Connection Management

GBSS12.0
Feature Parameter Description

Issue 01

Date 2011-02-28

HUAWEI TECHNOLOGIES CO., LTD.

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. 2011. All rights reserved.
No part of this document may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means without prior
written consent of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Trademarks and Permissions

and other Huawei trademarks are trademarks of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.
All other trademarks and trade names mentioned in this document are the property of their respective
holders.

Notice
The purchased products, services and features are stipulated by the contract made between Huawei and
the customer. All or part of the products, services and features described in this document may not be
within the purchase scope or the usage scope. Unless otherwise specified in the contract, all statements,
information, and recommendations in this document are provided "AS IS" without warranties, guarantees or
representations of any kind, either express or implied.
The information in this document is subject to change without notice. Every effort has been made in the
preparation of this document to ensure accuracy of the contents, but all statements, information, and
recommendations in this document do not constitute the warranty of any kind, express or implied.

Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd.

Address: Huawei Industrial Base
Bantian, Longgang
Shenzhen 518129
People's Republic of China

Website: http://www.huawei.com
Email: support@huawei.com
 GSM BSS
Connection Management Contents

Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................1-1
1.1 Scope ............................................................................................................................................ 1-1
1.2 Intended Audience......................................................................................................................... 1-1
1.3 Change History.............................................................................................................................. 1-1

2 Call Control.................................................................................................................................2-1
2.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 2-1
2.2 Call Classification .......................................................................................................................... 2-1
2.2.1 MOT ...................................................................................................................................... 2-1
2.2.2 MTC ...................................................................................................................................... 2-1
2.2.3 Emergency Call .................................................................................................................... 2-2
2.3 Call Release .................................................................................................................................. 2-3
2.3.1 Overview ............................................................................................................................... 2-3
2.3.2 MS-Initiated Call Release ..................................................................................................... 2-3
2.3.3 Network-Initiated Call Release ............................................................................................. 2-5

3 Call Reestablishment ...............................................................................................................3-1

3.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 3-1
3.2 Call Reestablishment Procedure ................................................................................................... 3-1
3.3 MS Mode ....................................................................................................................................... 3-1

4 TCH Re-assignment .................................................................................................................4-1

4.1 Overview ....................................................................................................................................... 4-1
4.2 TCH Re-assignment Procedure .................................................................................................... 4-1

5 Parameters..................................................................................................................................5-1
6 Counters ......................................................................................................................................6-1
7 Glossary ......................................................................................................................................7-1
8 Reference Documents .............................................................................................................8-1

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential i

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 1 Introduction

1 Introduction
1.1 Scope
Call control provides the MS with radio resources and terrestrial circuits for making a call and helps the
MSC during the whole call handling process. This document describes the call clarifications and the
corresponding call procedures.
Call Reestablishment describes the call reestablishment procedure, and MS mode of the call
reestablishment.
TCH Re-assignment describes the concept, benefits, and procedure of TCH re-assignment.

1.2 Intended Audience

This document is intended for:
 Personnel who need to understand Connection Management
 Personnel who work with Huawei products

1.3 Change History

This section provides information on the changes in different document versions.
There are two types of changes, which are defined as follows:
 Feature change: refers to the change in the Connection Management of a specific product version.
 Editorial change: refers to the change in wording or the addition of the information that was not
described in the earlier version.

Document Issues
The document issues are as follows:
 01 (2011-02-28)

01 (2011-02-28)
This is the first release of GBSS12.0.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 1-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 2 Call Control

2 Call Control
2.1 Overview
The chapter involved is GBFD-110501 Call Control.
Call control is a basic feature for an operator to provide the CS services. With call control, the BSS
provides the MS with radio resources and terrestrial circuits for making a call and helps the MSC during
the whole call handling process.
BSS supports the mobile-originated call (MOC), mobile-terminated call (MTC), and emergency call. With
specific resource management algorithms and control functions, the BSC provides transport channels
for the transmission of call control signaling between the MS and MSC by setting up the radio resource
(RR) connections.
During the call control process, the BSS supports priority-based handling. For example, the emergency
call has a higher priority than a common call, and thus the emergency call can obtain the required
resources preferentially than common calls. Concerning the BSC, call control involves mainly the
allocation of radio channel resources, the allocation of A interface resources in cooperation with the MSC,
and release of traffic channels. The basic call processes are as follows:
 MOC
 MTC
 Emergency call
 MS-initiated call release
 Network-initiated call release

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 2-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 2 Call Control

2.2 Call Classification

2.2.1 MOT
In terms of assignment, MOT is classified into the following three types:
 Early assignment
 Late assignment
 Very early assignment
The selection of early assignment and late assignment is determined by the MSC. The very early
assignment is determined by the BSS, based on the usage of radio resources.
Note:
For details about early assignment, late assignment, and very early assignment, see the Assignment and Immediate
Assignment Feature Parameter Description.

