Mobility Management Mobility Management

A Common PCS Network

Architecture
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Two Aspects of Mobility in a p y
PCS Network
Handoff
Link transfer, or Handover
bil f f ld A mobile user moves from one coverage area of an old
BS to the coverage area of a new BS during the
conversation.
The radio link to the old BS is disconnected and a radio
link to the new BS should be established to continue the
conversation.
Roaming
When a mobile user moves from one system to another,
h l i f h h ld ll h PCS
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the location of the user should tell the PCS system.
Strategies to detect the need g
for Handoff
Mobile-controlled handoff (MCHO)
MS continuously monitors the signals of the surrounding BSs and
initiates handoff process when some criteria are met p
Used in DECT and PACS
Network-controlled handoff (NCHO)
ThesurroundingBSsmeasurethesignal fromtheMS andthe The surrounding BSs measure the signal from the MS, and the
network initiates the handoff process when some criteria are met
Used in CT-2 Plus and AMPS
Mobile-assisted handoff (MAHO) Mobile-assisted handoff (MAHO)
The network asks the MS to measure the signal from the
surrounding BSs. The network makes the handoff decision based on
reports from the MS
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epo ts o t e S
Used in GSM and IS-95 CDMA
Inter-BS Handoff
N dOldBS d h MSC New and Old BSs are connected to the same MSC
Need for Handoff is detected by the MS
Stepsof Actions: Steps of Actions:
MS momentarily suspends conversation and initiates the Handoff
procedure by signaling on an idle channel in the new BS. Then it
resumesconversationontheoldBS resumes conversation on the old BS
MSC transfers the encrypted information to the selected channel of the
new BS and setup the new conversation path. The switch bridges the
newpathwiththeoldpathandinformstheMStotransfer fromtheold new path with the old path and informs the MS to transfer from the old
channel to the new channel
After the MS has been transferred to the new BS, it signals the
network andresumesconversationusingthenewchannel network, and resumes conversation using the new channel
Upon receipt of the Handoff completion signal, the network removes
the bridge from the path and releases resources associated with the old
channel
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channel
Inter-BS Handoff
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What happens if no new channel is
available at new BS? available at new BS?
Nonprioritized Scheme
Handoff isblocked- keepusingtheexistingchannel until either: Handoff is blocked keep using the existing channel until either:
call is over or
link fails (or forced termination)
Reserved channel scheme Reserved channel scheme
Keep some channels reserved for handoff
Queuing priority scheme
E l it ll l (h d ff ) t b ff iti f bil Exploit cell over lap (handoff area) to buffer a waiting queue of mobiles
waiting for handover
Subrating scheme
Subtrating means dividing full-rate channel temporarily into two half-rate
channels by sharing resources, One for existing call and the other for
handoff
Whenoccupiedchannelsarereleased thesubtratechannelsareswitched
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When occupied channels are released, the subtrate channels are switched
back to full-rate channels
Intersystem Handoff
New and Old BSs are connected to two different MSCs
Network-controlled Handoff
Steps of Actions:
MSC A requests MSC B to perform handoff measurements on the call in
progress. MSC B selects a candidate BS and interrogates it for signal p g g g
quality parameters on the call in progress. MSC B returns the signal quality
parameter values to MSC A.
MSC A checks if the MS has made too many handoffs recently or y y
Intersystem trunks are not available. If so MSC A exits the procedure.
Otherwise MSC A asks MSC B to setup a voice channel, and then MSC B
instructs MSC A to start the radio link transfer.
MSC A sends the MS a handoff order. The MS synchronizes to new BS.
After the MS is connected to new BS, MSC BinformsMSC A that handoff
is successful. MSC A then connects the call path to MSC B and completes
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the handoff procedure.
Intersystem Handoff
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Handoff between two MSCs
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What happens if the mobile
i ? moves again?
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Roaming Management Roaming Management
Basic Operations Basic Operations
Two basic operations in roaming
management. g
Registration (location update): an MS
informs the system of its current location y
Location Tracking: the system locates the
MS
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Location Tracking and Update g p
When a mobile user
movesfromonePCS moves from one PCS
system to another, the
current location of the
user should be
updated.
H t t th t How to get the current
location of the user ?
Wheretostorethe Where to store the
current location of the
user ?
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Two-level Hierarchical Strategy gy
In IS-41 and GSM MAP, the two-level strategies
d are proposed.
A two-tier system of home and visited databases
Home Location Register (HLR)
Visited Location Register (VLR) g ( )
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Home Location Register (HLR)
HLR is a network database that stores and
managesall subscriptionsof aspecific manages all subscriptions of a specific
operator.
TheinformationinHLR: The information in HLR:
MS Identity, directory number, profile
information current location validation period information, current location, validation period.
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Visitor Location Register (VLR)
The VLR has temporary information for the
visitingmobileusers. visiting mobile users.
The information in VLR:
MS Id tit di t b t l ti MS Identity, directory number, current location.
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MS Registration Process
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MS Registration Process
1. When the mobile user moves from one visited system to
another, it must register in the VLR of the new visited
system system
2. The new VLR informs the mobile users HLR of the
persons current location address of the new VLR. The
HLR d k l d t hi hi l d MS HLR sends an acknowledgement, which includes MSs
profile, to the new VLR.
3. The new VLR informs the MS of the successful
registration.
4. After step 2, the HLR also sends a deregistration
message to cancel the obsolete location record of the MS g
in the old VLR. The old VLR acknowledges the
deregistration.
