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TELCOPERF03-BP01 Implement dedicated network infrastructure for control and user plane functions - Telco Lens
Implementation guidanceResources

TELCOPERF03-BP01 Implement dedicated network infrastructure for control and user plane functions

Separating network infrastructure for control and user plane functions (CUPS) is essential for optimizing telco workload performance. Control plane infrastructure should be designed with high availability and security features to handle signaling traffic effectively, while user plane infrastructure must be optimized for high throughput and low latency to manage subscriber data. This separation enables independent scaling of each plane based on specific requirements while maintaining secure and efficient inter-plane communication, leading to better resource utilization and improved service quality.

Desired outcome:

  • Separate the network infrastructure for control plane and user plane functions to enhance performance and scalability.

  • Verify the control plane infrastructure is designed for high availability and security to handle signaling traffic effectively.

  • Optimize the user plane infrastructure for high throughput and low latency to manage subscriber data efficiently.

Common anti-patterns:

  • Deploying control plane and user plane functions on a shared network infrastructure without separation.

  • Failing to consider the distinct performance and scaling requirements of the Control and User Plane components.

  • Neglecting to design the appropriate high availability and security mechanisms for the control plane network.

Benefits of establishing this best practice:

  • Improved overall network performance and service quality by optimizing the control and user plane components independently.

  • Enhanced scalability and the ability to scale each plane based on specific requirements.

  • Increased security and reliability of the control plane functions through dedicated network infrastructure.

  • Better resource utilization and cost optimization by aligning the network infrastructure with the distinct needs of each plane.

Level of risk exposed if this best practice is not established: High

Implementation guidance

Separating the network infrastructure for control plane and user plane functions (CUPS) is a critical best practice for optimizing the performance and scalability of telco workloads. This architectural approach recognizes the distinct requirements and characteristics of these two fundamental components of telco networks.

The control plane infrastructure should be designed with high availability and security features to handle the signaling traffic and control-related functions effectively. This includes maintaining robust failover mechanisms, efficient load balancing, and advanced security measures to protect the critical control plane elements.

In contrast, the user plane infrastructure must be optimized for high throughput and low latency to manage the subscriber data and user traffic efficiently. This may involve the use of specialized hardware acceleration solutions, such as SmartNICs and FPGAs, to offload intensive packet processing tasks and improve overall network performance.

By implementing this separation of the control and user plane networks, telco operators can scale each plane independently based on their specific requirements, leading to better resource utilization and improved service quality. This approach also enables more efficient inter-plane communication, as the dedicated network infrastructure can be tailored to the needs of each component.

When deploying this best practice, telco operators should consider the overall network architecture, the expected traffic patterns, and the specific performance and scaling requirements of the control and user plane functions. This may involve the use of services like AWS Wavelength or AWS Local Zones to strategically place the user plane components closer to the end users for reduced latency.

Implementation steps

  • Create separate VPCs within your AWS environment to host the control plane and user plane components, configuring appropriate subnets, routing tables, and security groups for each.

  • Establish secure communication between the control plane and user plane VPCs using AWS PrivateLink, AWS Transit Gateway, or Site-to-Site VPN connections.

  • Configure AWS Direct Connect or AWS Outposts to provide dedicated, high-bandwidth network connectivity for the user plane infrastructure, optimizing for low-latency and high-throughput.

  • Use AWS Network Load Balancer to distribute traffic across the user plane components, and AWS Application Load Balancer to manage the control signaling traffic for the Control Plane.

  • Implement Amazon CloudWatch and AWS CloudTrail to monitor the performance, security, and health of the separated control plane and user plane network infrastructure.

Resources

Key AWS services: