GPRS Optimisation

A Best Practice Methodology
Document:
Performance Analysis &

Optimisation
of a GPRS Network
Stefan Engels
Version 1.21
www.commsquare.com
info@commsquare.com
This document describes the main activities involved in system testing

and system engineering a GPRS network, as well as the performance
analysis and the optimisation of a GPRS network and GPRS services.
Including GPRS Training Catalogue

Including GPRS Audit Description
CONTENT
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
GPRS optimisation stages ................................................................................................. 3

Processes affecting GPRS performance ............................................................................ 4
GPRS system & radio optimisation................................................................................... 5
3.1
Validation of the signalling procedures ................................................................... 5
3.1.1 GPRS Mobility & Session Management (GMM&SM)....................................... 5
3.1.2 Statistical analysis of Gb protocols...................................................................... 6
3.2
Verification of network element performance ......................................................... 7
3.2.1 Network element stability.................................................................................... 7
3.2.2 Network element performance............................................................................. 8
3.3
GPRS bearer optimisation........................................................................................ 9
3.3.1 Throughput .......................................................................................................... 9
3.3.2 Latency .............................................................................................................. 10
3.3.3 Radio Resource Management ............................................................................ 11
GPRS service & application optimisation ....................................................................... 13
GPRS performance monitoring ....................................................................................... 13
Commsquare services...................................................................................................... 14
6.1
Hands-on training................................................................................................... 14
6.2
Project consultancy & on-the-job training ............................................................. 14
Annex: GPRS Course Chart ............................................................................................ 15
GPRS Performance Analysis & Optimisation (4 days)....................................................... 16
EDGE Planning & Optimisation (3 days) ........................................................................... 18
Annex: GPRS Audit ........................................................................................................ 20
8.1
Goal........................................................................................................................ 20
8.2
Methodology .......................................................................................................... 20
8.3
Analysis.................................................................................................................. 21
8.4
Deliverables ........................................................................................................... 22
8.5
Project duration ...................................................................................................... 22
The screenshot in figure 7 and 8 are taken with the Actix Analyzer.
Actix Ltd. is a registered company of the UK, www.actix.com.
All rights reserved. No part of this document shall be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or
transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without
written permission from the author. While every precaution has been taken in the preparation of this
document, the publisher and author assume no responsibility for errors or omissions. Neither is any
liability assumed for damages resulting from the use of the information contained herein.
Document version 1.20.

Commsquare is an independent technology company with offices in Brussels,
Belgium, in London, UK and Singapore.
GPRS Performance Analysis

Copyright Commsquare 2004
Page 2
1 GPRS optimisation stages

The diagram below shows the different stages in GPRS performance analysis and
optimisation.
GPRS Performance Optimisation

System & Radio
Optimisation
Retest or audit after

SW/HW changes, e.g.
PCU or SGNSN upgrade.
Application & Service

Optimisation
Retest or audit after

application, server or
protocol upgrades, etc.
Performance
Monitoring
Sanity check
Impact of
system
changes on
application
performance
Maintain KPIs for System & Radio and

Application & Service performance monitoring
Fig. 1: Stages and tasks in GPRS performance analysis and optimisation.
The initial optimisation step in the GPRS lifecycle is radio & system optimisation.
Once completed, the radio & system performance should be monitored.
For each (major) SW release or HW change, retesting or auditing the performance is needed.
Additional optimisation work might be required, e.g. in case of changes to the radio resource
management algorithm or its parameter settings.
Each new service requires its own application optimisation phase.
Typical applications over GPRS are corporate intra-net, WAP, VPN, email applications,
MMS, streaming, etc.
Once optimised, the application performance should be monitored.
As GPRS system & radio performance can affect application performance we recommend
you perform a sanity check on application performance for major changes to the GPRS
system, e.g. after (major) PCU or SGSN software upgrades.

Page 3
2 Processes affecting GPRS performance

The diagram below shows the most important processes, network elements and parameters
affecting GPRS performance. Their impact is typically investigated and optimised during the
different stages of GPRS performance analysis and optimisation.
Coverage
Interference
Capacity
Cell update
Radio Resource Management

Dynamic Link Adaptation
Um
Client
Buffer Mgmt (flush,

overflow, discard, etc.)
PCU stability
PCU
BTS
BSC
M
S
Flow Control
Gb-link capacity
Gb-link stability
Gb
Mobility & Session Mgmt
(Attach, PDP Activation, etc.)
LLC operation
SNDCP compression
SGSN
Buffer Mgmt
Routing
Stability, Reliability
GGSN
Gi
Server 1
IP, UDP, TCP performance (slow
start, retransmissions, etc.)
Application behaviour (HTTP
persistent, dynamic web pages,
etc.), packet losses, etc.
PEP
Internet
Server 2
Server 3
Fig. 2: Network elements, parameters and processes affecting GRPS performance.

Page 4
The following section contains selected examples of typical analyses that are part of a GPRS
performance optimisation project. It is by no means complete but it gives an indication of the
different tasks at hand and their complexity.
3 GPRS system & radio optimisation

Course: GPRS Performance Analysis & Optimisation
(We recommend this course for engineers involved in GPRS radio & system optimisation.
For the course outline, see our Training Catalogue,
our website www.commsquare.com or the Annex of this document.)
This is the first phase in the GPRS optimisation process. It has the following major goals:
Validation of the signalling procedures.
Verification of network element performance.
Optimisation of GPRS as a bearer service.
System & radio optimisation is usually performed with an application server connected to the
Gi-interface (server 1 in fig. 1). This ensures that the entire test setup, from client to server,
is under the control of the network operator.
Typical test applications are ping-sequences and FTP file upload & downloads. These
applications are very well suited to test the technical performance of a GPRS network.
These tests will allow you to identify the network elements and processes with poor
performance: is the radio Um interface working fine, is the PCU performance degraded,
is the SGSN dropping packets, what network elements have unstable behaviour, etc.
The test scenarios also allow you to identify the root-cause for most of the problems, and to
define corrective actions.
We highly recommend you perform the system & radio optimisation during the early stages
of the GPRS lifecycle. Early tuning of the GPRS system will ensure early adopters get a
reliable service with good performance and hence will accelerate take-up of GPRS usage. It
will also facilitate the introduction of new GPRS services afterwards and reduce the time to
optimise them.
3.1
Validation of the signalling procedures
3.1.1 GPRS Mobility & Session Management (GMM&SM)

Validation of the GMM&SM signalling procedures is aimed at verifying the performance of
all important procedures, e.g. GPRS Attach, PDP Activation, Routing Area Update, etc.
Often, these procedures show a high failure rate. Failure at this level usually means that the
GPRS subscriber cant access the GPRS service at all.
The tables below contain an example for the GRPS Attach procedure from a Gb trace file.

Page 5
GPRS Attach Procedure

GPRS Attach Request
GPRS Attach Accept
GPRS Attach Complete
GPRS Attach Reject
Count
3,245
2,938
458
376
11.6%
GPRS Attach Reject causes

GPRS Services not allowed
GPRS Services not allowed in this PLMN
Network Failure
Count
217
102
57
1.76%
Fig. 3: Statistics on GPRS Attach procedure, from Gb-trace file.
In addition, the analysis of and comparison with best-practice values for a number of
performance indicators regarding these procedures can be performed (from test mobile log
files). Typical indicators are GPRS attach time, PDP activation time, routing area update time
(during an active GPRS session), etc.
3.1.2 Statistical analysis of Gb protocols

We recommend an in-depth and systematic analysis of the different Gb protocols at this stage.
This is a efficient and useful way to detect all kind of problems, such as stability issues, buffer
overflow problems, poor cell update performance, quality problems on the radio interface, etc.
All protocols (see diagram below), from Network Service (NS) up to SNDCP and GMM&SM
should be analysed in great detail.
Fig. 4: GPRS protocol stack.
By way of example, figure 5 contains an extract of a BSSGP message breakdown. A number

of messages (belonging to the same procedure) require further investigation because the

Page 6
numbers dont match or because the message count is high. The investigation is aimed at
identifying the root-cause of problems and at defining possible corrective actions.
Possible PCU buffer, radio

capacity or parameter problem
Numbers dont match

Possible radio problems
Numbers dont match
Fig. 5: Extract of BSSGP message breakdown.
3.2
Verification of network element performance
3.2.1 Network element stability

Improvement of network element stability is crucial to guarantee a reliable end-user service.
Often, GPRS networks show unstable behaviour in that PCU or SGSN processor boards reset
unexpectedly, Gb-links go down, etc. This causes (unacceptable) service interruptions for the
GPRS user.
Figure 6 contains an example of such a stability problem observed at the Gb-interface. The
cell with identity BVCI=244 is taken out of service (through a BVC Block message) and is
then immediately taken back into service (through a BVC reset message). Roughly 30 sec
later, another cell (with identity BVCI=255) shows the same unacceptable behaviour. The
whole Block & Reset procedure takes less than 20 msec (see column Time).
The observed problem will dramatically reduce user-perceived GPRS quality for users on
these cells because all user data for these cells will be deleted from the PCU buffers. It is then
up to the application or TCP to resend the deleted data. This process is often very slow, taking
a few up to 30 sec.
Fig. 6: Cell (=BVC) stability problem observed in Gb-log file.

