3G counters and KPIs for Paging

1 Pavel Romanenko/NWS LTE RA E2E SA NE © Nokia Siemens Networks

Agenda

• Counters and KPIs defined for Paging procedure and

the RRC Connection

• Detailed investigation by using Iub, RRC and Traffic

measurements

2 Pavel Romanenko/NWS LTE RA E2E SA NE © Nokia Siemens Networks

Counters and KPIs

• It is possible to have counters for messages discarded by RANAP or

RC3.
• With some assumption it is possible to monitor the cell flow through
the RRC-c master and MAC-c.
• The starting point A is given by the L3Iu counter:

• This counter returns the paging messages received from CN.

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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - RANAP

• Iub mater in RANAP functional block forward the received paging

message to UTRAN.
• Only a check on load is performed when UTRAN/RANAP receive a
RANAP: Paging message from CN/RANAP.

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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - RANAP

• In case of RNC is not capable to forward the paging message due to

over-load condition as in Table above the counter M1003C47
DEL_PAG_MSG_ICSU_OVERLOAD is incremented.
• As result, having counter granularity of 1hour, the Iuv Flow (msg/sec)
can be:
• Iub_Flow = M1003C36 REC_PAG_MSG - M1003C47
DEL_PAG_MSG_ICSU_OVERLOAD / 3600 (msg/sec)
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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - RANAP

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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - RANAP

• RANAP forward paging messages to RC3 entity in RRMU that

checks the load
• If no overload is detected the paging messages is forwarded
normally.
• If the number of “unhandled messages” become greater than 550
the RC3 entity start discarding messages.
• The related counter M1003C48
DEL_PAG_MSG_RRMU_OVERLOAD is incremented
• As result, having counter granularity of 1hour, the RC3 Flow
(msg/sec) can be:
• RC3_Flow = M1003C36 REC_PAG_MSG - M1003C47
DEL_PAG_MSG_ICSU_OVERLOAD - M1003C48
DEL_PAG_MSG_RRMU_OVERLOAD / 3600 (msg/sec)

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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - RRC

• When number of “unhandled messages” in RRC Master become

greater than 100 the RRC Master entity start reading the messages
and counting the paging messages.

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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - RRC
• If all the “unhandled 100 messages” are all paging messages RRC
starts discarding otherwise it create/fill buffer in DMCU.
• When buffering a paging message the RRC master associate the
correct DRXcycle to be used for the message.
• The RRC Master can be considered the trigger entity for counters:
• M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG
• M1006C26_PAGING_TYPE_1_RNC_ORIG (Cell-PCH)
• M1006C27_PAGING TYPE 2_ATT
• As result, having counter granularity of 1hour, the RRC Flow
(msg/sec) can be:
• RRC-c_Flow = (M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG +
M1006C27_PAGING TYPE 2_ATT +
• M1006C26_PAGING_TYPE_1_RNC_ORIG / 3600 (msg/sec)

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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - MAC

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Counters and KPIs
Paging Flow in RNC - MAC

• MCFTOR entity are responsible for scheduling paging messages to

a cell.
• MAC-c scheduling over PCH channel monitoring is available using
the following counter:
• M1000C70 AVE_PCH_THROUGHPUT
• M1000C71 PCH_THROUGHPUT_DENOM_0
• Considering that in actual NSN configuration 1 paging message
takes 80bits, using the following formula it is possible to have the
MAC-c Flow (msg/sec)
• MAC-c Flow = (M1000C70 AVE_PCH_THROUGHPUT /
M1000C71 PCH_THROUGHPUT_DENOM_0) / 80 (msg/sec)

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Counters and KPIs
P_Blocking - KPI
• Paging messages from CN to UTRAN (repetition included) are
given by M1003C36 _REC_PAG_MSG_.
• Results from this counter can be aggregated by PLMN-RNC,
RMSC, RSGSN, MCC-MNC.
• Results from this counter can be compared with the sum of
M1006C25 _PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG and
M1006C27_PAGING TYPE 2 ATT to have an indicator for the
overall procedure (Iuv, RC3, RRC Master and DRX)
• Possible KPI (valid at LA/RA area) to have the overall (Iuv, RC3,
RRC Master and DRX) UTRAN blocking probability per LA (or CN-
UTRAN failure rate), could be:

• P_Block (overall) = 1 -
(M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA +
sum_cell_LA(M1006C27_PAGING TYPE 2 ATT)) /
sum_CN_id(M1003C36_REC_PAG_MSG).
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Counters and KPIs
P_Blocking - KPI
where the M1006C25 _PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA indicates
the minimum of the counters:
006C25 _PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG among all the cells of
same LA/RA, having PCH_availability=1 and cell_availability=1.

