobile IPv4 [DIAMMIP] application
NASREQ [NASREQ] application SIP
application
SIP application
MIP

application
NASREQ EAP
application application

Diameter Base protocol, Transport profile

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Diameter node type
Diameter node type
Client
A Diameter Client is a device at the edge of the network that performs
access control. An example of a Diameter client is a Network Access
Server (NAS) or a Foreign Agent (FA).
Server
A Diameter Server is one that handles authentication, authorization and
accounting requests for a particular realm. By its very nature, a Diameter
Server MUST support Diameter applications in addition to the base
protocol.
Agent

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Role of Diameter Agents
There are four kinds of Diameter Agents
Proxy Agent or Proxy

Relay Agent or Relay

Redirect Agent

Translation Agent

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 Contents
1. Diameter Protocol Overview
1.1 Diameter introduction

1.2 Diameter framework

1.3 Message structure

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Diameter PDU
Diameter PDU includes two parts:
Diameter header

Diameter AVP
0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1

version Message Length

command flags Command-Code

RPETrrrr
Application-ID
Hop-by-Hop Identifier
End-to-End Identifier
AVPs ...

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Diameter PDU
Command code

Command-Name Abbrev Code

Abort-Session-Request ASR 274

Abort-Session-Answer ASA 274
Accounting-Request ACR 271
Accounting-Answer ACA 271
Capabilities-Exchange-Request CER 257
Capabilities-Exchange- Answer CEA 257
Device-Watchdog-Request DWR 280
Device-Watchdog-Answer DWA 280
Session-Termination- Request STR 275
Session-Termination- Answer STA 275

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Diameter PDU
AVP
The Diameter protocol consists of a header followed by one or
more Attribute-Value-Pairs (AVPs). An AVP includes a header
and is used to encapsulate protocol-specific data (e.g., routing
information) as well as authentication, authorization or
accounting information
APV structure

0 1 2 3
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1
AVP Code
AVP flags AVP Length

VMPrrrrr
Vendor-ID (opt)
AVP data

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Example
Use Cx message as an example

I-CSCF HSS
Diameter message: UAA

Diameter header AVPs

Command code AVP header AVP data

UAA

AVP code AVP length

603 10415
603: server capabilities

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 Contents
1. Diameter Protocol Overview

2. Diameter for SIP Application

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Diameter for SIP Application
framework

Diameter
server
Diameter Diameter
UAR/UAA PPR/PPA
LIR/LIA SAR/SAA
RTR/RTA

SIP UA SIP server1 SIP sever2 SIP UA

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Command code in SIP Application

Command-Name Abbrev Code

User-Authorization-Request UAR 300
User-Authorization-Answer UAA 300
Server-Assignment-Request SAR 301
Server-Assignment-Answer SAA 301
Location-Info-Request LIR 302
Location-Info-Answer LIA 302
Multimedia-Auth-Request MAR 303
Multimedia-Auth-Answer MAA 303
Registration-Termination-Request RTR 304
Registration-Termination-Answer RTA 304
Push-Profile-Request PPR 305
Push-Profile-Answer PPA 305

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AVP code in SIP application

Command-Name Code
Visited-Network-Identifier 601
Public-Identity 602
Server-Name 603
Server-Capabilities 604
Mandatory-Capability 605
Optional-Capability 606
User-Data 607
SIP-Number-Auth-Items 608
SIP-Authentication-Scheme 609
SIP-Authenticate 610
SIP-Authorization 611
SIP-Authentication-Context 612

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AVP code in SIP application

Command-Name Code
SIP-Auth-Data-Item 613
SIP-Item-Number 614
Server-Assignment-Type 615
Deregistration-Reason 616
Reason-Code 617
Reason-Info 618
Charging-Information 619
Primary-Event-Charging-Function-Name 620
Secondary-Event-Charging-Function-Name 621
Primary-Charging-Collection-Function-Name 622
Secondary-Charging-Collection-Function-Name 623
User-Authorization-Type 624

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AVP code in SIP application

Command-Name Code
User-Data-Already-Available 625
Confidentiality-Key 626
Integrity-Key 627
Supported-Features 628
Feature-List-ID 629
Feature-List 630
Supported-Applications 631

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Diameter signaling procedure in
SIP Application
Example (register)

I-CSCF HSS S-CSCF

[Link] register [Link]
[Link]
[Link] register
[Link]
[Link]
7.401 unauthorized
8.401 unauthorized
[Link] register
[Link]
[Link]
[Link] register
[Link]
[Link]
15.200 OK
16.200OK

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UAR/UAA --User-Authorization
request/answer
User register/User deregister
I-CSCF HSS to query the S-CSCF
HSS Action
if the IMPU is allowed to roam in the visited network
if the IMPU is allowed to authorized to register
if the IMPU isnt barred
HSS Return
S-CSCF Name or
S-CSCF Capabilities

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MAR/MAA --Multimedia-
Authentication request/answer
S-CSCFHSS to retrieve authentication vectors from the
HSS

HSS Action
Check the register status of the user and judge if the S-CSCF
name equal to the server name stored in HSS

Returns the AVs(RAND|AUTN|XRES|CK|IK) that S-CSCF

requests

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SAR/SAA --Server-Assignment
request/answer
S-CSCFHSS to notify to register or deregister the user

S-CSCF HSS to request the user profile

HSS Action
Check the user current register state and update to the new
register state

Store the S-CSCF server name for the user

Return the user profile and/or charging information to S-CSCF

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 Summary
Please describe the diameter application in register
procedure

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Thank you
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