(Column Time contains a timestamp in msec)

Page 7
3.2.2 Network element performance

Network elements also often exhibit unreliable and poor performance, e.g. due to SW or HW
bugs. For instance, PCU buffers can overflow and hence drop packets, SGSNs can drop an
excessive number of packets, etc. Again, this will lead to a poor user experience.
The screenshot below shows a TCP packet drop for an FTP download. Packet drops are quite
normal during cell updates/changes or in case of (PCU or SGSN) buffer overflows. However,
for this particular example, the download was performed on a single cell and there werent
any buffer size issues (the relevant radio & Gb trace data isnt shown here).
Instead, it turned out that the SGSN dropped 2% of the incoming packets in a fairly random
way due to a SW bug.
The example below contains the TCP sequence and acknowledgement numbers on the server
and client side:
(In green): packet is originally sent.
(In red): packet is not received at client.
(In purple): client reports the missing packet.
(In blue): server retransmits the missing packet, which is then received by client.
Fig. 7: Example of TCP packet drop.

Page 8
3.3
GPRS bearer optimisation
The goal of GPRS bearer optimising is to ensure that the GPRS network operates close to its
theoretical or best-practice system limits (e.g. in terms of delay and throughput). It involves
tuning of GPRS system parameters and vendor-specific GPRS parameters, such as timeslot
allocation and coding scheme usage.
3.3.1 Throughput
Figure 8 below contains a typical analysis for a file upload using data from a test phone. This
is an example of a perfect file upload:
RLC Throughput is stable and close to the theoretical maximum (of 13.4 kbps for
coding scheme 2).
The mobile stays on a single cell, i.e. the CI of the serving cell is the same for the
entire duration of the upload.
The uplink TFI has stable behaviour.
The number of timeslots equals the maximum number of timeslots the mobile can
support (only one for this mobile).
Coding scheme 2 is used all the time, i.e. the highest coding scheme supported in this
network.
There arent any retransmissions. This is an indication of perfect uplink quality.
FTP Commands
Actual file upload
FTP
Commands
RLC throughput
CI serving cell
UL TFI
Number of timeslots used
Coding scheme for data (on PDTCH)
UL retransmissions
Fig. 8: Example of radio analysis of FTP upload with perfect performance.

Page 9
3.3.2 Latency
Delay or latency is usually analysed based on a series of ping commands (i.e. ICMP Echo
Request & Reply messages). In order to get a good understanding of delay, it is recommended
to send different ping sequences.
Latency is an important performance indicator for applications such as WAP or Push-To-Talk
over Cellular (PoC).
Ping delay
A first type of analysis investigates the ping delay, e.g. defined as the time between the
Echo Request and Echo Reply message measured at the client/mobile side. Figure 9 shows
the evolution of the ping delay in one network for different SW releases.
Ping Delay
Mean (ms)
900
897
70
869
60
850
50
786
800
40
735
750
671
700
679
657
650
30
20
Std Dev (ms)
950
Mean
Stdev
10
600
0
SW-2
SW-2b
SW-3
SW-3b
SW-3c
SW-4
SW-5
SW Version
Fig. 9: Ping delay evolution for different SW versions.
Ping signature
Further investigation will reveal the underlying reasons for the different values in ping delay.
The table below shows the ping signature for 2 different SW releases in the same network.
The ping signature analysis contains the sequence of RLC/MAC signalling messages needed
to convey a ping command (i.e. a pair of ICMP Echo Request & Reply messages), and the
time between consecutive messages.
PING SIGNATURE ANALYSIS
Packet DL Ack/Nack (with Channel Request)

Packet Uplink Assignment
Packet Downlink Assignment
Packet Control Ack
Packet Uplink Ack/Nack
Packet Control Ack
Packet Downlink Ack/Nack
Total Delay
SW Rel. 1
SW Rel. 2
704 ms
584 ms
0
169
310
10
171
5
39
0
137
280
6
134
5
22
Fig. 10: Ping signature analysis (time between consecutive messages in msec).