2.2.2 MTC
MTC is a process through which the network assigns the traffic channel to a called MS.
Figure 2-1 shows the MTC procedure.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 2-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 2 Call Control

Figure 2-1 MTC procedure

MS BTS BSC MSC

Paging(1)

Paging Command(2)
Paging Request(3)
PCH

Channel Request(4)

RACH

Immediate Assignment Procedure

Establish Indication
(Paging Response)(5)
CR(CL31)(6)

CC(7)
CM Service Accepted(8)
SDCCH
Setup(9)
SDCCH
Call Confirmmed(10)
SDCCH

TCH Assignment Procedure

Alerting(11)
FACCH Connect(12)
FACCH Connect
Acknowledge(13)
FACCH Talking(14)

Release Procedure

Note:
The Paging message can be transmitted directly from the MSC to the BSC over the A interface or from the SGSN to the
BSC over the Gb interface.

For detailed descriptions of MTC procedure, see 3GPP TS24.008, TS24.080, TS48.008, TS44.018, and
TS48.058.

2.2.3 Emergency Call

Emergency call is performed by users in emergency situations to contact the outside world. It is critical
for users in emergency situations. For example:
 An MS in emergency can call a specific number for the maximum help free of charge. The emergency
call is allowed even if the MS is out of service or the telephone charge is overdue.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 2-2

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 2 Call Control

 An MS in emergency can have a higher level of access priority when dialing an emergency call. The
MS can contact the emergency department even in a congested cell.
The emergency call procedure is similar to the MOC procedure, except that the
EMERGENCY_CALL_SETUP message is used instead of the Setup message.

2.3 Call Release

2.3.1 Overview
In terms of the network element (NE) that initiates the procedure, call release is classified into
MS-originated call release and network-initiated call release.

2.3.2 MS-Initiated Call Release

The MS can initiate call release if necessary (for example, the user hangs up) after accessing the
network normally.
Figure 2-2 shows the procedure of MS-initiated call release.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 2-3

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 2 Call Control

Figure 2-2 Procedure of MS-initiated call release

The procedure of MS-initiated call release is describes as follows:

1. After the call is completed and the calling party hangs up, the calling MS sends a Disconnect
message to the MSC and starts timer T305. This message carries the cause about the release.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 2-4

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 2 Call Control

2. On receiving the Disconnect message from the MS, the MSC responds with a Release message and
starts timer T308. In addition, the MSC sends a Disconnect message to the called party.
3. On receiving the Release message from the MSC, the MS stops timer T305, releases the MM
connection, and then sends a Release Complete to the MSC.
4. On receiving the Release Complete message from the MS, the MSC stops timer T308, releases the
MM connection, and sends a Clear Command message to the BSC to instruct the BSC to release the
occupied resources on the A and Um interfaces.
5. The BSC sends a Channel Release message to the MS, instructing the MS and BTS to release the
logical channel over the Um interface, and starts timer WAITFORRELIND. This message carries the
RR cause.
6. On receiving the Channel Release message, the MS disconnects the uplink signaling link. Then, the
MS sends a DISC frame to the BTS to inform the BTS that the logical channel is released.
7. The BTS makes acknowledgment by sending a UA frame to the MS. On receiving the UA frame, the
MS returns to the CCCH and enters the idle state.
8. The BSC sends a Deactivate SACCH message to the BTS to instruct the BTS to deactivate the
SACCH.
9. On receiving the DISC frame, the BTS sends a Release Indication message to the BSC, indicating
that the MS has released the logical channel over the Um interface. The BSC stops timer
WAITFORRELIND and starts timer DELAYSENDRFCHREL.
10. After timer DELAYSENDRFCHREL expires, the BSC sends an RF Channel Release message to the
BTS to release the RF channel over the Um interface. The timer DELAYSENDRFCHREL is used to
reserve some time for connection disconnection confirmation.
11. The BTS sends an RF Channel Release Acknowledge message to the BSC, indicating that the RF
channel over the Um interface is released and can be allocated to other calls.
12. The BSC sends a Clear Complete message to the MSC.
13. The MSC sends an RLSD message to the BSC to release the SCCP link.
14. The BSC sends an RLC message to the MSC, indicating that the SCCP link is released.
The conclusion from the previous procedure is:
 Step (1) through Step (3) are concerned with call connection release.
 Step (4) through Step (14) are concerned with radio resource release.
After the connections at the CC and MM layers are released successfully, the MSC sends a Clear
Command message to the BSC to release the SCCP link. This message carries the cause about the call
release, for example, "Handover Successful" or "Call Control". If the call release is caused by failure of A
interface message transmission, radio link failure, or device failure, the BSC sends a Clear Request
message to the MSC, and then the MSC sends a Clear Command message to the BSC.

