UL DCH return channel

This scheduling feature provides dynamic data rate selection to the uplink return
channel for efficient usage of radio and Iub-transport resources.
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Figure 68: PS data up to 384 kbit/s in uplink and HSDPA in downlink
When the radio bearer is mapped onto HS-DSCH transport channel in downlink, either
E-DCH or DCH is allocated in uplink as a return channel. This chapter describes the
usage of the UL DCH return channel. E-DCH is described in the WCDMA RAN RRM
HSUPA.
Supported data rates for UL DCH return channel are 16, 64, 128 and 384 kbit/s, except
when an UE has PS streaming RB and it is mapped to HS-DSCH. In that case only 16,
64, or 128 kbit/s are used for the UE in question.
The RNC determines the initial bit rate to be used in the uplink return channel from the
measured traffic volume and the configured initial bit rate.
The parameter HSDPAMaxBitrateUL (WCEL) defines the maximum allowed bit rate in
a cell for HSDPA UL DCH return channel. It is applicable to the PS domain NRT RAB.
Online modification of the HSDPAMaxBitrateUL parameter is allowed. The new value
is taken into account when UL DCH return channel is scheduled next time. Changing
the value of the parameter does not cause downgrade of the bit rate.
The RNC defines the maximum, initial and minimum bitrate of the UL DCH return
channel. If the value of the HSDPAMaxBitrateUL parameter is lower than the initial bit
rate (HSDPAinitialBitrateUL, HSDPAInitialBRULStrNRT), the value of the
HSDPAMaxBitrateUL parameter is used as an initial bit rate for this particular cell. If
the value of the HSDPAMaxBitrateUL parameter is lower than the minimum bitrate
(HSDPAminAllowedBitrateUL, HSDPAMinBRULStrNRT), the value of the
HSDPAMaxBitrateUL is used as a minimum bit rate for this particular cell.
HSDPAMaxBitrateUL does not limit the bit rate in the target cell of diversity handover.
The maximum bitrate of the HSDPA UL DCH return channel of the NRT PS RAB is
controlled as described above also when any simultaneous RT RAB is established for
the UE.
The HSDPA UL DCH return channel with AMR can be limited to 64 kbps by the
PRFILE (007:0285) parameter. The PRFILE parameter value does not limit the HSDPA
UL DCH return channel to 64 kbps by default.
Feature activation:
Use ZWOC:7,285,1; command. Within 10 minutes the feature is activated in the whole
system. The UL DCH bit rate is limited to 64 kbps.
Feature deactivation:
Use ZWOC:7,285,0; command. Within 10 minutes the feature is deactivated in the
whole system. The UL DCH bit rate is not limited to 64 kbps.
To interrogate the activation status, use ZWOI:7,285 command.
The DCH bit rate balancing is applied to the HSDPA UL DCH return channels. The
maximum supported total bit rate of the radio link (in addition to AMR and SRB) is 384
kbps. In case of multiple PS RABs, the total bit rate of the radio link is balanced
between radio bearers in order to guarantee the DCH bit rate in all the established NRT
PS RABs. For more information on the DCH bit rate balancing, see WCDMA RAN
RRM Packet Scheduler.
If the traffic volume measurement indicates High traffic volume, the RNC attempts to
allocate a return channel with the highest possible bit rate.
The operator can configure the threshold value of High traffic volume with the
TrafVolThresholdULHigh parameter.
If the traffic volume measurement indicates Low traffic volume, the RNC attempts to
allocate a return channel with the configured initial bit rate.
The operator can configure the threshold value of Low traffic volume with the
TrafVolThresholdULLow parameter.
Furthermore, the operator can set the initial bit rate with either the
HSDPAInitialBitrateUL parameter (if only NRT PS services are used on the
downlink (DL)) or the HSDPAInitialBRULStrNRT parameter (if PS streaming
is simultaneously applied to the DL).
If the HS-DSCH allocation is triggered by downlink, the RNC attempts to allocate the
uplink with a rate specified by the HSDPAInitialBitrateUL (PS NRT in DL) or
HSDPAInitialBRULStrNRT (simultaneous PS streaming in DL) parameter.
In the case of direct DCH to HS-DSCH switch for a single NRT RB, HSDPA UL DCH
bit rate can be same as existing DCH UL bit rate. In congestion situation, the UE-
specific Packet Scheduler can reattempt with the DCH bit rate decreased to the
minimum, as defined in WCDMA RAN RRM Packet Scheduler. However, the bit rate
must be suitable for HSDPA UL DCH (must be allowed for HSDPA UL DCH use, and
must be the same or bigger than the initial HSDPA UL DCH bit rate). If these
conditions are not fulfilled, then the UL bit rate is downgraded/upgraded to the nearest
allowed HSDPA UL bit rate. In case of multi RBs, the initial bit rates are used for all
RBs.
If scheduling of the HSDPA associated UL DCH (return channel) is unsuccessful, that
is, not even initial bit rate cannot be allocated, HS-DSCH allocation is not possible
either, but DL/UL DCH is scheduled to the UE.