Page 10
Joint interface analysis

Identifying the root-cause for poor performance usually requires the joint analysis of data
taken from all relevant interfaces: TCP/IP sniffer data at mobile/client side and at
network/server side, Gb-interface data, RL/MAC signalling from a test mobile, and possibly
Gi and Gn-interface as well.
3.3.3 Radio Resource Management

The allocation of radio resources (i.e. PDCHs1 or GPRS timeslots) is another important area
of analysis. The quality of the algorithms and their parameter tuning highly affects how close
the operators GPRS network can operate to the theoretical GPRS system limits.
Often, timeslot allocation and radio resource usage arent optimal because:
The infrastructure suppliers radio resource management algorithms arent as efficient
or fast as the competition.
The operator has not tuned these algorithms.
A good understanding of what is best-practice performance amongst the different
infrastructure suppliers and amongst different operators is important to assess and improve the
quality of the radio resource management algorithms and parameters.
By way of example, we mention a number of typical performance indicators to analyse the
quality of the radio resource management algorithms and their parameter tuning.
Delay to allocate resources
In figure 10 (see above, ping signature), the Packet Uplink Assignment for SW Rel. 2 is
sent faster, i.e. 137 ms after the request, as opposed to 169 ms before. This means that the
PCU has allocated the uplink GPRS timeslot(s) faster. The underlying reasons for this
improvement in the radio resource management can be either enhancements to the radio
resource algorithm (i.e. vendor driven) or better tuning of radio resource parameters (i.e.
operator driven).
Keep TBF-alive, TBF-lifetime extension mechanism2
Upgrading an existing GPRS resource, both for uplink or downlink packet data transfer, is
substantially faster than allocating a new GPRS resource. Hence most infrastructure suppliers
have implemented a mechanism to extend the lifetime of GPRS timeslots (PDCHs), even if
the mobile doesnt temporarily need the GPRS timeslots.
This allows for faster allocation or upgrade of the GPRS resources which is useful for delaysensitive services such as WAP.
The table below shows a typical example of a lifetime extension mechanism. The actual
implementation is vendor-specific, but it only uses standard signalling messages. Hence all
types of GPRS mobiles will benefit from this mechanism.
PDCH or Packet Data Channel. A PDCH is a timeslot that is allocated for packet-switched traffic, i.e.
GPRS.
2
TBF or Temporary Block Flow. Allocating GPRS resources to a mobile means setting up a TBF for
that mobile. In other words, if a mobile has a TBF, it has GPRS resources (or GPRS timeslots or
PDCHs allocated to it).
Page 11
Downlink "Keep TBF Alive" Mechanism

Packet Downlink Ack/Nack ("final")
Average
Total lifetime extension
Fig.11: Downlink Keep TBF Alive mechanism.
SW Rel. 1
SW Rel. 2
138
146
137
139
160
160
160
160
160
140 ms
560 ms
160 ms
800 ms
Other performance indicators for Radio Resource Management

Other performance indicators to assess the quality of the radio resource management and the
proper tuning of the associated parameters are:
The number of timeslots allocated.
Dynamic link adaptation, i.e. the usage of and switching between different coding
schemes. This analysis is crucial to ensure optimal performance in EDGE networks.
The time it takes to upgrade a user (e.g. upgrade from 2 to 3 timeslots).
The mechanisms the infrastructure supplier has implemented to share timeslots
between different GPRS users, or amongst circuit-switched and packet-switched
users.
The mechanisms implemented by the infrastructure supplier to offload circuitswitched users (e.g. through inter-cell handover) in order to free up capacity for
packet-switched users in a congested cell.
Etc.

Page 12
4 GPRS service & application optimisation

Workshop: TCP/IP and applications over GPRS
(The workshop is aimed at engineers involved in performance analysis and optimisation of
GPRS services, testing of performance enhancement proxies or boosters, etc.
As the course content is tailored for specific applications & services,
we recommend you contact us to discuss your specific needs.)
Service & application optimisation focuses on the actual application, e.g. web browsing,
corporate intra-net access and email, MMS, streaming, etc. The application servers can be
connected directly to the operators network (server 2 in diagram), or can be connected
through the internet (server 3).
Even if the GPRS system is optimised, i.e. operates close to its theoretical system limits (see
optimisation phase 1 above), the application performance can be poor. Indeed, it is well
known that GPRS, TCP-based applications and mobility dont go together very well.
Service & application optimisation is about optimising the user experience. In order to do so,
a detailed technical analysis is required. Service optimisation involves end-to-end analyses of
server & client performance, internet protocols, proxies, performance enhancement proxies
(PEP) or boosters, the radio link performance and internet, core network and radio equipment
performance, etc.
Both system & radio and service & application optimisation require in-depth analysis of radio
log files, TCP/IP sniffer data at client & server and Gb/Gi interface trace files.
Note: optimisation vs. benchmarking
Benchmarking is about measuring and comparing performance, optimisation is also about
improving it. Hence optimisation requires an understanding of the reasons for sub-optimal
performance through an in-depth technical analysis. On the contrary, benchmarking doesnt
require this type of technical analysis.
Note about circuit-switched GSM
In circuit-switched GSM, the distinction between system & radio optimisation and service &
application optimisation is often not made. Indeed, conventional GSM is only optimised for
one service, i.e. (full-rate) voice. In other words, the entire GSM system is tuned based on a
voice-centric view.
5 GPRS performance monitoring

