IRAT Handover LTE

Name: Vivek Pal Student # 38978983

Types of LTE Handover

Intra LTE - X2 handover - S1 handover Inter LTE Inter RAT - with 3GPP technologies - with Non- 3GPP technologies

Need for Inter-RAT

LTE, primarily was available only in hot spots, hence mobility across radio access technology is essential. Non real-time data should not be lost during the handover procedure. Tearing down and setting up new connection may cause significant degradation of user experience.

What is I-RAT Handover

Inter RAT HO is network controlled through source access system. The source access system decides about starting the preparation and provides the necessary information to the target system in the format required by the target system. The handover execution is decided in the source system. Inter RAT HO is backwards handover, i.e. radio resources are prepared in the target 3GPP access system before the UE is commanded by the source 3GPP access system

What is I-RAT Handover(cont.)

To enable backwards handover, a control interface exists in CN level. In Inter RAT HO involving E-UTRAN access, this interface is between 2G/3G SGSN and corresponding MME/Serving Gateway The target access system will be responsible for giving exact guidance for the UE on how to make the radio access there. This information is given during the handover preparation and should be transported completely transparently through the source access system to the UE

What is I-RAT Handover(cont.)

The handover procedure should not require any UE to CN signalling in order for data to start to flow in the target system. This requires that the security context, UE capability context and QoS context is transferred within the network between source and target system

LTE to UMTS IRAT Handover

The source eNodeB connects to the S-MME and S-SGW while the target RNC connects to the T-SGSN and T-SGW Source and target SGWs connect to the same PGW Procedure is divided into: - Preparation - Resources are reserved in the target network - Execution -The UE is handed over to the target network from the source network.

Preparation Phase

Preparation Phase (cont.)

Once the inter-RAT handover is decided at the S-eNB based on the measurement report procedure, it prepares and sends a HANDOVER REQUIRED message to the S-MME. The S-MME detects that it is an Inter-RAT handover from the message contents, retrieves the target SGSN details from the database based on the information in the message. It now prepares and sends a FORWARD RELOCATION REQUEST to the T-SGSN The T-SGSN detects the change of SGW and creates the bearer resources in the T-SGW by initiating the CREATE SESSION procedure

Preparation Phase (cont.)

Once the resources are reserved at the T-SGW, it responds to the T-SGSN with a GTP: CREATE SESSION RESPONSE message. The T-SGSN now reserves the resources at the T-RNC by sending a RANAP: RELOCATION REQUEST message to it The T-RNC reserves the radio resources and responds to the T-SGSN with a RANAP: RELOCATION REQUEST ACK message. The T-SGSN creates the indirect data forwarding tunnels in the T-SGW for the DL packets transfer from the S-SGW to TSGW during the handover

Preparation Phase (cont.)

After the Indirect Data forwarding tunnel creation, the T-SGSN responds with a GTP: FORWARD RELOCATION RESPONSE message to the S-MME. The S-MME has to create the indirect data forwarding tunnels as the resources are reserved successfully in the target network to forward the DL packets to the target network. With this, the preparation phase is complete.

Execution Phase

Execution Phase (cont.)

The S-MME sends the HANDOVER COMMAND message to the S-eNB with the target to source transparent container (i.e., it has the reserved resource information at the target). The S-eNB prepares and sends the MOBILITY FROM EUTRA COMMAND message to prepare the UE for the handover toward the target network. After accessing the target UMTS cell, the UE sends a HO TO UTRAN COMPLETE message to the T-RNC signaling the successful handover.

Execution Phase (cont.)

The S-eNB forwards the DL data packets toward the T-SGW via the S-SGW during the handover. This step can happen any time after it receives the S1AP HANDOVER COMMAND message from the SMME. This step is executed in case a direct forwarding path is not available with the T-RNC, otherwise it will forward the DL data packets to the T-RNC directly.
Once the T-RNC detects the UE in its area, it notifies the T-SGSN about the completion of the handover by sending a RANAP: RELOCATION COMPLETE message. The S-MME acknowledges this message and proceeds with release of the resources associated with this UE at the S-SGW and S-eNB

Execution Phase (cont.)

The T-SGSN modifies the E-RAB resources at the T-SGW by initiating the GTP MODIFY BEARER procedure.
The T-SGW notifies the bearer parameters with the PGW by initiating the GTP MODIFY BEARER procedure

Reference
LNA 108 7020 R6B_3 -ericsson Interworking LTE with WCMDA alcatel lucent http://lib.tkk.fi/Dipl/2011/urn100472.pdf http://go.radisys.com/rs/radisys/images/pape r-lte-interoperable.pdf

Thank You.