UPF (User Plane Function)

The 6WIND UPF (User Plane Function) is a high-performance, cloud-native network function designed for 5G mobile core networks. It enables efficient, scalable, and secure user data processing at the edge or core, supporting advanced 5G use cases such as private networks, MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing), and network slicing. The 6WIND UPF is part of the 6WIND Virtual Service Router (VSR) suite and can be deployed on commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware, virtual machines, or containers in private and public clouds.

Features

• Full 3GPP-compliant User Plane Function for 5G Core (5GC) networks
• Supports both PSA (PDU Session Anchor) and I-UPF (Intermediate UPF) roles
• Network instance affiliation with VRF-based isolation
• Per-session QoS: default and non-default QoS flows, QFI, QER, SDF filters, MBR, AMBR, 5QI profiles
• PFCP protocol support: association setup, session establishment/modification, heartbeat
• Downlink Data Buffering (BUCP), Usage Reporting Rules (URR), Error Indication
• Advanced traffic management: Packet Detection Rules (PDR), Forwarding Action Rules (FAR), QoS Enforcement Rules (QER)
• High-performance data plane leveraging DPDK for fast packet processing
• Comprehensive management: CLI, NETCONF/YANG, SNMP, KPIs/telemetry, RBAC, Syslog, sFlow, Netflow/IPFIX
• Flexible deployment: bare metal, virtual machines, containers (Kubernetes/Docker), public clouds
• Carrier-grade security: ACLs, uRPF, control plane protection, BGP FlowSpec, IPsec, encryption
• High availability: VRRP, IKE/IPsec synchronization

Capabilities

• Acts as a 5G UPF for both core and edge deployments
• Supports network slicing and multi-tenancy for isolated service domains
• Handles high-throughput, low-latency user data processing for demanding 5G applications
• Integrates with 5G Service-Based Architecture (SBA) and external SMF (Session Management Function)
• Enables MEC, private 5G, and enterprise use cases with flexible scaling
• Provides per-session and per-flow QoS enforcement for differentiated services
• Supports advanced traffic steering, usage reporting, and lawful interception
• Automated provisioning and orchestration via cloud-init, Ansible, and APIs

Benefits

• Accelerates 5G service rollout with a ready-to-deploy, standards-compliant UPF
• Reduces TCO by leveraging COTS hardware and cloud-native deployment models
• Delivers high performance and scalability for massive 5G traffic loads
• Enables rapid innovation for private 5G, MEC, and IoT applications
• Ensures secure, reliable, and isolated user data handling
• Flexible licensing and feature enablement to match evolving network needs
• Comprehensive monitoring and automation for simplified operations