Once the GPRS network is tuned and the services are rolled out and optimised, its
performance needs to be monitored.
The operator will define a set of key performance indicators to monitor GPRS radio and
system performance, as well as performance of the different services.
Typical sources for performance monitoring are OMC counters (from BTS, PCU and GSN)
and/or a Gb- and Gi-interface monitoring systems.
Page 13
6 Commsquare services
Commsquare provides services for all stages of GPRS performance analysis and optimisation.
We offer a mixture of 2 types of services:
1. Hands-on training course & workshops.
2. Project consultancy and on-the-job coaching.
Hands-on courses &
workshops
(typically 1 week)
Project consultancy &
on-the-job coaching
(typically 3-8 weeks)
6.1
Knowledge transfer on:

In-depth understanding of technology
principles & challenges.
Proven engineering strategies.
Efficient processes.
Advantages:
Future-save optimisation first-time
right.
Better customer perception.
Hands-on training
Commsquare delivers a range of GPRS training courses.

Our approach is unique in that:
6.2
Our trainers are experienced engineers with experience in GPRS testing, performance
analysis and optimisation.
We use your data in guided exercises, e.g. from test mobiles, TCP/IP sniffers and
protocol analysers.
We perform a training needs analysis and tailor the course accordingly.
We teach you proven methodologies and strategies on how to test, analyse and
optimise the performance of your GPRS network.
Project consultancy & on-the-job training
An experienced engineer will spend the necessary time at your premises to help solve a
particular GPRS-related problem, or test a new SW release, or to introduce a new feature, etc.
Often, we perform an entire GPRS optimisation project in close collaboration with your
engineers to ensure knowledge transfer (as described in section 2 of this document).
This type of training or consultancy is run as a project, i.e. with an agreed upon scope,
deliverables, responsibilities and timeline. Knowledge transfer is a key aspect of this type of
service: the project is typically concluded with a workshop for your engineers and a
presentation to your management.
For further information, please visit our website at www.commsquare.com or contact

us at info@commsquare.com.
Page 14
7 Annex: GPRS Course Chart

Training courses chart
Instructor-led courses
Introductory training
courses
G
P
R
S
Advanced training
courses
Workshops
TCP/IP and Applications

over GPRS (3 days)
System Overview,
Principles of Radio and
System Engineering
(2 days)
GRPS Performance
Analysis & Optimisation
(4 days)
GPRS Radio Engineering

& RLC/MAC Signalling
advanced (3 days)
Gb Signalling Analysis
(3 days)
E
D
G
E
EDGE GPRS Planning

and Optimisation (3 days)
The following pages contain the outline of the GPRS Performance Analysis & Optimisation
course and the EDGE Planning & Optimisation course.
The outline is the standard course outline. Please note the course content can be customised
following a training needs analysis.
For the outline of the workshops, please send an email to info@commsquare.com or visit our
website at www.commsquare.com.

Page 15
GPRS Performance Analysis & Optimisation (4 days)

Prerequisites
This is an advanced training course. The students should have followed a

GPRS system course and have hands-on experience working with GPRS.
Target
audience
The course is aimed at radio, system, O&M and quality engineers involved
in GPRS planning & optimisation and monitoring of GPRS performance.
Input from
operator
All guided exercises will be made using data from the operators own
network. Therefore, Commsquare needs trace data (from Um, Gb and
sniffer) from the operator according to Commsquare specifications (e.g. file
up- & download with cell update, web browsing session, ping session, etc.).
Goal of course
On completion of the training course, the student will be able to explain the
underlying GPRS technology principles and apply them to enhance
performance in a live GPRS network. In particular, the student will
(a) Understand how the different network elements and protocol layers
affect GPRS performance.
(b) Be able to measure, monitor and identify good and poor
performance.
(c) Be able to identify causes for poor performance.
(d) Understand and be able to apply the mechanisms that exist to
improve GPRS performance.
Course content
Day 1
GPRS system overview refresher
Network model: different network elements & their logical role.