2.3.3 Network-Initiated Call Release

The network initiates call release due to certain reasons, after the MS has accessed the network.
The procedure of network-initiated call release is similar to Figure 2-2, except that the messages in Step
(1) through Step (3) are transparently transmitted in reverse.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 2-5

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 3 Call Reestablishment

3 Call Reestablishment
3.1 Overview
This chapter involved is GBFD-110503 Call Reestablishment.
When the MS encounters a radio link failure during the call, the call reestablishment procedure can be
used to reestablish the radio link connection so that the original call can proceed. This mechanism
shortens the call intermission, and thus improves the user experience.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 3-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 3 Call Reestablishment

3.2 Call Reestablishment Procedure

The parameter CALLRESTABDIS specifies whether to enable call reestablishment.
When the MS encounters a radio link failure during the call, the call reestablishment procedure can be
used to reestablish the radio link connection so that the original call can proceed. Call reestablishment
may occur in a new cell or a new location area. If a cell supports call reestablishment, the start of a call
reestablishment attempt depends on the calling status of the cell.
After the call reestablishment is started, the MSC starts the encryption and assignment procedures.
Then, the MSC checks whether the calling status and attaching status of the MS are correct. If the calling
status and attaching status of the MS are correct, the call is reestablished.
During the call reestablishment, the MS cannot return to the IDLE state. Thus, the MS cannot perform
location update when its source cell and target cell for call reestablishment are in different location areas.
After the ongoing call is complete, the MS can perform location update.
The call reestablishment procedure is controlled by the MSC. The BSC sets up channels and forwards
layer 3 messages.
Figure 3-1 shows the call reestablishment procedure.
Figure 3-1 Call reestablishment procedure

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 3-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 3 Call Reestablishment

2. Step 1 through step 4 in Figure 3-1 show the release of radio channel resources. The procedure of
resource release in call reestablishment is the same as that in normal calls.
3. Step 5 through step 9 in Figure 3-1 show the procedure of immediate assignment and seizure of
signaling channels.
4. Step 10 and step 11 in Figure 3-1 show the encryption procedure.
5. Step 12 and step 11 in Figure 3-1 show the assignment procedure.
The call reestablishment procedure starts from step 5. The call reestablishment mechanism differs
according to the NE that first detects radio link failures.
 When the MS detects a radio link failure, the MS sends the Channel Request message with the
cause value Call re-establishment in its selected cell (either the current cell or a new cell).When the
timer at the BTS side expires, the previous channel resources are released by the BSC. The timer is
specified by the parameter MSIPFAILINDDELAY. If the parameter MSIPFAILINDDELAY is set to a
too great value, the radio resources for call-reestablishment-enabled cells are kept for a long time. It
results in network congestion in busy hours.
 When the BTS detects a radio link failure, it sends the Connection Failure Indication message with
the cause value Radio Link Failure to the BSC. Upon receiving the message, the BSC releases
related radio resources and waits the MS to initiate call reestablishment.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 3-2

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 3 Call Reestablishment

3.3 MS Mode
During the call reestablishment, the MS cannot return to the IDLE state. Thus, the MS cannot perform
location update when its source cell and target cell for call reestablishment are in different location areas.
After the ongoing call is complete, the MS can perform location update.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 3-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 4 TCH Re-assignment

4 TCH Re-assignment
4.1 Overview
TCH re-assignment is a process through which the BSC re-assigns a TCH to the MS, after the
assignment of a TCH to the MS fails and the MS returns to the SDCCH.
TCH re-assignment has the following benefits:
 Reducing the impact on call maintenance due to failure of a TRX channel in the cell and avoiding the
failure of first dialing accordingly
 Reducing the assignment failures due to interference on certain frequencies in the cell and avoiding
the impact on call maintenance accordingly
 Improving QoS for users

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 4-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 4 TCH Re-assignment