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Counters and KPIs
P_Blocking - KPI
This manipulation is due to the fact that counter
M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG does not distinguish
between paging sent to a specific cell and paging sent to the whole
LA/RA.
• The residual paging messages per cell exceeding the m.c.m. value
given by M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA can be
considered summing over the LA/RA:
• (M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG -
M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA) contributes for all
the cells belonging to LA/RA.

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Counters and KPIs
P_Blocking - KPI
Two counters for overload
1. M1003C47_NBR OF DELETED PAGING MESSAGES DUE
TO ICSU OVERLOAD and
2. M1003C48_NBR OF DELETED PAGING MESSAGES DUE
TO RRMU OVERLOAD
are in related to
• M1003C36_REC_PAG_MSG to have detailed Iub and RC3 failure
rate.
• The following KPIs for Iub and RC3 can be used to monitor overload
condition:
• P_Block(Iub) = sum_cell_LA(M1003C47_NBR OF DELETED
PAGING MESSAGES DUE TO ICSU OVERLOAD) /
sum_CN_id(M1003C36_REC_PAG_MSG)

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Counters and KPIs
P_Blocking - KPI

P_Block(RC3) = sum_cell_LA(M1003C48_NBR OF DELETED

PAGING MESSAGES DUE TO RRMU OVERLOAD) /
sum_CN_id(M1003C36_REC_PAG_MSG)
The number of paging sent in the PCH is given by:

• N_paging = (PERIOD_MEAS in sec) *

(M1000C70_AVE_PCH_THROUGHPUT /
M1000C71_PCH_THROUGHPUT_DENOM_0) / 80bits.
where PERIOD_MEAS is the observation time in seconds

• This formula returns an extimated number of type1 messages on

PCH channel.

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Counters and KPIs
P_Blocking - KPI
• A comparison with the messages sent by RRC can be attempted
as in the following:
• P_Block (MAC-c) = 1 - (N_paging)) /
(M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG +
M1006C26_PAGING_TYPE_1_RNC_ORIG)

• For this calculation it becames foundamental that the cells have

PCH_availability=1 and cell_availability=1.
• It has to be considered that calculating the number of paging
starting from Tput is an Approximation.
• The state transition between UTRAN, GMM and MM (idle,
connected, detached) in the RRCConnection Setup procedure can
add some residual innaccuracy

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Counters and KPIs
Paging and Call Setup - KPI
Paging Type1 for MTC SR
• Two KPIs are possible to monitor the relationship between type1
paging forwarded and the successful MTC in the LA/RA

• Considering that the counter

M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG does not distinguish
between paging sent to a specific cell and paging sent to the whole
LA/RA, some manipulation are required.

• Two formulas (valid at cell level) are possible using different counter
families:

• Paging_SR=sum_cell(M1006C1-C3-C5-C7-C15-C16-
C17_RRC_Conn_Req_MTC_xxx_Call) /
M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA
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Counters and KPIs
Paging and Call Setup - KPI
Paging_SR=sum_cell(M1001C32-C34-C36-C38-C52-C56-
C60_MTC_xxx_Call_Attempts - M1001C578-C579-C580-C581-
C590-C591-C592_RRC_Att_Rep_xxx) /
M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA

- The simplified notation MTC_xxx stands for all the MTC

available call type
- The notation M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA
indicates the minimum of the counters
M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIG among all the cells of
same LA/RA having PCH_availability=1 and cell_availability=1.

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Counters and KPIs
Improving MTC
To improve the Paging Type1 for MTC SR KPI given by formula:

• Paging_SR=sum_cell(M1006C1-C3-C5-C7-C15-C16-
C17_RRC_Conn_Req_MTC_xxx_Call) /
M1006C25_PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA
• The following procedures should be analyzed:
1) OLPC
2) Link Budget and possible unbalancing
3) Reselection Procedure
4) Paging repetition from CN
5) Coverage Analysis

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Detailed investigation
Location area shared among different RNCs
The estimation of PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIGLA is more complex.
• to each CN paging type 2 (cases 3.1 and 4.1) in a cell of RNC 1
corresponds a CN paging type 1 (cases 3.2 and 4.2) in all the cells
of LA in RNC2 (and vice versa);
• to each CN-CS paging type 1 (case 2.2) in a cell of RNC 1
corresponds a CN-CS paging type 1 (case 2.3) in all the cells of LA
in RNC2 (and vice versa).

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Detailed investigation
Location area shared among different RNCs
• PAGING_TYPE_1_CN_ORIGLA=
Min(PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIGcell)
• where (cellAvailability=1 and pchAvailability= 1 and cellLA=LA
and cellRNC=RNCx)] –X2–X34

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Detailed investigation
Paging response counters
• The responses to paging messages can be counted considering
RRC connection setups due to MTC and cell update related to
paging messages.