Protocol stack: different protocol layers & principles of data encapsulation.
Performance: main procedures, protocols & network elements affecting
performance.
GPRS Mobility & Session Management procedures
Mobility Management: details of GPRS attach/detach procedures, routing area

update procedure, overview of other procedures.
Session Management: details of Activate/deactivate PDP context procedure,
overview of other procedures.
Guided exercises: Um and Gb trace analysis of GMM procedures. Definition of
performance counters (KPIs).
Radio Link & Medium Access Control
Day 2
Air (Um) interface principles: logical channel types, temporary block flow &
TFI, uplink transmission (MAC-mode) and uplink state flag USF, coding
schemes & dynamic link adaptation, MM states and RR modes.
RLC/MAC: data block format, RLC acknowledged mode of operation, window
stall, countdown procedure, system information, timers T3168 & T3192.
Signalling: TFI establishment & release, packet transfer procedure, cell update,
one-phase vs. two-phase access, contention resolution, abnormal releases.
Radio Link & Medium Access Control Contd

Page 16
TCP/IP protocol suite over GPRS
Day 3
TCP/IP 5-layer model, IPv4 characteristics, datagram format & IP

fragmentation, UDP characteristics & segment format.
TCP characteristics, segment format, TCP establishment & release,
acknowledgement strategy, flow & congestion control, round trip time &
timeout (including Karns algorithm), Windows 2000 implementation.
Applications: domain name system (DNS), internet control messages (ICMP,
ping), web browsing (HTTP), file transfer (FTP), performance enhancement
proxies (PEP).
Guided exercises: use of sniffer software at mobile side and on Gb interface,
ping analysis, FTP upload & download analysis, web browsing over GPRS.
Test scenario Latency
Goal and limitations of latency tests. Overview of different ping options.

How to analyse ping tests: ping delay analysis, ping signature analysis, study of
TBF keep alive mechanism.
Guided exercises: analysis of different ping scenarios (data to be provided by
operator).
Introduction to Gb-trace analysis
Day 4
Overview of protocol stack and basic functionality of each protocol layer: NS,
BSSGP, LLC, SNDCP.
BSSGP radio-related procedures: description of typical good and poor
performance: cell update, Gb flow control, flush procedure, discard procedure,
radio contact lost.
BSSGP other procedures: suspend/resume, network stability verification.
Statistical analysis: identify areas of poor performance; recognise anomalies;
analyse data by Gb-link, cell or mobile.
Trouble shooting using Gb data: recognise commonalities in poor behaviour;
identify underlying causes; define solution.
Guided exercises: Gb message breakdown, radio analysis and flow control (Gb
traces to be provided by operator).
Test scenario File upload & download
Goal and limitations of file upload & download tests. Static vs. mobile tests.
Throughput analysis.
How to analyse file upload & downloads: use of test mobiles, sniffer data, Gb
trace data. Comparing measured throughput with theoretical system limits.
Guided exercises: analysis of file upload and download, static & driving (data
to be provided by operator).
Test scenario Web browsing
Goal and limitations of web browsing tests. Testing the user experience.
How to analyse web browsing sessions. HTTP & browser version. Boosters or
accelerators.
Guided exercises: analysis of web browsing sessions (data to be provided by
operator).
GPRS radio planning
Use of P-BCCH, on-demand vs. fixed GPRS channels, cell selection & reselection issues, cell update vs. neighbour list definition, power control
parameter tuning, C/I requirements, GPRS in a hopping network.
Review exercises & questions
Review exercise: joint analysis of trace data: test mobile (Um), sniffer and Gbdata using operators data.
Review questions: network element & their role, GPRS protocols & impact on
performance, TCP/IP impact on performance & useful event, RLC/MAC
signalling & TBF behaviour & timers.

Page 17
EDGE Planning & Optimisation (3 days)

Prerequisites
This is an advanced training course.

The students should have followed a GPRS system course and have hands-on
experience working with GPRS.
The following items are expected to be mastered by the students: TBF setup &
release, acknowledged mode of operation, RLC/MAC signalling, typical
behaviour for ping, file up- & download, web browsing.
Target
audience
The course is aimed at engineers involved in EDGE-GPRS planning &

optimisation and monitoring of its performance.
Input from
operator
All guided exercises will be made using data from the operators own
network. Therefore, Commsquare needs trace data (from Um, Gb and sniffer)
from the operator according to Commsquare specifications (e.g. file up- &
download with cell update, web browsing session, ping session, etc.).
Goal of course
On completion of the training course, the student will:

