EventHelix.

com
• design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
• object oriented design

LTE X2 Handover Messaging

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc.

All Rights Reserved
 EventHelix.com
LTE X2 Handover Sequence • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering

Diagram • object oriented design

Target Source
UE MME SGW
eNodeB eNodeB
X2AP Handover Request
Begin forwarding downlink
X2AP Handover Request Acknowledge data from source to
destination eNodeB
Handover Command

X2AP SN Transfer Status

Handover Confirm
S1AP Path Switch Request Modify Bearer
Request

Modify Bearer
Response
S1AP Path Switch Acknowledge

Marks the end for forwarding

X2AP UE Context Release

Tracking Area Update Request

Tracking Area Update Response

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 2

 EventHelix.com
Source eNodeB  • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
Target eNodeB Old eNB UE X2AP
Id • object oriented design
X2AP Handover Request Cause
Handover desired
for radio reasons
• eNodeB decides to initiate an X2
handover based on: PLMN Identity
• UE reported RRC downlink signal Target Cell Id
eUTRAN Cell
quality measurements Identifier
• Uplink signal quality measured at
the eNodeB PLMN Id
• eNodeB picks the target cell id for GU Group Id

X2AP Handover Request

the handover. GUMMEI Id MME Group Id

(Initiating Message)
MME Code
• X2 handover is initiated if the If
the target cell is served by the
MME UE S1AP ID
same MME as the current cell
• The message includes UE context UE Context UE Security
information that identifies the UE Information Capabilities
on the S1AP interface. AS Security
Key eNB
Information
• Security parameters are also
included in the message eRAB Id
• Information about the radio
bearers is included in the message. eRAB Level QoS
QCI
eRAB 0 Parameters
The per RAB information includes
• QoS parameters Transport Layer
eRABs to be Setup Address
… UL GTP Tunnel
• GTP Tunnel Information List
Endpoint
• The message also includes RRC RRC Context eRAB N-1
GTP TEID
context information

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 3

Target eNodeB  EventHelix.com
Source eNodeB • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
X2AP Handover Request • object oriented design
Acknowledge
• The target eNodeB receives
performs admission control on
receipt of the Handover Request.
• The target eNodeB responds with
X2AP Handover Request
Acknowledge. eRAB Id
Transport Layer
Old eNB UE X2AP Id
•

X2AP Handover Request Acknowledge

Information about the accepted UL GTP Tunnel
Address
Endpoint
RABs is included in the message.

(Successful Outcome)
New eNB UE X2AP Id eRAB Admitted Item 0 GTP TEID
• The Uplink and Downlink GTP
Tunnel information is included eRABs Admitted List …
Transport Layer
Address
for each RAB. DL GTP Tunnel
Endpoint
• The tunnel assignments are eRAB Admitted Item N-
1
GTP TEID
made at the target to transport
traffic during the handover. Transparent Container
Target to Source eNB
Payload
• A Handover Command message
sent via a transparent container.
• The source eNodeB send this
message to the UE.

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 4

 EventHelix.com
Source eNodeB  • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
Target eNodeB • object oriented design
X2AP SN Transfer Status

• The source eNodeB now sends the

SN Transfer Status
• The following fields are present for
each RAB
• The uplink PDCP sequence
number eRAB Id

X2AP SN Status Transfer

Old eNB UE X2AP

(Initiating Message)
• Uplink Hyper Frame Number PDCP SN
Id
UL Count Value
• The downlink PDCP sequence New eNB UE X2AP eRAB Subject to
number HFN
Id Status Transfer 0
• Downlink Hyper Frame Number eRABs Subject to
… PDCP SN
• These fields are needed for Status Transfer
DL Count Value
continuing ciphering and integrity eRAB Subject to
HFN
Status Transfer N-1
protection after the handover.

