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InNovation

Automated Configuration Management for Radio Access Networks

Network Services

The Configuration of the Mobile Net-works especially of the Radio Access Networks (RAN), is becoming even more complex for the Network Opera-tors, due to the introduction of new technologies. Open solutions are therefore essential, as they can be ea-sily adjusted to new conditions and they have in focus the most important KPI’s, like Time-To-Market, Network Quality and Operational Efficiency.

The Network Operators are already very well equipped with solutions in the area of Network Assurance, Net-work Optimisation and Service Monito-ring. These areas are covered very well with standard SW provided by dif-ferent ISVs (independent Software vendors). But especially in the area of Network Configuration there is a gap. It is the basis for an efficient network construction and extension as well as the integration of new technologies and therefore is the basis for an eco-nomic network with a reliable quality. However the complexity and versatility of the network configuration can hard-ly be mapped to a standard SW.

Although the Mobile Network technolo-gies themselves are very much stan-dardized within 3GPP (3rd generation partnership Project – a worldwide co-operation of standardization commit-tees for the standardization on the mobile Radio, especially for UMTS, GSM, and LTE) they only describe an abstract, vendor independent model of the parameters and data model. If there are about 100 to 150 parameters in the 3GPP recommendations, a few thousands would be required for the

configuration of network elements from a specific network vendor. Many vendors of equipment have already tried to fill in this gap in different ap-proaches. But vendor specific solutions will never be able to handle the bor-ders between different systems. Therefore a configuration solution for the entire network has to be able to handle multi vendors as well as multi technologies.

The pain with home-grown in-house developmentsSome operators fill in the gap themsel-ves by counting on tools made by their in-house IT-departments. These kind of tools (very often based on excel and hundreds of different scripts) are mostly quite costly and very soon they reach their limits in terms of producti-vity. The reason for that is mostly the fast development of mobile technolo-gies, for example the introduction of new SW releases and features into the network. Also with a swap of the RAN vendor all these tools become unusab-le and have to be re-built for the new equipment. Furthermore these solu-tions are often realized as pure one-way concepts, with the drawback, a

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InNovation Network Services

configuration of the network is possib-le, but no recirculation of the consis-ting network information to the plan-ning data is possible. Especially the functionality of an overall Live-Net-work database is of an invaluable use to ensure network quality. It makes an alignment with the network planning data and therefore the network confi-guration quality audit is possible at any time. MicroNova succeeded in de-veloping a Best-Practice-Solution with CPCM, now for more than 8 years, al-ways in close co-operation with the customer. CPCM is versatile (Multi-Vendor, Multi-Technology), flexible and

independent of any network equip-ment provider (NEP). The software so-lution can be adjusted to the individual needs and processes of the network operator. Existing systems in the area of radio and fixed network planning or other OSS can seamlessly be integra-ted into CPCM. The solution unifies the view on often heterogeneous regional network and management structures and allows the introduction of a central database for overall data comparisons.

For further information please refer also to the interview with Prof. Dr. Ma-thias Gabrysch.

Ingo.Bauer@micronova.de

www.micronova.de/netzmanagement/loesungen/cpcm

Dipl.-Inf. (Univ.) Ingo Bauer

Network Services

Mobile radio still on the riseEven high admissions from 700€ up-wards couldn’t stop the stream of visi-tors to the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona: A new record of 72.000 vi-sitors from over 200 countries shows the big and still growing importance of the topic of mobile radio. One of the central areas of growth is especially the M2M-technology (machine to ma-chine). According to a study, that was released by the telecommunications Cisco, the global mobile data commu-nication will increase from 2011 to 2016 by an 18-fold to 130 Exabyte per year.

Geographical view

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Netw ork Optim isation

Transport Configuration Tem pla te s

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CCMCommon Netw ork

Configura tion Manager

Selected Transport P lanning Param eters for

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Transport Param eters to be prov isioned to Radio Devices

Configuration changes Either via GUI or im port interface3GPP Radio

planning param eters

Optim isation updates

Vendor specific configuration files (xm l or

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InNOVAtion: Mister Gabrysch, in your position as Director Wireless Mar-keting Western Europe at Huawei you speak to diverse Communication Ser-vice Providers (CPSs) and Mobile Net-work Operators (MNOs), in Europe. Sure Radio Network Configuration Ma-nagement is a frequent topic. Which challenges do your conversational partners see in this connection and how do you handle these?

Prof. Dr. Gabrysch: One of the big-gest challenges is without doubts to launch new technologies like LTE in wide areas as fast as possible and in good quality and simultaneously mo-dernise and manage legacy network technologies like 2G and 3G. We can assume that every network operator conducts at least one software update per technology in a year, so 2G, 3G and lately also 4G. As most operators have at least two vendors in the radio access domain, these are about six Software-Releases per year. Each re-lease has first to be tested and then integrated into the existing network architectures by different interfaces.

Thus it is evident that operators cons-tantly have to rebuild, reconfigure and optimise their mobile radio networks. At a certain network size this becomes very difficult if not impossible without efficient tools, as the amount of confi-guration parameters and dependenci-es are not manually manageable any more.

In any case the complexity is increa-sing. This is even more the case, if there are high requirements towards network quality, which is becoming more and more important for opera-tors not only in Europe but in many other markets as well. In the last years it has become a trend to choose one vendor for all technologies, from 2G to 4G, per geographic region. Huawei’s trend-setting SingleRAN network ar-chitecture allows to speed up further time-to-market. At the same time we have permanently been working on a

unification of the network parameters across different technologies to simp-lify the configuration. In this way we could harmonize the configuration ma-nagement of the network, no matter if it is 2G, 3G or 4G.