Understand the differences between EDGE-GPRS and GPRS both at
physical and system level.
Be able to plan and optimise a mixed EDGE-GPRS and GPRS
network.
The course assumes students have a good working knowledge of GPRS (see
prerequisites). If this is not the case, this EDGE course will be preceded by a
number of days from the Commsquare GPRS performance analysis &
optimisation course.
The first part of the course mainly explains the technology principles of
EDGE-GPRS (EGPRS).
The second part contains guided exercises where students compare typical
applications running over GPRS and over EGPRS. The scope and nature of
these exercises depends on the input data provided by the operator.
Differences between GPRS and EGPRS will be highlighted.
Course setup

Page 18
Course content
Introduction
Comparison between GPRS and EDGE-GPRS (EGRPS): changes in physical layer,

modulation schemes, protocol stack, hardware upgrades.
Physical layer
Modulation and Coding Schemes (MCS) in EGRPS

Modulation schemes: GMSK-modulation, 8-PSK modulation, consequences of using 8-PSK.
Channel coding
Channel coding.
Incremental redundancy, puncturing.
Link adaptation mechanism.
Data block families.
RLC/MAC procedures & signalling
New procedures for RLC/MAC establishment: uplink TBF and downlink TBF establishment,
uplink TBF release (countdown procedure).
Acknowledged mode of operation: transmission of RLC data blocks, RCL window size,
maximum number of retransmissions, extended polling mechanism for downlink
acknowledgements.
TBF operation with ARQ-I (re-segmentation) and ARQ-II (incremental redundancy).
RLC/MAC block format, overview of important information elements.
Planning E-GPRS
EGPRS sensitivity and interference performance. Comparison with GPRS.

Upgrading the Abis-interface.
E-GPRS performance analysis & optimisation
Guided exercise Ping analysis: ping test case in GPRS and EGPRS network.
Guided exercise File upload & download: comparison between GPRS and EGPRS
download and upload.
Importance of TCP parameter tuning.
Guide exercise Web browsing: comparison between GPRS and EGPRS web browsing
sessions.

Page 19
8 Annex: GPRS Audit

The GPRS audit can either focus on performance analysis of the GPRS radio & system or
address performance optimisation of GPRS services.
We have extensive experience with GPRS performance analysis, in particular:
With different types of network equipment. We can identify and clearly indicate
strengths and weaknesses in the implementation of your radio and core network
suppliers. You wont get this independent vendor view from your own suppliers.
With different operators. Hence we can compare your processes and engineering
strategy, as well as GPRS performance in your network with what we believe is best
practice in the industry.
An important aspect of the GPRS audit is knowledge transfer. We involve your engineers in
the test program and the actual data analysis, and provide a workshop to your engineers as
part of the audit.
Find below the information regarding a GPRS system & radio audit.
Course: GPRS Performance Analysis & Optimisation
(We recommend this course for engineers involved in the GPRS audit)
8.1
Goal
The aim of the audit is to:

Validate the basic signalling procedures, their performance and causes for poor
performance.
Verification of network element performance, in particular reliability and stability.
Optimisation of GPRS as a bearer service, i.e. how close does GPRS performance get
to the theoretical system limits.
In case poor performance is observed, its underlying causes will be identified and
mechanisms to improve performance will be suggested and described. This requires an indepth analysis of technical data from test mobiles, sniffers and protocol analysers.
8.2
Methodology
8.2.1 Test scenarios

Typically, a number of test scenarios are set up and analysed in detail.
Typical test scenarios are:
Ping tests. These are used to measure (1) ping delay and (2) radio resources usage,
such as the ping signature and the keep TBF alive mechanisms.
FTP upload & download are used to measure throughput performance.
Web browsing and web page download time tests.
Page 20
The test server is preferably connected to the Gi-interface.

Tests are performed both under static and driving conditions. Data is collected with test
phones, TCP/IP sniffer on client and server side and a Gb protocol analyser simultaneously.
8.2.2 Network monitoring statistics

In addition to dedicated testing (see above), a statistical analysis of Gb-interface log files is
performed for:
Analysis of network stability.
Statistical analysis of the performance of important procedures, such as GPRS attach,
PDP activation, Routing area update, as well as LLC-discard, Flush, Radio Status,
etc.
8.2.3 Joint testing & analysis

We recommend two of your GPRS engineers attend the data analysis made by our engineers.
This has proven to be a successful way to increase the GPRS expertise of your engineers and
to transfer our GPRS knowledge to your engineers.
8.2.4 Test equipment

We prefer to use your test equipment for the data collection, i.e. test phones and protocol
analyzers, as well as to use your test server.
The main advantage of this approach is that your engineers can run GPRS audits in your
network after weve completed one. Again, this is part of our knowledge transfer during an
audit.
8.3
Analysis
The analysis follows a top-down approach, starting from the application level.
Then, we will drill down further in the underlying level, i.e. is poor performance caused by
radio issues, PCU implementation, PCU stability, the SGSN/GGSN core network, etc.
Finally, we will identify the root-causes for poor performance and recommend solutions.
We will break down the areas of poor performance in your network by:
Operator processes and engineering strategy. In other words, we will clearly indicate
what you can do about poor performance in your network.
Weaknesses in your infrastructure, i.e. what should your infrastructure supplier(s) do
to improve GPRS performance in your network.
Limitations of the technology, i.e. what is typical poor performance due to the
technology itself (e.g. TCP over GPRS for mobile users doesnt work very well.)