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 5

 EventHelix.com
• design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
Target eNodeB  MME • object oriented design
S1AP Path Switch Request
eRAB Id
• The target eNodeB requests
switching of the S1-U GTP tunnel eRABs to be Transport Layer
eNB UE S1AP ID
towards the target eNodeB. Switched DL Item 0 Address
• The MME identifies the UE with eRABs to be
the “eNB to UE S1AP ID” … GTP TEID
Switched DL List
• The message includes the new cell

S1AP Path Switch Request

eRABs to be
id and the tracking area id Switched DL Item N-1
• Security capabilities of the target
eNodeB are also included. PLMN Id
EUTRAN CGI
Cell Id

PLMN ID
TAI
TAC

Encryption
Algorithms
UE Security
Capabilities
Integrity Protection
Algorithms

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 6

 EventHelix.com
• design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
MME  SGW • object oriented design
Modify Bearer Request
• The MME requests the SGW to
switch the path to the target
eNodeB.
• The S1-U TEID received from the
target eNodeB is passed to the

Modify Bearer Request

SGW.

(initiating message)
EPS Bearer Id
Bearer Context to
be Updated S1-U eNodeB F-
TEID
TEID/GRE Key

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 7

 EventHelix.com
• design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
SGW  MME • object oriented design
Modify Bearer Response
• SGW updates the bearer and
responds back

Modify Bearer Response

(initiating message)
EPS Bearer Id
Bearer Context
Updated
S1 SGW F-TEID
TEID/GRE Key

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 8

 EventHelix.com
S1AP: MME Target eNodeB • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
S1AP Path Switch • object oriented design
Acknowledge
• The target eNodeB requests
switching of the S1-U GTP tunnel
towards the target eNodeB.
• The MME identifies the UE with
the “eNB to UE S1AP ID”
• The message includes the new cell

S1AP Path Switch Request

id and the tracking area id MME UE S1AP ID
• Security capabilities of the target
eNodeB are also included. eNB UE S1AP ID
eRAB Id
eRABs to be eRABs to be
Switched UL List Switched UL Item
GTP TEID
Security Context

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 9

 EventHelix.com
Target eNodeB  • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
Source eNodeB • object oriented design
X2AP UE Context Release

X2AP UE Context Release

• Sent when the target eNodeB has
successfully completed the path

(Initiating Message)
switching and radio signaling for
the handover.

Old eNB UE X2AP

ID
New eNB UE X2AP
ID

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 10

 EventHelix.com
UE-NAS  MME-NAS • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
Tracking Area Update • object oriented design
Request
• Sent if the just completed PLMN Id
handover resulted in a Tracking eUTRAN-CGI
Area Update Cell Id
Uplink NAS
Transport

Tracking Area Update Request

PLMN Id
TAI
TAC

EPS Update Time TA Updating

Old GUTI

Tracking Area
M-TMSI
Update Request
Last Visited
Tracking Area
EPS Bearer Context Bearer Context
Status Active

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 11

 EventHelix.com
MME-NAS  UE-NAS • design with sequence diagrams
• telecom systems engineering
Tracking Area Update • object oriented design
Accept
• Sent if the just completed
handover resulted in a Tracking
Area Update

Tracking Area Update Request

EPS Update Result TA Updated

Tracking Area
T3412
Update Result

T3402

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 12

 EventHelix.com
• design with sequence diagrams
Thank You • telecom systems engineering
• object oriented design

Thank you for visiting EventHelix.com. The following links provide more information
about telecom design tools and techniques:

Links
LTE X2 Handover Sequence Diagrams
EventStudio System Designer
VisualEther Protocol Analyzer
Telecom Call Flows
TCP/IP Sequence Diagrams
Telecom • Networking • Software
Description
Detailed message flow analysis of LTE X2
handovers
Sequence diagram based systems engineering
tool.
Wireshark based visual protocol analysis and
system design reverse engineering tool.
GSM, SIP, H.323, ISUP, LTE and IMS call flows.
TCP/IP explained with sequence diagrams.
Real-time and embedded systems, call flows
and object oriented design articles.

© 2013 EventHelix.com Inc. 13