The following existing functionalities are applied to the HSDPA-associated UL DCH:
Priority based scheduling and overload control
Decrease of the retried NRT DCH bit rate
RT-over-NRT
Throughput-based optimization
Upgrade of the NRT DCH bit rate
The UL DCH used for PS streaming can however not be a target for the mentioned
NRT actions, but overload control can drop UL DCH for PS streaming, as well. In this
case, the bit rate of the UL DCH return channel must not be less than the guaranteed bit
rate (GBR). If PS streaming UL is target for overload control actions, these actions
imply releasing the DCH. This, in turn, leads to the release of the HS-DSCH MAC-d
flow.
In case of NRT HSDPA congestion (HS-DSCH MAC-d flow), the RNC does not
initiate the Priority Based Scheduling function if the DL radio resources not available
failure cause is received from the BTS.
Special handling of the DL radio resources not available failure cause in case of NRT
HSDPA congestion (HS-DSCH MAC-d flow) is handled in the following way:
The RNC considers the failure caused by the BTS HSDPA scheduler (MAC-e/hs
entity) congestion (the maximum number of HSDPA users has been exceeded).
The RNC tries to allocate DL DCH instead of HS-DSCH in case of NRT
request.
The RNC does not initiate the Decrease of the re-tried DCH bit rate or the
Priority Based Scheduling function for UL DCH.
The RNC assumes that only the BTS HSDPA scheduler is congested (maximum
number of HSDPA users). In case of any other supported NBAP failure cause,
the RNC assumes that the UL DCH (CE blocking) is congested.
During BTS congestion, NRT-over-NRT UL targets are selected from the same HSPA
pool as the triggerer. At first, the DCH/HS-DSCH users are selected, and then
DCH/DCH users.
The operator can decide whether or not the features Throughput-based optimisation and
Flexible upgrade of NRT DCH Data Rate are applied to HSDPA return channel with
DynUsageHSDPAReturnChannel management parameter .
The RNC controls the bit rate of a successfully allocated uplink return channel
according to the traffic volume measurements (upgrade) and the load/congestion state of
the cell (downgrade). The range of dynamic adjustment is limited by the maximum bit
rate on the associated return channel (384 kbit/s) and the configured minimum allowed
bit rate.
The operator can configure the maximum allowed bit rate with the
HSDPAMaxBitrateUL parameter.
The operator can configure the minimum allowed bit rate with the
HSDPAminAllowedBitrateUL parameter.
The operator can configure the minimum allowed UL bit rate for a possible
simultaneous NRT RB when PS streaming is used. The UL bit rate for the
possible simultaneous NRT RB is specified with the HSDPAMinBRULStrNRT
parameter.
For the particular UL DCH associated to the DL PS streaming RAB itself,
minimum allowed bit rate does not exist because the selected used bit rate is
always based on the guaranteed bit rate (GBR).
The bit rates which can be used for NRT UL DCH when a simultaneous PS
streaming RAB exist are controlled with an RNC-internal RNP parameter.
When the simultaneous streaming RAB is established and if the NRT bit rate
does not match the values allowed by the RNC-internal RNP parameter, the
NRT bit rate will however be downgraded to the nearest supported bit rate. If the
allowed bit rate is still not achieved by this action, the NRT RB will be mapped
to DCH 0/0.
For the particular UL DCH associated to the DL PS streaming RAB itself, initial
bit rate is not specified because the selected used bit rate is always based on the
guaranteed bit rate (GBR).
The bit rate set that has been configured with management parameter
BitRateSetPSNRT does not limit bit rate of HSDPA associated uplink return
channel.
Example use case: NRT HSDPA UL DCH with initial bit rate 64 kbit/s
The initial bit rate (HSDPAInitialBitrateUl) is set to 64 kbit/s. The minimum bit rate is
set to 16 kbit/s (HSDPAminAllowedBitrateUL).
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Figure 69: HSDPA UL DCH with initial bit rate 64 kbit/s
t1:
UE sends an uplink capacity request (low traffic volume threshold). HS-DSCH is
allocated as a downlink transport channel. Initial bitrate (64 kbit/s) is allocated as
an uplink DCH return channel bit rate.
t2:
UE sends an uplink capacity request (high traffic volume threshold). Upgrade of
the UL DCH is requested. Due to congestion (AAL2, BTS, HW) allocation of the
maximum bit rate (384 kbit/s) is not possible. Allocation of the UL DCH is
reattempted with lower bit rate (128 kbit/s).
t3:
Due to congestion in the cell the bitrate of the UL return channel is downgraded.
Reason for the downgrade in the example is either RT-over-NRT or Priority based
scheduling. Downgrade from 128 kbit/s to 64 kbit/s is performed.
t4:
Due to continuous congestion in the cell the bitrate of the UL return channel is
downgraded again. Downgrade from 64 kbit/s to 16 kbit/s is performed. If the
downgrade is still required, UL DCH is released, because lower bit rate is not
allowed.
t5:
UE sends an uplink capacity request (high traffic volume threshold). Upgrade of
the UL DCH is requested. UL DCH 384 kbit/s is allocated.