4.2 TCH Re-assignment Procedure

The triggering of TCH re-assignment is determined by the parameter REASSEN.
On receiving an Assignment Request message from the MSC during call setup, the BSC assigns a TCH
for a call, and then sends an Assignment Command message to the MS. If the MS fails to access the
TCH for certain reasons, such as co-channel interference, and returns to the SDCCH, the BSC does not
immediately sends an Assignment Failure message to the MSC. Instead, the BSC assigns another TCH
for the call and the MS. If the second assignment succeeds, the BSC sends an Assignment Complete
message to the MSC; otherwise, the BSC sends an Assignment Failure message to the MSC.
Figure 4-1 shows the TCH re-assignment procedure.
Figure 4-1 TCH re-assignment procedure

The TCH re-assignment procedure is described as follows:

1. On receiving the Assignment Failure message from the MS, the BSC stops timer T3107. After
internal processing, the BSC sends a Channel Activation message to the BTS, and waits for the
Channel Activation Acknowledge message from the BTS.
To avoid degraded QoS due to interference, TRX channel failure, or engineering mishandling, a TCH

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 4-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 4 TCH Re-assignment

either on the same frequency band or on a different frequency band can be assigned during TCH
re-assignment. The frequency band is determined by the parameter REASSFREQBAND.
2. On receiving the Channel Activation Acknowledge message from the BTS, the BSC proceeds with
internal handling.
3. The BSC uses the SDCCH, which has not been released, to send an Assignment Command
message to the MS, and waits for the Establish Indication message from the MS.
4. The MS sends SABM frames to the BTS to access the network, through the FACCH as indicated in
the Assignment Command message.
5. The BTS makes a response by sending UA frames to the MS, through the FACCH.
6. The BTS sends an Establish Indication message to the BSC.
7. After accessing the network through the traffic channel, the MS sends an Assignment Complete
message to the MSC, through the FACCH.
8. After both the radio traffic channel and the terrestrial circuit are successfully established, the BSC
sends an Assignment Complete message to the MSC, through the occupied TCH. At this stage, the
call is regarded as in conversation state.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 4-2

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 5 Parameters

5 Parameters
Table 5-1 Parameter description
Parameter ID NE MML Command Description
REASSFREQBAND BSC6900 SET GCELLCCAD(Optional) Meaning: Whether to re-assign the radio
channels on a different band or on the
same band. This can help minimize the
decrease in service quality due to
interference, faulty TRX paths, or faulty
project constructions.

GUI Value Range: Same_Band(Same

Band), Diff_Band(Different Band)
Actual Value Range: Same_Band,
Diff_Band
Unit: None
Default Value: Diff_Band
REASSEN BSC6900 SET Meaning: Whether to allow the
GCELLCCBASIC(Optional) reassignment function

GUI Value Range: NO(No), YES(Yes)

Actual Value Range: NO, YES
Unit: None
Default Value: YES
CALLRESTABDIS BSC6900 SET Meaning: Whether to allow call
GCELLBASICPARA(Optional) re-establishment. Burst interference or
blind spots due to high buildings may lead
to a radio link failure. If a call drop is
caused by such a failure, the MS can start
call re-establishment to resume the
conversation.

GUI Value Range: NO(No), YES(Yes)

Actual Value Range: NO, YES
Unit: None
Default Value: YES
MSIPFAILINDDELAY BSC6900 SET GCELLTMR(Optional) Meaning: Call reestablishment timer

GUI Value Range: 5000~40000

Actual Value Range: 5000~40000
Unit: ms
Default Value: 15000

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 5-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 6 Counters

6 Counters
For the counters, see the BSC6900 GSM Performance Counter Reference.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 6-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 7 Glossary

7 Glossary
For the acronyms, abbreviations, terms, and definitions, see the Glossary.

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 7-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd
 GSM BSS
Connection Management 8 Reference Documents

8 Reference Documents
[1] 3GPP TS 24.008: “Mobile radio interface Layer 3 specification; Core network protocols; Stage 3”
[2] 3GPP TS 44.018: “Mobile radio interface layer 3 specification; Radio Resource Control (RRC)
protocol”
[3] 3GPP TS 48.008: “Mobile Switching Centre - Base Station system (MSC-BSS) interface; Layer 3
specification”
[4] 3GPP TS 48.058: “Base Station Controller - Base Transceiver Station (BSC-BTS) Interface; Layer 3
specification”
[5] BSC6900 Feature List
[6] BSC6900 Basic Feature Description
[7] GBSS Reconfiguration Guide
[8] BSC6900 GSM Parameter Reference
[9] BSC6900 GSM MML Command Reference

Issue 01 (2011-02-28) Huawei Proprietary and Confidential 8-1

Copyright © Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd