(E)GPRS Network Dimensioning

Objectives At the end of the module the participant will be able to:

Describe the procedures of dimensioning of a (E)GPRS network

Network Element and Configuration Audit - Summary

BTS GPRS territory BTS HW considerations (TRX & other cards) BTS SW MS/Client parameters GPRS/EDGE capability and release Multislot support RF

BSS PCU variant & dimensioning PCU strategy in mixed configuration BSS SW and features Gs IP/MPLS/IPoATM backbone 2G BSC BTS Abis Gb SGSN Gn TC HLR/ AC/ EIR MSC/VLR SGSN

HLR QoS profile GPRS settings

TCSM

Unit capacity (PAPU etc.)

BSS Gb Flow control

GGSN Gi Application Applicatio n Servers Servers (co located

RF interface Capacity on time slots Traffic volume Abis interface Abis size / dimensioning # of E1/T1s Gb interface Bearer size IP v.s. FR Dimensioning Server load settings (Linux/Win)

GPRS/EDGE traffic

Deployment Planning

The aim behind the preparation of deployment plan is to adapt the existing network configuration for (E)GPRS maximize the TSL data rate (RLC/MAC) and multislot usage minimize the impact of PSW services on CSW services (and vice versa) take all the hardware and software considerations into account keep investment controlled The analysis of the different options can give exact picture about the network based on: Hardware types, software releases Features, parameters Current network structure and functionality Coverage, quality and capacity characteristics of BSS

Capacity Planning Inputs

The following information should be available to define the available/required capacity: BTS BSC Abis BSC variant PCU variant Restrictions (Abis, pools, DSPs) BTS
TRXs Time slots (Territory)

Available time slots Abis sharing probability TRX/PCM PCM usage TRX signaling Link management E1/T1 links

Voice traffic load

TRX configuration Signaling channels Free timeslots (Guard TSL) GPRS Territory (DED/DEF/ADD.) Deployment Coverage

Segment
TRX SW version PCU pooling

Interference
Throughput/TSL GPRS/EDGE Data volume Traffic mix Voice/Data
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Air Interface Capacity Calculations

The dimensioning of the radio network can be based on two different approaches: Available capacity: Calculation determines how (E)GPRS resources are available in a given system The calculation input is a pre-defined system configuration The calculation output is the available traffic capacity Alternatively, the available capacities for different alternative configurations can be calculated Required capacity: It is calculated to design a network that supports the defined amount of traffic and targeted performance level The inputs are additional traffic volume, type, and performance requirements The output is the needed amount of traffic dependent hardware and associated software configurations
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Air interface Capacity Calculations Available Capacity

The available capacity for data services can be estimated when the existing BTS hardware and the current voice traffic load is known. The next step is to calculate the capacity of the air interface related to the different cell / segment options analyzed before. The air interface capacity calculation contains the following items: TSL data rate estimation PSW Multislot usage (with CSW traffic volume and free TSLs) The TSL data rate calculations and the territory figures together for all the cells/segments can give the calculation results of available air interface capacity

Load CS - (Erlang-B)

Margin

Available for (E)GPRS

Total Capacity = CS + Margin (free TSL in CS) + (E)GPRS Traffic x Territory Occupancy

Air Interface Capacity Planning Required Capacity

The required capacity calculation is the calculation of number of TSLs needed for both circuit switched traffic and packet switched traffic in each cell in order to achieve a given blocking probability for circuit switched traffic and required throughput for packet switched traffic. Using subscriber information is more complicated, data user penetration must be known and user data amount per busy hour must be estimated User profile for BH (example) PSW BH traffic in kbps and in MB CSW BH traffic in Erlang Service Mix: e.g. 45 % Voice, 10 % Video Streaming, 20 % PoC, et Traffic distribution Number of users Traffic density GPRS/EGPRS multiplexing
Application Voice Video (Streaming) GBR PoC THP=ARP=1 NBR Browsing (Interactive) NBR Email (Background) NBR MMS (Background) NBR BH Traffic 12mErl 1(UL)/32 (DL) kbps 8 (UL)/8 (DL) kbps 0.5 (UL)/3(DL) kbps 0.25(UL)/1(DL) kbps 0.1(UL)/0.1(DL) kbps BH Traffic in MB Voice 0.45 /2.8 / 2.8 1.8 /1.8 0.225/1.35 0.1125/0.45 0.045/0.045 Bearer Voice channel 32kbps 8kbps NRT NRT NRT

GBR = Guaranteed Bit Rate = RT NBR = Non-Guaranteed Bit Rate = NRT

THP = Traffic Handling Priority ARP = Allocation Retention Priority

TSL Sharing
TSL sharing reduces data pipeline capacity if there is not enough TSL available for GPRS. As GPRS traffic increases there will the need to introduce new TRX's in order to avoid excessive TSL sharing.

