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OMF000405 Case 8tudy -

Congestion 88UE1.4
OMF000405 Case 8tudy OMF000405 Case 8tudy - -
Congestion 88UE1.4 Congestion 88UE1.4
Wireless Training Department
TCH congestion
SDCCH congestion
Course Contents Course Contents
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH congestion
Basic principle
Causes for high TCH congestion
Case study of TCH congestion
TCH congestion TCH congestion
Basic principle of TCH congestion
Definition of TCH congestion rate
Measurement point for TCH congestion and analysis
TCH congestion TCH congestion
Definition of TCH congestion rate
TCH congestion rate (excluding handover)
=(TCH seizure failures for call + TCH seizure failures for very
early assignment) / (Attempted TCH seizures + Attempted TCH
seizures for very early assignment) *100%
TCH congestion TCH congestion
Definition of TCH Congestion rate
TCH congestion rate (including handover)
=(TCH seizure failures for call + TCH seizure failures for very
early assignment + TCH seizure failures for intra BSC incoming
cell handover (no radio resource) + TCH seizure failures for inter
BSC incoming cell handover (no radio resource) ) / (Attempted
TCH seizures (all) + Attempted TCH seizures for very early
assignment + Attempted TCH seizures for intra BSC incoming
cell handover + Attempted TCH seizures for inter BSC incoming
cell handover)
TCH congestion TCH congestion
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Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND
BTS BSC
MSC MS
Channel_Req
first SABM
Establish_IND( CM Service Req)
CR(Complete_l3_information)
CC
Setup
Call Proceeding
Assignment_Req
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
first SABM
Establish_IND
ASSIGNMENT CMP
Assignment_CMP
Alerting
Connect
Connect Ack
Communication
Disconnect
Release
Release Complete
Clear_CMD
Clear_CMP
CM Service Accepted
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
UA
SDCCH
SDCCH
SACCH(TCH)
SACCH(TCH)
MS call flow as the caller
TCH congestion TCH congestion
Attempted TCH seizures measurement point
Attempted TCH seizures for call
Receive the MSC assignment request message
Attempted TCH seizures for very early assignment
When there is no resource for SDCCH allocation and very early
assignment is permitted
When channel required is received and channel type is TCH
Attempted TCH seizures for intraBSC incoming cell handover
When intraBSC incoming cell handover request message is
received (non-SDCCH handover request).
Attempted TCH seizures for interBSC incoming cell handover
When interBSC incoming handover request message is received
(handover type is non-SDCCH)
TCH seizure failures:
TCH seizure failures for call,
TCH seizure failures for very early assignment,
TCH seizure failures for interBSC incoming cell handover,
TCH seizure failures for intraBSC incoming cell handover,
TCH seizure failures for intracell handover.
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH seizure failures for call measurement point:
(1)CONN_FAIL message is received in process of assignment.
(2)CLEAR_CMD is received in process of outgoing BSC
handover. The cause of handover is direct retry.
(3)CLEAR_CMD is received in process of assignment
(4)RR_ABORT_REQ is received in process of outgoing BSC
handover and the cause of handover is direct retry.
(5)RR_ABORT_REQ is received in process of assignment.
(6)MSG_HO_REQ_REJ is received in process of outgoing BSC
handover (direct retry).
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH seizure failures for call measurement point:
(7) HO_FAIL is received in outgoing BSC handover (direct retry)
(8) ERR_IND is received in process of assignment.
(9) When assignment failure message is sent.
(10)TN_T7 (direct retry) timeout (outgoing BSC handover
request)
(11)TN_T8 (direct retry) timeout (outgoing BSC handover
complete)
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH seizure failures for very early assignment measurement point:
(1)CH_ACT_NACK is received in the very early TCH assignment
process. (CH_ACT_NACK is received in WAIT_RR_EST status in
satellite transmission BTS)
(2)In very early TCH assignment process, the returned cause is
(internal error) CVI_INTERNAL_ERR when channel is being
allocated.
(3)In very early TCH assignment process, the returned cause is
(channel request illegal) CVI_NO_ACCEPT when channel is being
allocated.
(4)In very early TCH assignment process, no channel is allocated.
(5)TN_WAIT_CH_ACT timeout in very early TCH assignment
process.
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH seizure failures for intraBSC incoming cell handover
measurement point:
TCH channel allocation fails at intraBSC incoming cell handover
TCH seizure failure for interBSC incoming cell handover
measurement point:
When interBSC incoming cell handover failure message is sent
because there is no TCH channel
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH seizure failure for intracell handover measurement point:
In the new TCH activation procedure, this item is measured
when the serving cell receives the CHANNEL ACTIVATION
NEGATIVE ACKNOWLEDGE message from the BTS.
This item is measured if the implementation of intracell handover
procedure fails because the encryption algorithm in Intracell
Handover Request message does not support.
No response after the timer (internal timer, 5 seconds) timeout
when the serving cell activates the new TCH.
In intracell handover procedure, When TCH requested but there
is no TCH available in the serving cell, and this leads to the
handover failure. In this case, this item is measured.
TCH seizure failures due to A-interface failures measurement
point:
A interface
After MSC sends Assignment_Req, if trunk circuit at A-interface is
fault, BSC will return Assignment_Failure directly.
In this case, the usually cause is incorrect CIC data configuration of
trunk circuit.
TCH congestion TCH congestion
TCH seizure failures due to Abis interface and Um interface
failures
Abis interface and Um interface
1. TRX board is faulty or performance unstable
2. Unbalance of uplink/downlink level for BTS
3. Poor quality of uplink/downlink signal caused by interference
4. SDCCH and TCH belong to different TRX board which have
different coverage.
TCH congestion TCH congestion
Causes for high TCH congestion
Troubleshooting for high TCH congestion
Causes for High TCH Congestion Causes for High TCH Congestion
Causes for High TCH Congestion Causes for High TCH Congestion
Causes of high TCH congestion rate
Incorrect configuration of trunk circuit data at A interface
Co-frequency and co-BSIC lead to TCH assignment failure in handover
Board fault or unstable performance causes the high congestion rate
BTS hardware is not properly installed, which causes uplink/downlink
signal level unbalance and TCH congestion.
The transmitting power of BCCH TRX is too much higher than that of
TCH TRX in the same cell.
Interference causes the congestion
TCH assignment failure due to isolated site and complicated topography
result in the high congestion rate
TCH Congestion TCH Congestion
How to locate the causes of high TCH congestion rate
Analyze the causes of congestion remotely
1. Traffic statistics
2. Alarm information
3. BTS remote maintenance on OMC
4. Abis interface message analysis
Check BTS on-site
TCH Congestion TCH Congestion
Remote analysis 1: traffic statistics
In TCH Measurement Function, check the channels are all
busy or not
If yes, perform load handover or suggest capacity expansion.
If not, check interference bands 1~5. if the cause is interference,
the call drop rate of the cell will also be high.
Register Receiving Level Measurement Function
1. Check the result by object to see whether the numbers of uplink
and downlink reports on the same TRX board are balanced. So we
can know the uplink and downlink are balanced or not.
2. Check the result by time to see whether TRX measurement
reports are excessive. So we can know the congestion is related to
TRX board or not .
Remote analysis 2: alarm information
Check alarms of the site which has high congestion rate.
Check whether there is any abnormal alarm, such as voltage
standing wave rate alarm, PCM out of frame alarm and uplink
data bus alarm. Judge whether the congestion rate is associated
with alarms in traffic statistics .
TCH Congestion TCH Congestion
Remote analysis 3: BTS remote maintenance on OMC
On the BTS remote maintenance console, block TCH board in
turn. Observe whether the congestion rate is related to the TRX
board.
TCH Congestion TCH Congestion
Remote analysis 4: Abis interface message analysis.
Trace Abis interface message of the congested BTS, analyze
Assignment CMD sent on SDCCH
If the assignment always fails on a specific TRX board, the cause
may be one of the following:
TRX board faulty or performance unstable.
Uplink/downlink unbalance, hardware problem in uplink or downlink.
Bad quality of uplink or downlink signal. Analyze TA value of MS to
locate interference.
If the assignment fails on the boards of the whole cell randomly,
analyze the measurement reports. The causes may be the following:
The topography in the cell coverage is quite complicated.
There is interference in the whole cell, such as interference from
repeater.