Page 21
8.4
Deliverables
The project has the following deliverables:

For management: a presentation with an executive summary report.
For engineering: a technical workshop with report.
The management report and presentation will focus on:
The current level of performance in your GRPS network.
Areas for improvement, i.e. a prioritised list of recommended actions.
Recommended actions will be broken down into 3 categories:
Actions to be taken by operator.
Actions to be requested from infrastructure supplier(s).
Actions to overcome technology limitations.
The engineering report contains a description of the test setup, the test scenarios, the
methodologies employed to analyse the data, the results of the analyses, the areas of good and
poor performance, root-cause analysis for poor performance, a prioritised list of
recommended actions and optionally draft test plans to improve performance.
This information is then presented in a highly-interactive workshop to a group of your GPRS
engineers.
Upon completion of the workshop, your engineers will be able to:
Take the necessary measures and set up the appropriate test plans to improve GPRS
network performance (according to the prioritised list of recommended actions).
Run a similar audit in the future (because they were involved in the audit). This is
part of our knowledge transfer.
Note: Commsquare can also provide engineering support or technology coaching to your
engineers when executing the test plans to improve GPRS performance.
8.5
Project duration
A typical audit will take 4 weeks to deliver, starting with the actual test scenarios. Therefore,
setting up the test server and gathering the necessary measurement equipment, identifying the
test areas, etc. is part of the project preparation.
The project is then concluded with the workshop and management presentation.

Page 22

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GPRS Optimisation

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A Best Practice Methodology

Performance Analysis &

This document describes the main activities involved in system testing

Including GPRS Training Catalogue

GPRS optimisation stages ................................................................................................. 3

Document version 1.20.

GPRS Performance Analysis

1 GPRS optimisation stages

GPRS Performance Optimisation

Retest or audit after

Application & Service

Retest or audit after

Maintain KPIs for System & Radio and

Fig. 1: Stages and tasks in GPRS performance analysis and optimisation.

GPRS Performance Analysis

2 Processes affecting GPRS performance

Radio Resource Management

Buffer Mgmt (flush,

Fig. 2: Network elements, parameters and processes affecting GRPS performance.

GPRS Performance Analysis

3 GPRS system & radio optimisation

Validation of the signalling procedures

3.1.1 GPRS Mobility & Session Management (GMM&SM)

GPRS Performance Analysis

GPRS Attach Procedure

GPRS Attach Reject causes

Fig. 3: Statistics on GPRS Attach procedure, from Gb-trace file.

3.1.2 Statistical analysis of Gb protocols

Fig. 4: GPRS protocol stack.

By way of example, figure 5 contains an extract of a BSSGP message breakdown. A number

GPRS Performance Analysis

Possible PCU buffer, radio

Numbers dont match

Verification of network element performance

3.2.1 Network element stability

Fig. 6: Cell (=BVC) stability problem observed in Gb-log file.

GPRS Performance Analysis

3.2.2 Network element performance

Fig. 7: Example of TCP packet drop.

GPRS Performance Analysis

GPRS bearer optimisation

Actual file upload

Coding scheme for data (on PDTCH)

Fig. 8: Example of radio analysis of FTP upload with perfect performance.

GPRS Performance Analysis

Std Dev (ms)

Fig. 9: Ping delay evolution for different SW versions.

PING SIGNATURE ANALYSIS

Packet DL Ack/Nack (with Channel Request)

GPRS Performance Analysis

Joint interface analysis

3.3.3 Radio Resource Management

Downlink "Keep TBF Alive" Mechanism

Fig.11: Downlink Keep TBF Alive mechanism.

Other performance indicators for Radio Resource Management

GPRS Performance Analysis

4 GPRS service & application optimisation

5 GPRS performance monitoring

Knowledge transfer on:

Commsquare delivers a range of GPRS training courses.

Project consultancy & on-the-job training

For further information, please visit our website at www.commsquare.com or contact

7 Annex: GPRS Course Chart

TCP/IP and Applications