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Call Origination Procedure Call Origination Procedure
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Call Origination Procedure
MS contacts the MSC in the visited PCS
network
The call request is forwarded to the VLR
for approval for approval
If the call is accepted, the MSC sets up the
call tothecalledpartyfollowingthe call to the called party following the
standard PSTN call setup procedure
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Call Delivery Call Delivery
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Call Delivery
1. Call attempted by a wireline phone is
for ardedtoas itchinPSTN hich forwarded to a switch in PSTN, which
queries the HLR to find the current VLR
of theMS of the MS.
2. The VLR returns the routable address to
h i i i i h h h h the originating switch through the HLR
3. Based on the routable address, the trunk is
setup from the originating switch to the
MS through the visited MSC
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Roaming Management under SS7
How mobile roaming is managed by the PSTN signaling?
Common Channel Signaling (CCS) is a signaling method that
id t l d t f ti i th t l h provides control and management functions in the telephone
network.
CCSchannel conveysmessages CCS channel conveys messages
to initiate and terminate calls
determines the status of some part of the network
t l th t f t ffi ll d controls the amount of traffic allowed
CCS uses a separate out-of-band signaling network to carry
signaling messages g g g
Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) is a CCS system
Signaling between a PCS network and the PSTN network are
hi db h k
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achieved by the SS7 network
Interconnection between a
PCS network and the PSTN PCS network and the PSTN
Trunks (Voice circuits) connect SSPs to carry user data/voice
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( ) y
Components of SS7
Service Switching Point (SSP) Service Switching Point (SSP)
Telephone switch interconnected by SS7 link
SSPs perform call processing on calls that originate or p p g g
terminate at that node
A local SSP in the PSTN can be central office or end office
AnSSP inaPCSnetworkisMSC An SSP in a PCS network is MSC
Signal Transfer Point (STP)
Switchthat relaysSS7messagesbetweennetworkswitches Switch that relays SS7 messages between network switches
and databases
Based on the address fields of the SS7 messages, the STPs
routethemessagestothecorrect outgoingsignalinglinks route the messages to the correct outgoing signaling links
Service Control Point (SCP)
Contains databases (HLR or VLR) for providing enhanced
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( ) p g
services, and accepts queries from SSP
Registration through SS7
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Registration through SS7
1. MSC2 launches a registration query to its VLR through STP2,
assuming that VLR2 and MSC2 are not colocated
2 VLR2 d i t ti t th MS HLR (HLR4) 2. VLR2 sends a registration message to the MSs HLR (HLR4).
VLR2 may not know the actual address of HLR. Instead, VLR2
sends the message containing Mobile Identification Number
(MIN) to an STP (STP3) that can translate the MIN into the
HLR address
3 MIN to HLR addresstranslationisperformedat STP3bya 3. MIN-to-HLR address translation is performed at STP3 by a
GTT. STP3 then forwards the registration message to HLR.
4. HLR sends an acknowledgement back to VLR2 g
5. HLR sends a deregistration message to VLR1, and then VLR1
acknowledges the cancellation
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Traffic Cost
The traffic in the SS7 network is heavy.
Approachtoreducethederegistration Approach to reduce the deregistration
traffic:
Implicit deregistration+Periodicreregistration Implicit deregistration + Periodic re-registration
Approach to reduce the registration traffic:
P i f di h Point forwarding scheme
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Implicit deregistration
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Implicit deregistration
Obsolete VLR records are not deleted until the
database is full.
f h d b i f ll h i If the database is full when an MS arrives, a
record is deleted, freeing storage space to
accommodatethenewlyarrivedMS. accommodate the newly arrived MS.
A replacement policy is required to select a record
for replacement.
Advantage: No deregistration messages are sent
among the SS7 network elements.
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Periodic re-registration
TheMSperiodicallyreregisterstotheVLR The MS periodically re-registers to the VLR.
If the VLR does not receive the reregistration message within a timeout period, the
record is deleted
C t l l t ffi b t MSC dVLR Creates local message traffic between MSC and VLR
No SS7 signaling messages are generated if VLR is collocated with the MSC
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Pointer Forwarding Scheme
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Pointer Forwarding Scheme
M O ti (R i t ti ) Move Operation (Registration):
When MS moves from one VLR to another, a pointer is
created from the old VLR to the new VLR.
No registration to HLR is required
Find operation (Call delivery):
When the HLR attempts to locate the MS for call delivery, the
pointer chain is traced.
After findoperation, theHLR pointsdirectlytothedestination After find operation, the HLR points directly to the destination
VLR.
Number of pointers visited in the find operation is
li it db k limited by k
Pointer forwarding scheme should not be considered
whenthenet cost of pointer creationandpointer
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when the net cost of pointer creation and pointer
traversal is higher than the cost of accessing the HLR
Call Delivery through SS7
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Traffic Cost for Call Delivery
SS through SS7
Cache scheme was proposed to reduce the Cache scheme was proposed to reduce the
call delivery traffic.
Two possible positions for the cache: p p
Method 1. In the originating SSPs
Method 2. In the STP that performs GTTs
T fi ld i h Two fields in cache:
MIN of an MS
Address of the current visited VLR of the MS Address of the current visited VLR of the MS
The cache contains entries for MSs recently
accessed from the SSP (MSC).
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( )
Cache Scheme
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Three Possibilities
When the calling party originates a call to
anMS theSSP first checksif thecache an MS, the SSP first checks if the cache
entry for the MS exists.
C 1 C h t d t i t C ll Case 1: Cache entry does not exists. Call
delivery through SS7
Case 2: Cache entry exists and is current.
VLR is directly accessed.
Case 3: Cache entry exists but is obsolete.
Call delivery through SS7
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Acknowledgement Acknowledgement
Slides obtained from home page of
Prof.Phone Lin
Slides obtained from home page of
Prof GeraldQ MaguireJ r Prof.Gerald Q. Maguire J r.
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