TCH Congestion TCH Congestion
Check BTS on-site
Check antenna and feeder for any problem of uplink or downlink.
Dial test at the same place to see whether the assignment
failure always occurs in a certain TRX or in the cell randomly.
Make driving test to see whether there is abnormal handover
relationship and downlink interference, so as to find the cause of
the congestion rate.
Search the interference source with a spectrum analyzer.
Observe whether the topography in the cell coverage is complex.
TCH Congestion TCH Congestion
Case Study of TCH Congestion Case Study of TCH Congestion
Cases of TCH congestion
Case 1: A interface data configuration mistake
Case 2: TRX board fault
Case 3: Uplink hardware problem
Case 4: Downlink hardware problem
Case 5: Effect from repeater in the cell
Case 6: Other data configuration mistake
Case 7: Isolated site and complicated topography
Case 1 fault description :
There is one BSC in the local network. From one day, TCH
congestion rate (excluding handover) of the whole network
increase to 4%, and most of cells are highly congested.
A-interface Data Configuration Mistake A-interface Data Configuration Mistake
Case 1 analysis:
Since the frequency had not been changed, Um interface
problem is excluded.
Congestion rate is abnormal for most BTS. In this case, we can
search in a smaller range to see whether the congestion
problem is related to a certain module or data modification.
Analyze the main cause of TCH seizure failure through traffic
statistic and finally locate the problem caused by data or
hardware.
A-interface Data Configuration Mistake A-interface Data Configuration Mistake
Case 1 Troubleshooting:
1.Analyze traffic statistics. The problem occurs after BSC data
modified and reloaded. Maybe it is related to BSC reloading.
Analyze traffic statistics and find that the highly congested cells are
all on module 1 of BSC, so the problem should related to module 1.
Check TCH seizure failures (requested terrestrial resource
unavailable), It shows that unavailability of terrestrial resource is the
main cause of high congestion rate in module 1.
The cause of terrestrial resources unavailability is mainly on Abis
interface or A interface. It is quite unlikely that Abis interface is
faulty for many cells in module 1 at the same time. Therefore, the
cause should be the hardware or data at A interface.
Case Study of TCH Congestion Case Study of TCH Congestion
Case 1 Troubleshooting:
2.Check the hardware of A interface and find that the hardware
is normal. A interface hardware problem is excluded.
3. Check the data configuration of A interface trunk circuit and
find that the CIC code of the first 32 timeslots of group 0, module
1 is 65535. But group 0 of module 1 in the trunk group table
corresponds to the circuit from BSC to MSC. Obviously this CIC
number is wrong. Change it to 0~31, and then the congestion
rate becomes normal.
Case Study of TCH Congestion Case Study of TCH Congestion
Case 1 conclusion:
1. In trunk circuit data configuration at A interface, CIC must be
correct, otherwise, TCH assignment will fail and the congestion
rate will be high.
2. In the meantime, if the CIC of two FTC boards (multiple trunk
circuits) are the same, this problem will also happen.
Case Study of TCH Congestion Case Study of TCH Congestion
Case 2 fault description :
The configuration of a BTS is S6/4/2 and it had been on service
successfully. One day, the result of traffic statistics shows that
TCH channel in cell 1 (6 TRX) congestion rate comes to 20%.
The traffic volume of the cell is very low, it is about 0.8Erl in
busy hour.
At the same time, the times of TCH seizure failures for call (no
radio resource) is 0.
Observe the channel status in cell 1, all of channels are Idle.
TRX Board Fault TRX Board Fault
TRX Board Fault TRX Board Fault
Case 2 analysis:
1. No data has been adjusted and there is no hopping in the cell
and 6 TRXs use different frequencies, it is unlikely that they are
subject to external interference at the same time. Therefore, it
can not be Um interface interference or data problem.
2. Check hardware specifically. Since the problem only occurs
to cell 1, we can block TRX one by one to determine which TRX
causes the assignment failure.
3.Find whether there is hardware fault in the TRX for
assignment failure. Confirm the fault TRX by means of resetting
and replacing.
TRX Board Fault TRX Board Fault
Case 2 troubleshooting:
1. Check BT channel status on OMC and find that there is
possibility of TCH seizure failure in BT4 of cell 1.
