Neighbor and Cell Parameter Management Tool Overview

2006-01-31

Introduction
Good neighbor and cell parameter management is crucial for the network quality of any
cellular network. With the introduction of CDMA technology in the 3G networks,
neighbor management becomes even more crucial. Missing neighbor definitions no
longer means the risk of dropping the current call, but will introduce massive
interference to other connections as well, resulting in decreased quality and/or lost
connections for multiple users.

At the same time network rollout speed is faster than ever before, with tens of sites being
put on air every week, each being rescheduled for lack of building permissions, delays in
electricity or transmission. Site integration order is subject to constant change, meaning
need for re-planning of neighbor relations is constant.

With the size of the current network rollout, responsibilities are split over a multitude of
different people. While this probably is good for the rollout speed, it is disastrous for
neighbor planning, since this easily falls between chairs.

As if this was not enough, 3G networks are built by consortiums in different forms. This
means neighbor relations must be managed not only within one 3G network, but also
between partner networks, and even to roaming partners 2G networks.

To facilitate management of neighbor relations, Canaima introduces it’s neighbor and cell
parameter management concept.

Key Benefits
- an automatic algorithm that produces useful neighbor relations which does not
need immediate manual corrections and additions
o based on signal strength predictions
o unlimited area size
o unlimited number of sites
- Prioritization of neighbor relations
- Deletion redundant neighbors
- Compares generated neighbors with actual, deletes redundant
- Automatic operation on scheduled basis
- User GGUI (GeoGraphic User Interface) for visualization and manual edits
- Scrambling code conflict visualization
- Scrambling code planner
- Interfaces to popular radio planning tools, such as Planet, Aircom Asset, Nokia
NetAct and Ericsson EET
- Proven NMC interfaces via XML files (Nokia NetAct, Ericsson RANOS)
- Text file interface for bulk manual updates or interface to other system
- Full change history in database, i.e. who did what change when
- High performance multi-user database (SQL server or Oracle)

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System Overview

Radio NMT
Planning Service
Tool NMC

Cellular Network

GIS
Database

The Neighbor Management Tool consist of two applications; a client program installed
on each radio planners pc where neighbor relations are visualized and manually edited,
and a server program on a central server where scheduled calculations and import /
exports are handled. The server program can be installed on the central database server,
or on a standalone machine in high performance configurations

Scheduled Imports, Calculations and Exports

Network change is constant, especially during intensive roll-out phases. New sites means
new neighbor definitions needs to be added, and old ones removed. The system can be
set up for daily synchronization with the radio planning tool and NMC to update the site
database, coverage information and automatically recalculate neighbor definitions.

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 12
Calc
Import Neighb
Import Predict Import
ors
Site ions NW
Data dump
Re-
hosting

Site Manual
Integra Edits
tion

Import
NW On-site
dump Edits in
NW

9 3
Manual
Edits

Import
NW
dump
Manual
Edits
Export Import Manual
Delta NW Edits
dump
6

Other jobs can also be scheduled such as regular import and export of data from other
sources, automatic reports sent to subscribers by e-mail, consistency checks, e-mail
logging.

In the picture above a fresh NMC dump is imported into NMT in the morning. When
the radioplanners arrive at work they can examine what the network looks like and
manually add or delete neighbors. NMT also shows the suggested new neighbors
calculated during the night. A radioplanner might be on the road measuring cells and
neighbors and directly make some changes in the network on-site. These changes will
appear in NMT after a new NMC dump is imported shortly after. Late in the
afternoon all manual and automatic edits are loaded into the network by exporting a
delta between the current state of the planned network and a fresh import of a NMC
dump. Consistency checks are run to validate the data before exporting.

Full history database

NMT maintain its own database (in SQL Server or Oracle) of rnc, rbs, site, cell and
neighbor data. The database provides complete history information, so the network can
be tracked at any point in time, and latest changes can be tracked to user and time.

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Planned and Actual network
A live (or actual) network is continuously being changed. All changes are mostly
planned in advance. A planned network is used which prepares and illustrates what
the network will look like in a near future.

The database contains both the planned and actual network, and can highlight any
differences. The planned network contains data from the planning tool, automatic and
manual neighbor creations, while the actual network is imported from NMC XML
dump files.

PLANNED ACTUAL
NETWORK NETWORK

FUTURE
REMOVAL
FUTURE
IMPLEMENTATION CHANGES
ALREADY
IMPLEMENTED

Automatic Delta Generation

The changes in the planned network can be implemented in the actual network
automatically. The latest image of the actual network is compared with the planned
network. A delta is produced containing the differences (addition, deletion, update).

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 PLANNED ACTUAL
NETW0RK NETW0RK

DELTA

The delta is stored in the database and can be exported to XML files. The export files
are sent to the actual network either manually or automatically using e.g. FTP.

Regular Images of the Actual Network

Scheduled jobs can be defined in NMT which regularly fetch XML files from
RANOS, OSS-RC or NetAct and imports an image of what the actual network looks
like. The files can also be fetched from an FTP server using secure FTP.

FTP

XML
DUMP
FILE
NMT
scheduled
imports

External OMCs
It is possible to import a live image from an external network. This is done by
defining a system area for the external actual network and importing network dumps

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into this area. The actual import is done in the same way as the actual area is updated
from an Ericsson 3GPP or Nokia RAML file.

Normal
NW Dump

NMT

NW Dump
from
external
OMC

Network Areas
In NMT network changes are done using areas. There are two reserved system areas
called PLANNED and ACTUAL. The actual area shows what the actual network
looks like at a certain time. The actual area is built from a network dump from the
NMC which is imported into NMT. The network dump is an XML file generated by
RANOS, OSS-RC or NetAct.

The planned area shows what the network will look like in a near future. All approved
planned changes are stored in the planned area.

PLANNED ACTUAL
AREA AREA

INHERITANCE INHERITANCE

TEST
PHASE 2 RE- SUBAREA
PLANNED HOSTING
SUBAREA SUBAREA

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A system area cannot be edited directly. Instead a subarea is created which inherits
from the system area or from another area which already inherits from a system area.

Subareas are often used to prepare future changes in the network. When the changes
in the subarea have been verified and approved they are committed into its parent area
which contains the planned network. Before commit is completed consistency checks
can be run to validate the subarea.

Example: A new site has been created and neighbors must be defined. A subarea is
created which inherits from the planned area. All incoming and outgoing neighbor
relations for the site are created. A number of consistency checks are run before the
changes are committed into the parent area (planned). Some of the checks ensure that
there are no scrambling code conflicts. The subarea is committed and the planned
network is updated with the new neighbors.

It is also possible to create a subarea to the actual network (area) and make some
quick parameter changes which are later sent to the NMC for implementation.

Example: A radio planner wants to test a new parameter configuration for a certain
cell. The radio planner creates a subarea which inherits from the actual area. All
parameter values are changed in the subarea for the specific cell according to the new
parameter configuration. In order to load the changes into the live network the
changed subarea is exported and saved as a 3GPP file which is imported into OSS-
RC.

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Workflow
1. Sites are defined in a radio planning tool
2. NMT imports site data from the radio planning tool automatically
3. (optional) NMT calculates neighbors automatically
4. Neighbors are edited manually in a Geographical User Interface
5. Radio parameters are configured manually and/or automatically
6. NMT imports NMC XML dump files automatically
7. NMT generates a delta between planned and actual network automatically
8. NMT runs consistency checks automatically
9. NMT exports delta files to the NMC automatically
10. NMT imports NMC XML dump files automatically
11. The implemented changes can be examined in a Geographical User Interface

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Geographical User Interface
NMTGIS provides a single geographical interface to radio planning data, cell
configuration data, neighbor definitions and networks statistics, which makes up a very
comprehensive tool for network planning, optimization and troubleshooting.

The geographical user interface allows neighbor definitions and cell parameters to be
geographically visualized on the map and manually edited.

Neighbor visualization and editing

Neighbors can be visualized by color coding sector symbols or circle representing cell,
line connecting source and target cells or by color coding service area of source and
neighbor cells.

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Cell Parameter visualization and edits

NMT can be used to visualize any cell, sector, site, rbs or rnc parameter. All cell
parameters can be edited directly in the cell data grid.

Scrambling Code Planning

NMT provides functionality to identify scrambling code conflicts caused by cells having
multiple neighbors with the same scrambling code. It also provides a tool to suggest SC:s
based on reuse distances. SC conflict detection works also between 2G and 3G, i.e. 2G
cells having multiple 3G neighbors with the same SC.

Filtering of visible cells

“Active” cells can be filtered and sorted on any cell parameter, for example show
only cells with primaryCpichPower = 290.

“Active” cells can also be filtered on any combination of System, Band, Milestones and
site flags read from the radio planning system.

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Cell data history

Full history of cell parameter changes is maintained and accessible by clicking the ‘+’
sign in the cell data grid.

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Network Statistics

NMTGIS incorporates a very flexible query module that allows cells and neighbor
relations to be associated with data from virtually any database. Typically this would
be used to display and analyze network performance statistics, but can also be used to
“plug” in data from network planning tools, rollout tools, equipment inventory
database, alarm handling system, problem ticketing systems or even NMT’s own
database.

