MSC_VLR Interfaces (Intra MSC Handover Call Flow) Highway GSM Coverage GSM Mobile Mobile Bethesda Bethesda

Cell Bethesda BSC

GSM Equipment Rockville MSC VLRs Rockville Cell Rockville BSC Maryland MSC VLR

EventHelix.com/EventStudio 2.5

31-Dec-04 08:05 (Page 1)

This call flow was generated with EventStudio 2.5 (http://www.EventHelix.com/EventStudio). How does a GSM mobile phone maintain a call even when moving from one cell to another? The calls are maintained by handing over a call from one cell to another. This call flow covers a simple case of call handover in GSM. Here a user has an active call and is moving from the Rockville Cell to the Bethesda Cell. As the user moves, the call will be handed over by the Rockville Cell to the Bethesda Cell. Copyright 2000-2004 EventHelix.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. The GSM Mobile has an active call in the Rockville Cell. The user reaches the boundary between the Rocville Cell and Bethesda cell. 1:BSSMAP HANDOVER REQUIREDThe BSC decides to request a handover. A list of target cells is provided to the MSC. Target Cells, Origin Cell The Bethesda Cell is included in the list of target cells. 2:BSSMAP HANDOVER REQUEST The MSC passes on the handover request to the Bethesda BSC. (The Rockville BSC Target Cells, Origin Cell identified this BSC as as a target cell for handover.) 3:T101 The MSC-VLR starts a timer to await the response from the Bethesda BSC. 4:BSSMAP HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE The Bethesda BSC includes the RR HANDOVER COMMAND message as a RR HANDOVER COMMAND payload in the HANDOVER REQUEST ACK that is sent back to the MSC. The RR HANDOVER COMMAND will be delivered to the mobile via the Rockville BSC. 5:T101 The MSC has heard back from the destination BSC, thus the T101 timer is stopped. 6:BSSMAP HANDOVER COMMANDThe MSC delivers the handover command to the Rockville BSC. This command RR HANDOVER COMMAND encapsulates the RR HANDOVER COMMAND from the destination BSC. 7:T102 T102 is started to track the completion of the handover. 8:BSSMAP HANDOVER DETECTED The BSC informs the MSC that the handover has been detected. At this point the MSC can switch the voice path. Switch Call to new Path The MSC switches the voice path. 9:BSSMAP HANDOVER COMPLETE 10:T102 Release call resources in Rockville BSC. 11:BSSMAP CLEAR COMMAND Call release has been completed, now the RR connection is released by the MSC. 12:BSSMAP CLEAR COMPLETE The BSS informs the the MSC that the RR connection has been released. The BSC forwards the handover completion event to the MSC. Handover has been completed, so T102 is stopped.

MSC_VLR Interfaces (Inter MSC Handover Call Flow) Highway GSM Coverage GSM Mobile Bethesda Mobile Bethesda Cell Bethesda BSC Bethesda Rockville MSC VLR MSC VLR

Rockville Rockville BSC Rockville Cell

EventHelix.com/EventStudio 2.5 31-Dec-04 08:05 (Page 2)

This call flow was generated with EventStudio 2.5 (http://www.EventHelix.com/EventStudio). How does a GSM mobile phone maintain a call even when moving from a cell controlled by one MSC to a cell controlled by a different MSC? The calls are maintained by handing over the call from the source MSC to the target MSC. The MAP/E protocol is used to manage the interactions between the source MSC and the target MSC. In this example, a user has an active call and is moving from the Rockville Cell to the Bethesda Cell. As the user moves, the call will be handed over by the Rockville Cell to the Bethesda Cell. The Bethesda cell and the Rockville cell are controlled by different MSCs, thus an Inter-MSC hardover will be performed from the Rockville MSC to the Bethesda MSC. Copyright 2000-2004 EventHelix.com Inc. All Rights Reserved. The GSM Mobile has an active call in the Rockville Cell. The user reaches the boundary between the Rocville Cell and Bethesda cell. 1:BSSMAP HANDOVER REQUIRED
Target Cells, Origin Cell

2:MAP/E PERFORM HANDOVER

Target Cells, Origin Cell

3:T101 4:BSSMAP HANDOVER REQUEST

Target Cells, Origin Cell

5:BSSMAP HANDOVER REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGE

RR HANDOVER COMMAND

6:MAP/E PERFORM HANDOVER ACK

RR HANDOVER COMMAND

7:T101 8:BSSMAP HANDOVER COMMAND

RR HANDOVER COMMAND

9:T102 10:BSSMAP HANDOVER DETECTED

Switch Call to new Path

The BSC decides to request a handover. A list of target cells is provided to the MSC. The Bethesda Cell is included in the list of target cells. This is an inter MSC handover, so pass the handover request to the target MSC via a MAP/E message. The MSC-VLR starts a timer to await the response from the Bethesda BSC. The MSC passes on the handover request to the Bethesda BSC. (The Rockville BSC identified this BSC as as a target cell for handover.) The Bethesda BSC includes the RR HANDOVER COMMAND message as a payload in the HANDOVER REQUEST ACK that is sent back to the MSC. The RR HANDOVER COMMAND will be delivered to the mobile via the Rockville BSC. Pass the handover request acknowledgement from the target MSC to the source MSC. The MSC has heard back from the destination MSC, thus the T101 timer is stopped. The MSC delivers the handover command to the Rockville BSC. This command encapsulates the RR HANDOVER COMMAND from the destination BSC. T102 is started to track the completion of the handover. The BSC informs the MSC that the handover has been detected. At this point the MSC can switch the voice path. The MSC switches the voice path. The BSC forwards the handover completion event to the MSC. Initiate call release at the source MSC for the handover.

11:BSSMAP HANDOVER COMPLETE 12:MAP/E SEND END SIGNAL

MSC_VLR Interfaces (Inter MSC Handover Call Flow) Highway GSM Coverage GSM Mobile Bethesda Mobile Bethesda Cell Bethesda BSC Bethesda Rockville MSC VLR MSC VLR 13:T102 Release call resources in Rockville BSC.

Rockville Rockville BSC Rockville Cell

EventHelix.com/EventStudio 2.5 31-Dec-04 08:05 (Page 3)

Handover has been completed, so T102 is stopped.

14:BSSMAP CLEAR COMMAND 15:BSSMAP CLEAR COMPLETE 16:MAP/E SEND END SIGNAL RESPONSE

Call release has been completed, now the RR connection is released by the MSC. The BSS informs the the MSC that the RR connection has been released. Signal the end of the call.