2. Block TRX4, there is no TCH congestion all the day. It
indicate problem is on TRX4.
3. Unblock TRX4 and reset them, congestion appear again.
4. Go to BTS site and make a dial test on TRX4, TCH seizure
failure still occurs. Interchange the slots of TRX4 and TRX5,
make the dial test again on TRX5. The TCH seizure failure
persists.
5. Replace TRX4 and make dial test, there is no TCH
congestion.
TRX Board Fault TRX Board Fault
Case 2 conclusion:
1.Faulty TCH TRX board causes TCH seizure failures and high
congestion rate.
2. Usually, the fault of TRX board can not be found on the BTS
maintenance console. The problem can be confirmed by
blocking TRXs in turn.
Case 3 fault description:
A certain BTS configuration is S6/6/6, the congestion rate of the
3 cells are all high since the BTS on service. Having checked
and confirmed that there is no interference.
Uplink Hardware Problem Uplink Hardware Problem
Case 3 analysis:
There is no interference but congestion always exists after the
BTS on service in every cell. Check hardware of the BTS first.
Hardware fault: communication is normal for every cell, so it is
unlikely that there is fault in the hardware of every cell.
Hardware connection: Analyze the traffic statistics for uplink or
downlink and then check the hardware connection of uplink or
downlink.
Uplink Hardware Problem Uplink Hardware Problem
Case 3 troubleshooting:
Register traffic statistics Receiving Level Measurement
Function and query the result by time. It is found that when the
receiving level and quality of different TRX boards in the same
cell are the same, the number of downlink measurement reports
is equivalent, but the number of uplink measurement reports is
not equivalent.
Check hardware and find that the connection of TRX and CDU
in the same cell is incorrect. After correction, the problem is
solved.
Uplink Hardware Problem Uplink Hardware Problem
Case 3 Case 3
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166 46 294
293 105 655
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Uplink Hardware Problem Uplink Hardware Problem
Case 3 conclusion:
Incorrect hardware connection will cause TCH seizure failure.
The problem can be located accurately by analyzing traffic
statistics. In this case, uplink hardware receiver problem is
located through Receiving Level Measurement Function.
Uplink Hardware Problem Uplink Hardware Problem
Case 4 fault description:
In a S6/6/5 BTS, one cell has high congestion rate one day. No
adjustment has been performed in this period.
Downlink Hardware Problem Downlink Hardware Problem
Case 4 analysis:
There is no parameter adjustment before the fault, so we should
focus on the hardware, to see whether there is any fault or alarm.
Downlink Hardware Problem Downlink Hardware Problem
Case 4 troubleshooting:
Trace Abis interface message of the BTS and analyze the
signaling and find that in process of TCH seizure failure, the
uplink signal in the measurement report from MS is good, after
BSC sends ASSIGNMENT CMD, the downlink channel can not
be seized. So the signal levels of uplink and downlink are not
balanced, then ASSI FAILURE message is appeared. It is also
found that the failure related to the last TRX board of the cell.
Block TRX board and congestion rate of the cell is less than 1%.
There is problem in TRX board of downlink hardware.
Check and find that the VSWR of TX antenna and feeder
connected with this TRX board is higher than 2.5. Process the
antenna& feeder VSWR alarm, problem solved.
Downlink Hardware Problem Downlink Hardware Problem
Case 4 conclusion:
Antenna VSWR alarm results in larger loss, less coverage and
assignment failure. When MS is in BCCH TRX coverage, signal
level is good enough, but after assignment a TCH in the board
where VSWR alarm occurs, MS TCH seizure fails and the
congestion rate is increased.
Downlink Hardware Problem Downlink Hardware Problem
Case 5 fault description:
When an O2 BTS is expanded to O4, high congestion rate
occurs. The peak value of congestion rate is as high as 40%.
Effect from Repeater in the Cell Effect from Repeater in the Cell
Case 5 analysis:
Since congestion rate is abnormal after expansion
Check whether the congestion occurs to all TRX. If yes, re-check
the connection of newly added hardware of the BTS to see whether
there is any fault.
If congestion occurs to one or a few TRXs, check the hardware of
these TRXs.
When hardware problem is excluded, consider external causes. For
example, the repeater is not expanded, which results in assignment
failure.
Effect from Repeater in the Cell Effect from Repeater in the Cell
Case 5 troubleshooting:
Block TRX of the last two newly added TRX on OMC and find that the
congestion rate is lowered to normal status. Perhaps, the problem is
related to newly added boards.
Analyze Abis interface signaling, the assignment failure occurs on
the two newly added TRXs. And SDCCH measurement report
analysis shows that the level on SDCCH is normal and TA value is
large. However, there is no measurement report on SACCH (TCH).
Because sometimes the assignment of the two TRXs succeed, so it is
impossible that these two newly added TRXs are both faulty.
Operator told that there is a repeater in the cell. When expansion,
the repeater did not lock on the two newly added TRXs. Confirm and
reconfigure repeater, problem solved.
Effect from Repeater in the Cell Effect from Repeater in the Cell
Case 5 conclusion:
Because of the repeater, the actual coverage areas of the
existing two TRX and the expanded two TRX are different,
which results in the assignment failure.
Effect from Repeater in the Cell Effect from Repeater in the Cell
Case 6 fault description:
In network optimization, the congestion rate (including handover)
on busy hours of the two cells is as high as 10%. TCH seizure
failures excluding handover and TCH seizure failures for call
(no radio resource) are normal. Here, TCH seizure failures
(all) is very high, 89 times and 61 times respectively, but TCH
seizure failures for MOC is 0. [the same as that of TCH seizure
failures for call except this item is used to measure only the
occasion that the MS serves as MOC]
The traffic volume is a little lower than that before optimization.
The interference band is normal.
Congestion rate is normal before optimization.
Other Data Configuration Mistake Other Data Configuration Mistake
Case 6 analysis:
When the network parameters are modified, the congestion rate
of the two cells is higher and only the congestion rate (including
handover) is higher, therefore, radio interference or hardware
fault can be excluded. Mainly analyze whether the handover is
abnormal or not.
Other Data Configuration Mistake Other Data Configuration Mistake
Case 6 troubleshooting:
Register Incoming Inter Cell Handover Measurement Function
for 15 minutes, and find that all the handovers from cell A
(CGI=*********1768) to these two cells all fail, and the handover
failure cause is not congestion.
Failures of all handovers mean that there is problem with the
handover data. Check the handover data of the two cells and
find that there is co-frequency and co-BSIC as supposed, the
two cells are adjacent cell of cell A, therefore the handover from
the cell A to the two cells will fail.
Change the BCCH and BSIC of one cell, and then the handover
problem disappears and congestion rate become normal.
Other Data Configuration Mistake Other Data Configuration Mistake
Case 6 conclusion:
Two cells (both adjacent to cell A) with co-frequency and co-
BSIC will result in result in low incoming cell handover
successful rate, but also high TCH congestion rate (including
handover).
The case indicates that TCH congestion rate (including
handover) and TCH congestion rate (excluding handover) are
different.
Other Data Configuration Mistake Other Data Configuration Mistake
Case 7 fault description:
An O2 site in a suburban county has suffered from high
congestion rate (excluding handover), from 3% to 10% (in
proportion to traffic volume). But the TCH seizure failures for
call (no radio resource) is 0%.
1. Block 2 TRX in turn, the congestion rate is serious as before.
2. Other indexes: call drop rate is high (about 5%). Interference
band is normal.
Isolated Site and Complicated Topography Isolated Site and Complicated Topography
Isolated Site and Complicated Topography Isolated Site and Complicated Topography
Case 7 analysis:
1. Since the congestion rate is not very high, the problem may
not be on the data or hardware.
2. The interference band is normal, so the interference at the
Um interface is unlikely.
3. Analyze the cause of assignment failure. Take call trop rate
into consideration and analyze the receiving performance of
uplink or downlink, including level and quality.
Case 7 troubleshooting:
Check Call Drop Measurement and find that TA value is large
when call drop, the distance is about 25.6Km~31.1Km away
from the BTS.
View Receiving Level Measurement Function and find that
there are many measurement reports of low signal level.
Analyze Abis signaling and find that the uplink level is very low
(about -98dBm) when the assignment fails.
Drive test on-site and find the site is isolated, with large
coverage and complicated topography. When the MS is more
than 25 Km away from the BTS, it can receive -90dBm downlink
signal. But the uplink signal is not enough, so TCH assignment
fails.
Isolated Site and Complicated Topography Isolated Site and Complicated Topography
Case 7 conclusion:
Poor uplink coverage causes the high congestion rate. Adding
BTS can help to obtain a continuous coverage. Change the
omni site into directional site or add TMA can improve uplink
strength and avoid over shooting of downlink.
Isolated Site and Complicated Topography Isolated Site and Complicated Topography
TCH congestion
SDCCH congestion
Course Contents Course Contents
SDCCH Congestion SDCCH Congestion
SDCCH congestion
Basic principle
Causes for SDCCH congestion and solutions
Case study of SDCCH congestion
SDCCH Congestion SDCCH Congestion
Formula for SDCCH congestion rate:
SDCCH congestion rate=Attempted SDCCH seizures meeting a
SDCCH blocked state /Attempted SDCCH seizures (all)
Causes of SDCCH seizure:
SDCCH assignment for MOC
SDCCH assignment for MTC
Location update
SDCCH handover
Short message
IMSI attach and detach
SDCCH Congestion SDCCH Congestion
MS BTS BSC MSC
BSC random access immediate assignment
Cell SDCCH seizure request times
Channel Required
Channel Request (RACH)
Cell immediate assignment request times
Cell SDCCH seizure failure BTSS008015
Attempted SDCCH seizures meeting a SDCCH blocked state
(No SDCCH available)
Immediate Assignment Command
Immediate Assignment Reject
Location area border results in excessive location update and
SDCCH attempt
Optimize for location area design
Modify CRH (Cell Reselect Hysteresis)
Modify T3212 for BSC period location update
Solve frequent handover problem between dual-band network
Excessive short messages
Add SDCCH channel
Enable dynamic SDCCH allocation function
Causes for SDCCH Congestion and Solutions Causes for SDCCH Congestion and Solutions
Insufficient system capacity, lack of SDCCH channels
Expansion for more TCH and SDCCH channels
More SDCCH should be added
Improper configuration of system parameters, RACH system
parameter.
Increase RACH access threshold (overcoming interference).
Decrease maximum re-transmitting times and increase extended
transmission timeslots
Board (TRX) fault and transmission fault result in SDCCH
congestion
SDCCH Congestion SDCCH Congestion
Case Study of SDCCH Congestion Case Study of SDCCH Congestion
SDCCH congestion cases
Case 1: Too many times of location update
Case 2: Transmission equipment board fault
Case 3: Transmission timeslot multiplexer problem
Case 1 fault description:
In a network, the radio link call setup successful rate is low.
Analyze the traffic statistics and find that SDCCHs congest in a
few sites.
Too Many Times of Location Update Too Many Times of Location Update
Case 1 analysis:
Since only a few BTS are congested, register SDCCH
Measurement Function and analyze the ratio of SDCCH seizure
for different causes, then we can find the real reason for SDCCH
congestion.
Too Many Times of Location Update Too Many Times of Location Update
Case 1 troubleshooting :
1. Register SDCCH Measurement Function
In congested cell, SDCCH is attempted about 300-400 times in a
certain hour. The configuration are all S1/1/1. Each cell is
configured with SDCCH/8 channels. Normally, they are enough to
support 300-400 times seizure, but there are dozens of SDCCH
congestion for each cell in busy hour.
It is found that most of SDCCH seizures are for location update.
Analyze the cell locations and find that the congested BTS are at
the border of two location area crossed by railway, most of location
update are in a specific 5 minutes. Query the train timetable and
find that 4 or 5 trains pass there within this period. When the trains
pass by, a large amount of location update requests from MS.
2. Add SDCCH or enable SDCCH dynamic allocation function,
problem solved.
Too Many Times of Location Update Too Many Times of Location Update
Case 1 conclusion:
For SDCCH congestion due to location update, check whether it
is caused by improper setting of location area. Add SDCCH
channel or enable dynamic allocation function to solve the
problem.