Cell Statistics

Neighbor statistics

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Missing neighbor analysis

Many manufacturers of 3G mobiles lets the mobile report also undefined neighbors.
These “Missing Neighbors” gets reported through test mobile tools such as TEMS or
even as Events by the infrastructure (GPEH with Ericsson infrastructure). NMTGIS
can read and present these events from both Ericsson GPEH files and TEMS export
files.

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Raster maps and vector maps

NMTGIS supports ma data in both vector and rasterRaster maps with adjustable
contrast for maximum readability.

High contrast map, good for orientation, bad for backdrop.

Low contrast map, perfect for backdrop.

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Color Schemes Editing

NMTGIS allows color schemes to be edited, globally or n a per user basis.

Other GIS functionality

NMTGIS allows some typical radio planning tool data, such as clutter, population
density and coverage to be visualized. Unlike the typical radio planning tool,
NMTGIS allows up to 6 layers of servers to be monitored by the follow-me mouse.

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Automatic Neighbor Calculation

The algorithm to produce neighbor relations works in four steps.

1. It will iterate through all “pixels” in the coverage predictions, and add neighbors
between cells within a defined predicted signal difference. Priority is calculated
based on a combination of signal difference and absolute signal.
2. It adds all co-site neighbors with highest priority
3. It adds all cells within a certain distance. Distance calculation is based on cell
centre coordinates, not base station coordinates. This will ensure neighbor
definitions for cells missing prediction files, or cells with service are too small
(relative prediction pixel size) to have a valid service area in the coverage
predictions.
4. Optionally it adds all mutual neighbors

Intra system (2G–2G or 3G–3G)

For each pixel in the coverage predictions, the algorithm works out and sorts the N
strongest servers (N typically in the range 2 to 6). A signal threshold is applied in order
not to generate neighbor definitions at predicted signal strengths lower than reasonable
service thresholds.

The signal difference (deltasignal) is compared between the strongest server and the
N:th strongest (second strongest, third strongest etc). If the signal difference is lower
than MaxDeltaSignal (value typically between 2 and 8 dB), a neighbor definition is added
between the strongest cell and the N:th strongest cell, IN THE DIRECTION TO THE
STRONGEST CELL. This means the algorithm generates one way neighbors. One way
neighbors can be overruled if step 4, Force Mutual Neighbors, is enabled.

Input data can be either raw radio predictions, or predicted array files. In the first case,
the composites are automatically calculated by the tool, in the latter the composite
coverage is read from the array files (requires the N best servers to be available in Array
Files)

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Inter System (2G-3G, GSM900-GSM 1800)

The algorithms works out the N best servers for each system similarly to the intra system
algorithm. Neighbor relations are generated between all inter system cell combinations
where

IntraSystemDeltaSignal <= MaxDeltaSignal difference

and

InterSystemDeltaSignal <= MaxInterSystemDeltaSignal.

IntersystemDeltaSignal is the difference in predicted signal for each cell in respective

system. MaxInterSystemDeltaSignal is typically a high value 20-60 db, and used to avoid
neighbor definitions being generated in areas where one system is clearly dominating.

It is possible to generate neighbors in one direction only (could be useful between

operators for example).

Input data can be either raw radio predictions, or predicted array files. In the first case,
the composites are automatically calculated by the tool, in the latter the composite
coverage is read from the array files (Inter system calculations works with N=1, meaning
that a single best server array for each system can be used as input. For best results
however, N should be in the range 2-4 for at least one of the systems)

Prioritisation

Early implementations of 3G networks have limitations to the number of neighbor

relations they can handle. In case of 2G-3G handovers, or handovers between partnering
networks, the number of desirable neighbor relations quickly increase to the maximum
limit of what the system support.

During Soft Handover in 3G networks, the neighbor list sent to the mobile is a
compilation of the neighbor definitions of each of the source cells. Exactly how the
compilation is put together is vendor specific, but at least in some instances the priority
of each neighbor definition is used.

All this raises a need for ranking of neighbor relations. The Canaima algorithm
automatically calculates a ranking value, and prioritises the neighbors accordingly. Co-Site
neighbors are always given the highest ranking value are ranked. Calculated neighbors are
given a ranking value based on delta and absolute signal, resulting in cells with similar
signal strength at high absolute power (small cells typically in city environment) will be
given higher priority than larger delta signal and lower absolute signal strength (fringe
coverage).

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System Requirement
The system runs on a PC platform using a workstation or server version of Windows and
SQL Server.

Product Roadmap
Further development of the Neighbor Management Tool concept is planned.

Feature Availability

Inter frequency handover algorithm Spring 2006

Contacts and additional information

For additional information or to organize a demonstration, please contact:

Per Wirdemark
Canaima Communications AB
+46 8 448 11 12
+46 70 348 39 56
Per.Wirdemark@canaima.se

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