Sandvine and Citrix Integrated Offload Solution - See How !

Sandvine announced that " ..it is collaborating with .. Citrix Systems to offer mobile packet core offload solutions for mobile carriers"

The joint solution integrates Sandvine's DPI products (PTS) with Citrix NetScaler (here), a product line that so far was addressing, and associated by many with the enterprise and data centers markets.

Sandvine presents two use-cases:

1. Help mobile carriers reduce both packet core congestion and transit costs, using intelligent traffic redirection based on subscriber, device, and application type. In this scenario, the PTS redirects select mobile 3G or 4G data traffic to NetScaler, which routes the traffic via a direct path to the Internet, while the control plane remains unaffected
    
2. Multi-national mobile providers can improve service for data roaming subscribers on affiliated networks. This solution reduces network transit costs while dramatically reducing traffic latency for an improved user experience. 

According to Don Bowman, Sandvine's CTO, NetScaler is performing network address translation (NAT). PTS is installed in the IuPS (see chart below and "Sandvine New DPI Device for LTE" - here). Sandvine's PTS performs the function of online and offline charging as otherwise the carrier cannot count the data. PTS also selects the ‘right user’, ‘right traffic’, etc. E.g. only HTTP traffic from laptops might be one operators deployment, another might be only post-paid data.

In the 2nd use-case, its the same deployment but in Gp, and the PTS has a relationship with multiple OCS & OFCS systems, one for each home operator. It allows local serving of outbound roaming.

In addition, NetScaler also provides cache integration (here).