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Detailed investigation
Paging response counters
• The counters related to MTC are present both in RRC (updated for
the Controlling RNC) and Service Level (updated in Serving RNC)
tables.
• It’s more accurate to use the RRC counters when building
paging success rate formulas: the paging counters come
from RRC table as well.
• MTC counters include also repetitions of the RRC
connection request.

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Detailed investigation
Paging repetitions in RNC
• In case of cell_PCH activation, RNC shall repeat the paging for UE
(in cell_PCHstate) not reached by the first paging procedure. The
repetition is executed as defined by the following RNC parameters

• The RNC also accepts a cell update with a cause different than paging
response as a valid paging response even if this response comes via
a different cell than the UE originally was paged from.

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Detailed investigation
Paging originated by CS-CN to Uein cell_PCH
• The RANAP paging from CS-CN is buffered, then the RNC originates
paging attempts to bringthe UE in cell_FACH(Cell Update due to
uplinkDataTransmission); the overall procedure includes also a
paging at LA level.
The overall procedure:
• 5 repetitions in the cell
• 1 repetition at LA level.

The incremented counter is PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIG

26 Pavel Romanenko/NWS LTE RA E2E SA NE © Nokia Siemens Networks
Detailed investigation
Paging originated by RNC due to DL PDU from SGSN
• The RANAP paging from CS-CN is buffered, then the RNC originates
paging attempts to bring UE in cell_FACH (Cell Update due to uplink
DataTransmission)
• The overall procedure includes also a paging at LA level.

• The overall procedure:

• 11 repetitions in the cell
• 3 repetition at RNC
level.

The incremented counter is PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_RNC_ORIG

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Detailed investigation
Paging success rate at LA level, cell_PCH not active

It’s based on the

hypothesis that the
paging is not sent to
more than 1 LA at the
same time: in this case
the paging can be
successful in one LA
only.

KPI for the calculation of the percentage of not reachable UE should take into
account the repetition of the paging in the CN. This KPI is not consistent with the
user perception.
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Detailed investigation
Paging success rate at LA level, cell_PCH active

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Detailed investigation
Paging success rate at LA level, cell_PCH active
Apparent degradation after activation of cell_PCH:
it’s due to low response rate to RNC pagings.

Possible reasons:
• Too short repetition time of RNC paging attempts
• Underestimation of the number of cell update due to paging response (the
cell update could be attributed to other causes, then not counted)
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Paging success rate at cell level
Paging success rate at cell level

• The overestimation of
PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_RNC_ORIGRNC determines an
underestimation of PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_RNC_ORIG
cell=>paging_SR is overestimated.
• PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIGcell is not included in the
formula because the CN-CS paging attempts to UEs in
cell_PCH don’t increment any paging response counter
(cell update due to uplink Data Transmission).

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Paging success rate at cell level
PCH throughput: paging requests blocked

The number of transmitted paging (on the radio interface) is:

Paging_requests[pagings/hour] = 3600 * PCH_THROUGHPUT /
(80 bits)
The number of paging attempts forwarded to be transmitted on
PCH is:
Paging_type_1 [pagings/hour] = PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIG
+ PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_RNC_ORIG
The number of paging attempts not sent on air due to congestion of
PCH channel is:
Paging_requests_blocked[paging/hour] = paging_type_1 -
paging_requests

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Paging success rate at cell level
PCH throughput: paging requests blocked

• The PCH blocking

is calculated
around 0.2% for a
PCH throughput of
60000 paging sent
/ hour / cell.

A formula for the estimation of the PCH blocking is proposed, as a

function of:
• the PCH throughput
• the paging buffering in RNC.
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Paging success rate at cell level
Observations about RNC counters

• RNC counters PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIG and

PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_RNC_ORIG don’t distinguish paging
attempts issued at cell, LA and RNC level.
• Pre-processing of these counters is required to implement
success rate formulas;
• When CELL_PCH is active, paging repetitions in RNC increment
PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIG and
PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_RNC_ORIG, resulting in an
underestimation of the paging success rate
• When a UE in Cell_PCH is paged by MSC, the RANAP paging
attempt is buffered and sent later (type 2 paging), when the UE
has already answered to a type 1 paging .

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Paging success rate at cell level
Observations about RNC counters

• In this case two paging counters are incremented:

PAG_TYPE_1_ATT_CN_ORIG and PAG_TYPE_2_ATT
• LA sharing among different RNCs originates a surplus of paging
attempts. It reduces the advantages of Cell_PCH activation
• The out of coverage probability can be estimated combining
MSC and RNC counters
• The PCH blocking can be calculated at cell level using the
appropriate RNC counters
• Formula is proposed for the estimation of the PCH blocking
probability as function of the PCH throughput.

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