Subscriber data management (SDM) is the process of consolidating profile data across multiple mobile and fixed networks in a single virtual data store.
The solution enables efficient management of all subscriber data which is critical to the financial success of the operator.
SDM empowers wireless operators to manage subscriber data using a single API.
In a mobile network, subscriber data is typically stored in multiple databases across different systems and applications.
Benefits of SDM for Network Operators?
Network operators use subscriber data to better understand the customer segment, to enrich the customer experience as well as for monetization purposes.
SDM is about integrating these databases into a single, unified view of the subscriber. In addition, SDM has the ability to integrate external information (e.g., CRM data), aiming to enhance the customer experience and create additional revenues.
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SDM helps network operators gather comprehensive information about their subscribers and better understand their customers.
The virtualization which comes with SDM also enables network operators to directly manage the entire end-to-end process of services (e.g., SMS, MMS, WAP, IMS).
Features of SDM
The SDM provides the architecture to support the subscriber data management solution for 5G-SA, which is defined by Release 16.
The Subscriber Data Management is a standard-based network function that includes
- Authentication Server Function (AUSF)
- Unified Data Management (UDM)
- Unified Data Repository (UDR)
It is for 5G-SA support as well as Home Subscriber Server (HSS) for 4G and 5G-NSA support.
What is subscriber information?
The SDM is divided between two entities:
- Subscriber database (SDB): The HSS database, which is responsible for subscriber authentication, registration, and profile management;
- Subscriber data repository (SDR): An external database that contains the actual subscriber data.
The SDM was designed with a goal of improving support for location and mobility use cases.
Subscriber Data Management 3gpp
SDM in 3GPP architecture is sometimes mistakenly seen as one domain of the core network, but in fact, it contains diverse domains of its own with specific characteristics, challenges and needs, such as: user plane, packet core control plane, subscriber data management (SDM) control plane (SDM-CP), data layer, policy control and network exposure.