Peak throughput
12 Kbps (GPRS CS1-2)

C/I distribution

TSL Capacity User throughput per allocated TSL TSL sharing

Reduces data pipeline capacity

1 TSL
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Rate Reduction
CSW and GPRS traffic levels (offered loads) vary dynamically.

A)

TRX 1
TRX 2

CCCH TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS

Time = T1 GPRS Territory = 6 TSLs

Circuit Switche d Packet Switche d

Two 3 TS mobiles each achieve 3*12kb/s = 36kb/s DL (CS-2 @ 10% BLER)

B)

TRX 1 TRX 2

CCCH TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS TS

Time = T2 GPRS Territory = 1 TSL

Circuit Switche d Packet Switche d

Two 3 TS mobiles now each achieve 12/2 kb/s = 6kb/s DL

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Abis Basic Concepts-PCM frame (E1)

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 MCB LCB

One 64 kbit/s (8 bits) channel in PCM frame is called timeslot (TSL) One 16 kbit/s (2bits) channel timeslot is Sub-TSL PCM frame has 32 (E1) or 26 (E1) TSLs

One Radio timeslot corresponds one 16 kbit/s

Sub-TSL (BCCH, TCH/F etc.) and one TRX takes two TSLs from Abis

TRX Signalling Site Level Signalling

TCH 0 TCH 4

TCH 1 TCH 5

TCH 2 TCH 6

TCH 3 TCH 7

TRX1

Q1-management needed if TRS management

under BSC

TRXsig BCFsig

MCB/LCB required if loop topology is used

Q1-management

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Transmission req. for EGPRS coding schemes in Abis

Coding scheme MCS-1 8.8 kbit/s MCS-2 11.2 kbit/s MCS-3 14.8 kbit/s MCS-4 17.6 kbit/s MCS-5 22.4 kbit/s MCS-6 29.6 kbit/s MCS-7 44.8 kbit/s MCS-8 54.4 kbit/s MCS-9 59.2 kbit/s

Data rate

Abis PCM allocation (fixed + pool)

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Abis PCU-PCU Connectivity Capacity Planning

In EGPRS networks the main limitation defining the number of PCUs is the Abis channels limits. The available capacity depends on the PCU version, in case of PCU pooling the amount of pooled PCUs. In this case one has to assume the summed capacity of all PCUs in the pool. The 75% connectivity limit should still be considered. The distribution of the individual Pools along with the associated Radio resources between the PCUs will be done by the system. Abis Capacity of PCU or PSE

Capacity for dynamic territory upgrades in a certain BTS(cell) 75% BTS 19 BTS 20 BTS 21
BTS 16 BTS 12 BTS 13 BTS 8 BTS 1 Abis3 Abis 1 BTS 1 BTS 9 BTS 2 BTS 17 BTS 18 BTS 14 BTS 15 BTS 5 BTS 10 BTS 11 BTS 3 BTS 4 Abis4 Abis 2 BTS 9

BTS 6
Abis 5

BTS 7

From planning's point of view the Default Capacity is used for each BTS(Cell) 1 RTSL = 1 Abis channel
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PCU Connectivity Planning

The connectivity planning for maximum capacity is based on the proper set of DEFAULT and Abis size To provide enough capacity for territory upgrade the 75 % utilization in the connectivity limits The DEFAULT* is allocated to the cells (BTSs(cells) in segment)- if the default capacity is too big more PCUs are needed. The Abis Pool ** is allocated to the sites (BCFs). Higher Abis pool size provides more MCS9 capable TSLs on air interfaces, but on the other side, higher DAP size needs more capacity on E1s and more PCUs as well.

Abis channels limits for different logical PCUs, in brackets 75%:

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Gb Interface Protocol Stack

SNDCP LLC
RELAY RLC BSSGP

BSSGP NS FR Gb SGSN

MAC GSM RF BSS

NS FR

Physical layer : PCM frame of 32 or 24 TSL, each 64kbit/s FR layer : end to end logical virtual circuit are created for data transmission (PVC, SVS). They addressed by e-to-e PVCI and node to node DLCI. FR provides NS with DLCI & FR bearer channel. NS : 15