InNOVAtion: How important is the cooperation between the particular vendor, Huawei and MicroNova in this context?

Prof. Dr. Gabrysch: New releases should get into the network as fast as possible to activate important features from which the mobile radio network operator expects competitive advanta-ges. Existing parameters changes and new ones occur with each software-release. This had an impact on the dif-ferent systems, that are in connection with the network-equipment through interfaces. To make everything work smoothly after a software upgrade, a lot of systems have to be able to com-municate precisely. Therefore a very good project management is needed on all sides. Every parameter, which is being changed in a network element, means development effort for the con-nected systems of MNOs and the Third-Party-Solutions. Huawei has been working continuously and in close cooperation with different MNOs and MicroNova on a simplification and stabilisation of these interfaces. Deve-lopers at MicroNova and Huawei have been for example exchanging ideas via videoconferences to identify difficulties already in the process of development and not only during the test and to get these out of the way. Therefore the test cycles could be held short and the costs low.

InNOVAtion: The LTE-Standard pro-mises significant simplifications for the configuration of mobile radio networks thanks to so called self-organizing net-works, short SON. Where do you see the limits for SON and the necessity of a continuous configuration Manage-ment?

Prof. Dr. Gabrysch: Self-organising networks allow for an increase in effici-ency making it possible to manage more complex networks with the same or reduced staffing level. If we have a look at today’s mobile networks, we will find 2G and 3G networks almost everywhere and in many countries even commercial 4G networks. Other than estimated a few years ago the 2G-network lives on. Many operators have even been doing a modernisation of the legacy 2G-network in the past few years.

Therefore the network architecture hasn’t really simplified, and the com-plexity has even been increased with the introduction of LTE. Instead of two parallel operated networks, the provi-ders have to handle three networks. But technology doesn’t stop after the introduction of LTE: To cope with the increasing demand for data band-width, many operators are already int-roducing “small cells”; these are smal-ler radio cells, which supply the mobile users with bandwidth at “Hot Spots” like city centres, shopping malls or at major costumers premises.

In addition to the existing Radio-Ac-cess-Technologies like 2G, 3G and 4G, different layers or levels like Macro- and Microcells are added. The ar-chitecture is getting more complex all the time, but still has to be as efficient as possible. SON features will play a more and more important part in the future, to relieve the network opera-tors from routine work, for example the care for the relationships between neighbouring cells. However we have to be aware of the fact, that SON can only replace certain standard opera-tions for many others we will still need the experiences of operators. SON is currently still concentrating on the 4G network, although there are already approved standards to expand the SON functionality to 2G and 3G. Limi-tation might appear if system borders are crossed, like for example to confi-gure parameters consistently between

Interview with Prof. Dr. Mathias Gabrysch from Huawei on Radio Network Configuration Management

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InNovation Network Services

2G, 3G 4G and across the borders of the different network equipment pro-viders (NEPs).

InNOVAtion: Which advantage will arise for the operator with the use of a Multi-Vendor Configuration Manage-ment System?

Prof. Dr. Gabrysch: Independent Multi-Vendor Configuration Manage-ment Systems allow for example to perform consistency-checks over sys-tem borders. Each vendor is excellent to configure his part of the network and control for example the consisten-cy of parameters but as soon the ope-rators have to carry out adjustments above the system borders, for examp-le Hand-over-parameter between 2G from vendor A to 3G from vendor B, inconsistencies which might have ne-gative impacts on the network quality can occur easily. The same also applies for borders between geographical regi-ons, for example region south of ven-dor A and region north of vendor B. A Multi-Vendor solution makes a consis-tent view on the parameters possible, no matter if they are from vendor A or vendor B.

In addition to quality improvements a vendor independent tool allows for the fast and network wide setting of para-meters. It supports the operators in the efficient conversion of specific ac-tions like the “Re-Homing” of Base Stations between different controllers or the exchange of network elements of two different vendors, the so called SWAP. InNOVAtion: Nowadays MSPs are fa-cing a very tough competition between each other. The cost pressure includes all sectors and levels. This also has an impact on the network infrastructure: Existing and installed hardware and transmission capacities have to be used at their maximum. Which chal-lenges does this pose for the configu-ration management?

Prof. Dr. Gabrysch: The demand for data required by smartphones and in general by mobile internet access seems to have no limits. Many opera-tors want to make usage of their in-vestment into spectrum and don’t want to waste a single Kilobyte of pos-sible data capacity. It’s logical that a network has to be optimally configu-red, to ensure a maximum of data ca-pacity.

However, it is not easy to identify pos-sible capacity bottlenecks early enough to take counteractions such as optimi-sation of the existing capacity or ad-ding new hardware. Operators need efficient tools to monitor possible shortages in time. InNOVAtion: The technological deve-lopment in the area of the mobile radio network is going faster and faster. At the moment the mobile radio opera-tors are still busy with the rollout of the new LTE technology and at the same time “LTE advanced” is already looming. Which arrangements do the operators have to take in your opinion, to integrate the next step of technolo-gy in their existing processes?

Prof. Dr. Gabrysch: Despite of the ongoing technological developments I don’t expect drastic changes in the network architecture in the next three to five years. New technologies like 4G replace the existing ones like 2G only very slowly, if at all. As a consequence there will be even more technologies in parallel, which can be managed at the best with a constant or even redu-ced staffing level. This is only possible with an increase in efficiency with the help of the right tools and processes. We see this trend already with the int-roduction of LTE: Operators that have invested into an efficient tools chain will have competitive advantages for a faster and efficient rollout of new tech-nologies, because here also counts: The early birds catches the worm. Time to market is essential in this competitive environment.

Prof. Dr. Mathias Gabrysch

Director Wireless Marketing Western

Europe Huawei