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FEATURE 149 Handover Due to Trafc Reasons

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Edited by 9 Aug 1999 J Rintamki

00149DEX.B11

Author 10 Aug 1999 J Rantanen

Approved by 11 Aug 1999 K Viitanen

Previous issue () approved

13/jr
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The information in this document is subject to change without notice and describes only the product dened in the introduction of this documentation. This document is intended for the use of Nokia Telecommunications customers only for the purposes of the agreement under which the document is submitted, and no part of it may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or means without the prior written permission of Nokia Telecommunications. The document has been prepared to be used by professional and properly trained personnel, and the customer assumes full responsibility when using it. Nokia Telecommunications welcomes customer comments as part of the process of continuous development and improvement of the documentation. The information or statements given in this document concerning the suitability, capacity, or performance of the mentioned hardware or software products cannot be considered binding but shall be dened in the agreement made between Nokia Telecommunications and the customer. However, Nokia Telecommunications has made all reasonable efforts to ensure that the instructions contained in the document are adequate and free of material errors and omissions. Nokia Telecommunications will, if necessary, explain issues which may not be covered by the document. Nokia Telecommunications liability for any errors in the document is limited to the documentary correction of errors. Nokia Telecommunications WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IN ANY EVENT FOR ERRORS IN THIS DOCUMENT OR FOR ANY DAMAGES, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL (INCLUDING MONETARY LOSSES), that might arise from the use of this document or the information in it. This document and the product it describes are considered protected by copyright according to the applicable laws. NOKIA logo is a registered trademark of Nokia Corporation. Other product names mentioned in this document may be trademarks of their respective companies, and they are mentioned for identication purposes only. Copyright Nokia Telecommunications Oy 1999. All rights reserved.

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CONTENTS

EXTERNAL DESCRIPTION 1.1 1.2 1.3 Introduction References Description of feature 1.3.1 General 1.3.2 Interaction with other function classes 1.3.3 Interdepence of subclasses 1.3.4 Resource indication 1.3.4.1 Parameters 1.3.5 Handover candidate inquiry 1.3.5.1 Parameters 1.3.5.2 Interaction 1.3.5.3 Restrictions 1.3.6 Statistics 1.3.6.1 Parameters 1.3.6.2 Restrictions

11 11 11 11 11 12 12 12 14 14 15 15 15 15 16 16 (6) 21 21 21 22 23 (4)

IMPLEMENTATION 2.1 Implementation description 2.1.1 Environment of resource indication 2.1.2 Environment of handover candidate enquiry 2.1.3 Environment of statistics

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1 1.1 EXTERNAL DESCRIPTION Introduction The feature enables load sharing between cells. The MSC can hand over mobile stations from a highly loaded cell to cells with a lower load. Triggering the trafc reason handover is based on the cell related resource information sent by the BSC and predened by the triggering conditions, and the algorithm the MSC uses when processing the resource information. The MSC informs the BSC of the number of mobile stations that should be handed over and it also gives a list of possible target cells. The BSC sends normal Handover Required messages concerning those mobile stations in its area which are possible to be handed over. Trafc reason handovers are controlled by the MSC. The operator can control the feature by the MML commands. 1.2 References GSM 08.08, MSC to BSS interface Layer 3 Specication Feature 527: A-I/F MMI Enhancement, Feature Activation Manual 1.3 Description of feature

1.3.1 General The MSC tries to avoid congestion in the radio interface and maintain a sufcient service level in a highly loaded cell by requesting handovers to mobile stations from a cell to its neighbouring cells. The trafc reason handover function can be divided into resource indication, handover candidate inquiry and statistics functional subclasses. With the aid of the resource indication procedure, the MSC gets the current number of free trafc channels of a cell that are available for trafc carrying purposes. The handover candidate inquiry procedure selects the target cells and the number of handover candidates. Statistics collects information on both the requested and the started numbers of trafc reason handover. The action is based on two basic limit values (out-criterion, in-criterion) that control the handover due to trafc reasons function. Out-criterion denes the number of free trafc channels of the cell, which triggers the handover procedures from the cell. In-criterion denes the number of free trafc channels, which excludes the cell as a possible target cell. The purpose of the in-criterion is to prevent the shifting of the loading problem to another cell. The following gure describes the variation of free channels.

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Number of free channels 12 10

in-criterion

2 0

out-criterion

t res_ind

Figure 1. Limits for number of channels.

1.3.2 Interaction with other function classes Handover execution is described in HANDOVER, Functional Description. The proper handover execution in MSC does not differ if handover is triggered by the BSC or by the MSC. 1.3.3 Interdepence of subclasses Each of the three functional subclasses (resource indication, handover candidate enquiry, statistics) can be activated and deactivated separately by cell-specic MML commands. However, the resource indication procedure normally triggers the handover candidate enquiry procedure, so the resource indication procedure must also be activated for the handover candidate enquiry procedure to work properly. The MSC may also use the resource indication function when selecting possible target cells for the target cell list. 1.3.4 Resource indication With the resource indication function the MSC receives the information on the number of free trafc channels in a certain cell. There are four different resource indication methods: spontaneous indication, one single indication, periodic indication and no indication.

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Spontaneous indication The BSS sends resource indication to the MSC every time certain predened conditions are met. The conditions are dened by the O&M of the BSC. One single indication The BSS will immediately return one resource indication message to the MSC when this mode is set from the MSC. Periodic indication The BSS will immediately return one resource indication message and then periodically, as set by the MSC. No indication The BSS will immediately return one resource indication message. No more resource indication messages are sent to the MSC. The cell (BTS) stays in the resource indication method, which the MSC has set, until the MSC sends a new resource indication method to the BSS concerning the cell, or a BSS reset occurs. The default mode is "no indication" which is set, for example, after BSS reset for all cells of the BSS by the BSC. If the resource indication is used to control the trafc reason handovers, the resource indication method of the cell should be either spontaneous or periodic. The MSC may temporarily set "one single indication" method to a cell if the MSC wants to check the loading level of the cell. The number of free trafc channels is given in two types of channels: full rate trafc channels; half rate trafc channels.

In addition, because both channel amounts are divided into ve different interference bands, the BSS will send ten pieces of information concerning the number of free trafc channels for a certain cell. For example, if there is one full rate trafc channel that can also be used as two half rate channels, the number of free full rate channels will be one and the number of free half rate channels will be two. As an optional feature the BSS may also send the total amounts of the accessible radio resources (extented resource indication). This information element contains both full rate and half rate trafc channel amounts, but the dividing to different interference bands is not done. Another optional feature is the subsequent reporting mode which enables one single indication during periodic or spontaneous mode without change of original resource indication mode.
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In the rst resource indication message which the BSS may use as acknowledgement to the resource request message, the resource available information element is optional (only this case). If the resource available information element is enclosed in the resource indication message (even the rst one), the MSC determines that it contains a valid value. 1.3.4.1 Parameters

The activation and deactivation of the resource indication function and the handling of parameters is done by cell-specic MML commands. The maximum amount of cells that can simultaneously have the resource indication procedure (periodic) in progress in a certain BSS will be adjustable through a BSC-specic le. 1.3.5 Handover candidate inquiry With the handover candidate inquiry function the MSC can ask a BSS to start handover to a certain number of mobile stations from a certain cell to another nominated cell. The BSS generates handover requests for those mobile stations where handover is possible to perform and informs the number of handover requests to the MSC. The number of handover requests is not necessarily the same as the number of mobile stations the MSC has requested. The handover candidate inquiry procedure is started when the number of free trafc channels is less than the predened triggering conditions (out-criterion). The handover candidate inquiry message contains a target cell list. The target cell list contains the cells which the MSC recommends to the BSC as possible handover target cells. The list is based on the neighbouring cell list which should be dened for each cell (at least) that has the handover candidate enquiry function in the activate state.The neighbouring cell list contains only those cells that belong to the same MSC. The maximum number of neighbouring cells is 32, which is also the maximum number of target cells in the handover candidate enquiry message. The order of cells in the target cell list is based on the order of the cells in the neighbouring cell list. All the neighbouring cells which meet the following requirements are accepted in the target cell list: the administrative state of the cell must be UNLOCKED the operative state of the BSC that controls the cell must be AVAILABLE the BSC that controls the cell must support the resource indication function the resource indication function of the cell must be active the loading level of the cell must be above the in-criterion the trafc reason handovers to the cell must be allowed

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there is no resource request procedure in progress in the cell there is no handover candidate enquiry procedure in progress in the cell the cell is not marked overloaded as a result of ow control

If the loading information of a target cell is not current, the resource request message will request the information from the cell. If a neighbouring cell has an ongoing resource indication procedure, it is not accepted as target cell in the rst phase. The capability of those cells as target cells is checked after the resource indication messages are received on those cells whose loading information was not current (or all guard timers are expired). Therefore, the resource indication procedure is not started again, but the loading level is checked when the latest loading information should be available. As a result of handover candidate inquiry message, the BSC sends handover required messages concerning those mobile stations in its area that are possible for handover. The handover required messages contain also a target cell list and from that list the MSC selects the target cell. 1.3.5.1 Parameters

The activation and deactivation of handover candidate inquiry procedure and the handling of parameters is done by cell-specic MML commands. The number of handover candidates is calculated based on a certain algorithm which can be adjusted through a cell-specic MML. Also the triggering conditions of handover candidate inquiry procedure are possible to be adjusted through cell-specic MML. The maximum number of cells which can simultaneously have the handover candidate inquiry procedure in progress in a certain BSS will be adjustable through a BSC-specic le. 1.3.5.2 Interaction

The resource indication procedure (periodic, spontaneous) must be active before the triggering of the handover candidate inquiry procedure is possible. 1.3.5.3 Restrictions

The number of simultaneous handover candidate inquiry procedures in the MSC will be restricted. 1.3.6 Statistics Statistics collects data on the initiated handover operations. The statistics of handover is described in HANDOVER, Functional Description.

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Besides general handover statistics, it is useful to have separate handover statistics for trafc reason handovers, because during heavy trafc the amount of handovers is high and it is difcult to separate the trafc reason handovers from the handover mass. The statistical data of trafc reason handover contains: current cell; the channel type (full/half rate trafc channel) which will run out and trigger the handover candidate enquiry; the number of handovers requested by MSC; the number of handovers started by BSS; the number of successful, completed handovers; the list of the handover target cells recommended by the MSC. Parameters

1.3.6.1

The trafc reason handover observation is activated through a cell-specic le. The trafc reason handover observation can be activated regardless of general handover observation. 1.3.6.2 Restrictions

The maximum number of cells that can simultaneously have the trafc reason handover observation is 32. The maximum number of the handover target cells in the trafc reason handover observation report is 16.

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2 2.1 IMPLEMENTATION Implementation description

2.1.1 Environment of resource indication The resource indication procedure is implemented in the A-interface application service block and in the cellular network service block.

OPERATOR

BSRSYB CELSEB

SGLSYB AIASEB

BTHAND

W RNEUPD AIFPRB

CRMPRB R

BTSFIL

Figure 1. The operational environment of the resource indication procedure

BSRSYB: Basic switching service system block SGLSYB: Signalling service system block CELSEB: Cellular network service block CRMPRB (Cellular resource management program block) in CELSEB sets the resource indicaton method of each cell and controls the incoming resource indications according the BTS-related data in BTSFIL le. RNEUPD (Radio network updating process) in CELSEB writes the BTS related parameters in the BTSFIL le.

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BTHAND (Base Transceiver Station Handling MML) in CELSEB realizes the user interface of BTS specic parameter handling. AIASEB: A - interface application service block Signalling to A-interface is done through AIFPRB (A-interface program block). 2.1.2 Environment of handover candidate enquiry The handover candidate enquiry procedures are implemented in the A-interface application service block and in the cellular network service block.

OPERATOR

BSRSYB CELSEB

SGLSYB AIASEB

BTHAND

W RNEUPD AIFPRB

CRMPRB R

BTSFIL

Figure 2. The operational environment of the handover candidate enquiry procedure

BSRSYB: Basic switching service system block SGLSYB: Signalling service system block CELSEB: Cellular network service block CRMPRB (Cellular resource management program block) in CELSEB starts the handover candidate enquiry procedure as a result of the resource indication procedure .

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RNEUPD (Radio network updating process) in CELSEB writes the BTS related parameters in the BTSFIL le. BTHAND (Base Transceiver Station Handling MML) in CELSEB realizes the user interface of BTS specic parameter handling. AIASEB: A - interface application service block AIFPRB (A-interface program block) receives handover requests and starts the proper handover procedure. Also the signalling to A-interface is done through AIFPRB . 2.1.3 Environment of statistics The statistics of trafc reason handover procedures are implemented in the trafc administration service block which receives the statistical information from the Ainterface application service block and from the cellular network service block.

OPERATOR

BSRSYB CELSEB W RNEUPD HSMMML TRDSEB

SGLSYB AIASEB

CRMPRB R

HSPPRB

AIFPRB

CDAFIL

Figure 3. The operational environment of statistics of trafc reason handover

BSRSYB: Basic switching service system block SGLSYB: Signalling service system block CELSEB: Cellular network service block CRMPRB (Cellular resource management program block) in CELSEB sends the statistical information to HSPPRB in TRDSEB.
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RNEUPD (Radio network updating process) in CELSEB writes the cellrelated parameters in the cell specic le. TRDSEB: Trafc administration service block HSMMML (GSM measurement handling MML) in TRDSEB offers the user interface of GSM measurement handling. HSPPRB (Handover statistical program block) in TRDSEB collects and analyses statistical information. AIASEB: A - interface application service block Signalling to A-interface is done through AIFPRB (A-interface program block).

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