Gb, Logical Structure

SGSN
PAPU 1
NSEI_1
BVCI_0 NS-VCI_7 NS-VCI_2

Bearer Channel_1
DLCI_16 DLCI_17

BSS 1
PCU 1
NS-VCI_7 NS-VCI_2

NSEI_1
BVCI_0 BVCI_3

BVCI_3

Bearer Channel_2
DLCI_16

LA

DLCI_17

PCU 2
NSEI_2 NS-VCI_5
BVCI_0 NS-VCI_8 NS-VCI_3 BVCI_6

RA 1
BTS_3
BTS_6

NSEI_2
BVCI_0

NS-VCI_5 NS-VCI_8

DLCI_18

Bearer Channel_3
DLCI_16

BVCI_6 NS-VCI_3

RA 2
BTS_8

DLCI_17

PCU 3 PAPU 2
NSEI_3
BVCI_8 BVCI_0 BVCI_22 NS-VCI_4 NS-VCI_1 NS-VCI_11

Bearer Channel_4
DLCI_16

NSEI_3 NS-VCI_4
NS-VCI_1 NS-VCI_11

BTS_22

BVCI_8 BVCI_0

BVCI_22

Bearer Channel_5
DLCI_16

PAPU 3
NSEI_7
BVCI_0 BVCI_22 NS-VCI_6 NS-VCI_9

DLCI_17

BSS 2
PCU 3
NSEI_7
NS-VCI_6 BVCI_0 BVCI_22

Bearer Channel_6

LA RA
BTS_22

BSSGP NS FR

Data Signal Data & Signal

NS-VCI_9

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Gb dimensioning

The dimensioning of the Gb interface can be based on two different approaches:

Gb EDGE dimensioning based on Abis pool: Each PCU has typically one Gb link towards the SGSN. In case of redundant Gb, two

independent links are needed. The Gb should be capable of supporting the instantaneous data traffic being carried by all cells connected to a particular PCU. Gb size = k * Maximum Abis pool size for that network area. The k-factor is based on the estimate of the short term traffic distribution. If no specific information about the distribution is available the minimum (k=1.25) may be used, which means one fully used Abis pool takes all the Gb capacity (can be seen as minimum) K-factor can range from 1.25, 1.4, 2, 3, .(values above 2 are normally not used)

Gb EDGE dimensioning based on traffic figures: The basic dimensioning of the Gb interface depends mainly on EGPRS traffic. Because of
very different coding schemes and data rates, it is extremely relevant to know whether the traffic is GPRS or EDGE. Therefore, the main decision needed for Gb dimensioning is the amount of payload used, on average, for EGPRS traffic during a busy hour and the deviation of the traffic between the peak and minimum values. Data volume per PCU can be calculated (or estimated) as the total data volume per PCU or based on subscriber information.

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SGSN Dimensioning
Dimensioning Rules

Dimensioning criteria for the number of SGSN per basic/extension units:

1. Subscriber capacity: 30 000 subscribers simultaneously 2. Data processing capacity: 12 Mbit/s 3. Capacity of 64 kbit/s Gb interfaces: 256 ie. increment the number of units if any one of the above figures is exceeded until SGSN is fully equipped.

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DIMENSIONING EXERCISE
(NSN Case Study)

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INPUT GIVEN FOR THE GPRS PLANNING

No. of time slot required for the GPRS territory : DEDICATED TS=1 and DEFAULT TS=1 No. of BTS(cells) per abis pool i.e the No. of sectors prevalent : 3 No. of time slot used for abis pool on Abis (64 Kbps) : 3 Time slot

% of upgrade is the Teritory upgrade for the future perspective : 10 %

No. Of sites planned per BSC : 100 Access rate (CIR) is the speed required at the GB interface : 256 Kbps

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OUTPUT REQUIRED
No. of sites per NSEI required No. of NSEI required in BSC No. of PCU or No. Of BCSU required No. Of Gb Link required No. of E1 required from the BSC to BTS

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How to calculate what

No. of EGPRS resources used in 1 sector * No. of sectors : 2 x 3 No. of time slot/sector * no of time slot used for Abis pool :- 2 * 3 =6 So total time slots per site 6 + 6 = 12 1 NSEI support 256 time slot with upgrade % as 10 so total no of time slots which can be equipped is 256 - 10% of 256 = 230.4 ~ 230 So no. of sites per NSEI is 230/12 = 19.16 ~ 19 So no NSEI required / BSC : 100 / 19 = 5.2 +1 (for future use) ~ 6 If 2 NSEI supports 1 BCSU so then no. of PCU required : 6/2 = 3 No. of NSEI required is equivalent to the no. of Gb link = 3 On 1 E1 we can get 31x64 = 1984 , so access rate can be given by 1 E1 = 1984/ access rate (256) = 1984 / 256 ~ 7

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Over view of GPRS Network

ELECTRICAL ET Metro Hub GB LINK

BSC

GB LINK

SGSN

GGSN

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NSEI PLANNING
NSEI 1
NSEI 2

NSEI 3

NSEI 4

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