Too Many Times of Location Update Too Many Times of Location Update
Case 2 fault description:
After a new BTS30 is on service, SDCCH channels are all in
status A, TCH channels are in I or A. When the call is
connected, the communication is normal. Observe the traffic
statistics and find that SDCCH seizure failure times are more
than 1000 (in busy hour).
Transmission Equipment Board Fault Transmission Equipment Board Fault
Case 2 analysis:
Since SDCCH is congested after BTS is on service, but
communication is normal.
First check data and hardware. Because the whole site suffers from
congestion problem, interchange Abis link with another BTS (which
has the same site configuration) to confirm whether there is any
data or hardware problem in Abis interface.
If there is no problem with data or hardware, we should analyze the
Abis interface transmission system.
Transmission Equipment Board Fault Transmission Equipment Board Fault
Case 2 troubleshooting:
Check alarm and find there are LAPD link fault alarm and recovery
alarm (within one second). The alarms appear once per ten minutes.
Check the data and then interchange Abis link with another BTS
which is in the same configuration, the other site work normally. But
problem of this site persists. So data and BSC hardware have no
problem.
Replace TMU and TRX board in the BTS and the problem persists.
Measure the transmission and self-loop BIE, then It is found that
there is high BER for transmission. Test the line section by section
and find that one 2M transmission board is faulty. Replace the board
and the problem is solved.
Transmission Equipment Board Fault Transmission Equipment Board Fault
Case 2 conclusion:
In this case, due to transmission high BER there is too much
SDCCH assignment message but missed, then SDCCH
assignment message re-sent, these cause high congestion rate.
Transmission Equipment Board Fault Transmission Equipment Board Fault
Case 3 fault description:
Many complaints from subscribers it is difficult to make a call
through 4 sites (ABCD), but there are no related alarm
information.
Check the 4 sites, the board status are all normal. Almost no TCH
channel is seized successfully. Sometimes one TCH status is A,
but return to I within several seconds.
Operator engineer said that BTS-A was attached with BTS-B, BTS-
C and BTS-D, these 4 BTSs used a primary combiner (a
transmission timeslot multiplexer) and shared one EI .
Transmission Timeslot Multiplexer Problem Transmission Timeslot Multiplexer Problem
Case 3 analysis:
The locate information is helpful to judge that the problem is on
the hardware or the transmission. But it is unlikely that faults
occur to hardware of the 4 BTSs. The transmission lines of the 4
BTSs are related, therefore, check the transmission carefully.
Case Study of SDCCH Congestion Case Study of SDCCH Congestion
Case 3 troubleshooting:
1. Observe BIE, there is BER indication for transmission. But there are no
abnormal indication in microwave and optical transceiver.
2. Check Abis interface signaling and find there are a large number of
PAGING_CMD messages, but only one RF_RESOURCE_INDICATION
message appears occasionally. There is no CHAN_ACTIV,
CHAN_ACTIV_ACK or IMMEDIATE_ASSIGN_COMMAND message. It
indicates that SDCCH channel is not activated.
3. Check data O&M log, no data modified within a few days.
4. Reload and activate BTS software, and find that system response is
slow even communication timeout. SDCCH is still congested after
software reloaded.
Case Study of SDCCH Congestion Case Study of SDCCH Congestion
Case 3 troubleshooting:
5. Reset the primary combiner and initialize the 4 BTSs, SDCCH
are all seized and TCH can be seized successfully. Trace Abis
interface signaling, CHAN_ACTIV, CHAN_ACTIV_ACK or
IMMEDIATE_ASSIGN_COMMAND message appears. SDCCH
is no longer congested because MS can make a call
successfully.
6. To avoid the same problem occurring again, it is suggested
that the operator remove the combiner for transmission timeslots
multiplexer.
Case Study of SDCCH Congestion Case Study of SDCCH Congestion
Case 3 conclusion:
The transmission problem causes SDCCH congestion by MS
channel request repeatedly. Transmission problem can be
caused by different reasons. In this case, the fault on the
primary combiner leads SDCCH can not be activated, so all BTS
connected with this transmission equipment have the same
problem. In handling this type of problems, try to find the
similarity of the problem and finally locate the problem with the
exclusive method.
Case Study of SDCCH Congestion Case Study of SDCCH Congestion

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