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5G/6G AcademyEst. 2009
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Level 4

5G Core Network (5GC)

Deep dive into the 5G Core — Service-Based Architecture, all network functions (AMF, SMF, UPF, UDM, AUSF, PCF, NSSF, NEF, NWDAF), user plane architecture, PFCP, and the complete 5GC interface map.

22 interactive0 simulation5 labs4 quizzes
0/31 lessons

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Service-Based Architecture (SBA)

0/7

Understand why 5GC uses SBA, HTTP/2 signaling, service-based interfaces, NF service operations, NRF discovery, and build the SBA architecture hands-on.

What is SBA and why 5G uses it
Compare point-to-point architecture (4G EPC) vs service-based architecture (5GC) side by side.
interactive3 min
HTTP/2 as the signaling protocol in 5GC
See how HTTP/2 replaces Diameter — multiplexed streams, binary framing, and RESTful APIs.
interactive3 min
Service-based interfaces (Namf, Nsmf, Nudm…)
Click each service-based interface to see which NF exposes it and what services it provides.
interactive3 min
NF service operations: request/response and subscribe/notify
Visualize the two NF communication patterns — synchronous request/response and asynchronous subscribe/notify.
interactive3 min
NRF: NF discovery and registration
Watch the NRF flow: NF registration, profile storage, discovery query, and NF selection.
interactive3 min
Lab: Build the SBA architecture
Drag all NFs onto the service bus and connect them — build a complete SBA topology.
lab5 min
Quiz: SBA
Test your knowledge of SBA principles, HTTP/2, service-based interfaces, and NRF.
quiz3 min

Core Network Functions — Deep Dive

0/13

Master every 5GC network function — AMF, SMF, UPF, UDM/UDR, AUSF, PCF, NSSF, NEF, AF, and NWDAF — their roles, interfaces, and services.

AMF: Access and Mobility Management
The AMF handles UE registration, connection management, and mobility — explore its N1/N2 interfaces and key services.
interactive3 min
SMF: Session Management Function
The SMF manages PDU sessions — see its N4/N7/N10 interfaces, IP allocation, and QoS enforcement.
interactive3 min
UPF: User Plane Function
The UPF is the data forwarding engine — N3/N6/N9 interfaces, packet detection, and traffic steering.
interactive3 min
UDM + UDR: Unified Data Management
UDM handles subscription data and authentication vectors, backed by UDR for persistent storage.
interactive3 min
AUSF: Authentication Server Function
Visualize 5G-AKA and EAP-AKA' authentication flows between UE, AMF, AUSF, and UDM.
interactive3 min
PCF: Policy Control Function
PCF provides AM policies, SM policies, and UE policies — see how it controls network behavior.
interactive3 min
NSSF: Network Slice Selection Function
NSSF selects the right network slice based on S-NSSAI — see the slice selection logic.
interactive3 min
NEF: Network Exposure Function
NEF exposes network capabilities to external applications via secure APIs.
interactive3 min
AF: Application Function
AF interacts with PCF to request application-specific QoS and traffic routing.
interactive3 min
NWDAF: Network Data Analytics Function
NWDAF provides AI/ML-driven network analytics for slice optimization and anomaly detection.
interactive3 min
Lab: NF role identification challenge
Given a scenario, identify which NF is responsible — rapid-fire challenge with scoring.
lab5 min
Lab: Build complete 5GC with all NFs
Drag all NFs onto the canvas and connect with N1–N33 interfaces — full 5GC topology.
lab5 min
Quiz: Core NFs
Level gate quiz — 10 questions covering all core network functions and their roles.
quiz5 min

User Plane Architecture

0/6

Master the 5G user plane — GTP-U protocol stack, UPF packet processing rules (PDR/FAR/QER/URR), PFCP on N4, and UPF chaining with ULCL.

User plane protocol stack (GTP-U, UDP, IP)
Explore the user plane protocol layers — GTP-U tunneling, UDP transport, and IP routing.
interactive3 min
UPF packet processing: PDR, FAR, QER, URR
Watch how a packet is matched by PDR, forwarded by FAR, shaped by QER, and reported by URR.
interactive3 min
PFCP (N4 interface): SMF ↔ UPF communication
PFCP carries session establishment, modification, and deletion between SMF and UPF.
interactive3 min
UPF chaining and ULCL (uplink classifier)
See how multiple UPFs chain together and ULCL steers traffic to local or central data networks.
interactive3 min
Lab: Trace a data packet through 5GC
Follow a packet from UE through gNB, UPF, to the internet — identify each hop and tunnel.
lab5 min
Quiz: User plane
Test your knowledge of GTP-U, UPF rules, PFCP, and UPF chaining.
quiz3 min

5GC Interfaces Reference

0/5

Complete reference for all 5GC interfaces — control plane (N1–N15, N22), user plane (N3, N6, N9), protocol stacks, and rapid-fire identification.

Control plane interfaces: N1, N2, N4, N7–N15, N22
Interactive reference diagram of all control plane interfaces between 5GC network functions.
interactive3 min
User plane interfaces: N3, N6, N9
Follow user data through N3 (gNB→UPF), N9 (UPF→UPF), and N6 (UPF→DN) interfaces.
interactive3 min
Interface protocol stacks
Compare protocol layers for each interface — HTTP/2 for SBI, GTP-U for user plane, PFCP for N4.
interactive3 min
Lab: Interface identification challenge
Rapid-fire: "Which interface connects AMF to SMF?" — identify all 5GC interfaces under time pressure.
lab5 min
Quiz: Interfaces
Test your knowledge of all 5GC interfaces, their endpoints, and protocol stacks.
quiz3 min