Architecture Discussion on SRv6 Mobile User plane

Layer separation is a powerful concept in system architecture. In the area of mobility, by separating GTP-U that is the overlay tunnel, and the IP transport network that is the underlay, the operation of the mobile network and the transport network can be separated, allowing them to evolve independently. However, evolving individually at each layer promotes local optimization and may result in non-optimal solutions overall in the long run. When a drastic architectural transition is required, for example, in the 5G era where various SLAs and completely new data intensive services are assumed, it is necessary to reconsider the architecture holistically, not from the viewpoint of individual part. One of important value propositions of SRv6 mobile user plane is to create overlay with underlay optimization. This document discusses the architecture implication of applying SRv6 mobile user plane. Then it takes 5G use cases as an example, and describes how these use cases are simply and effectively realized. Thus it shows that SRv6 mobile use plane is a right architectural choice for 5G era.