M900/M1800 Base Station Subsystem

Signaling Analysis Manual

Contents

Contents
9 Handover Procedure ..................................................................................................................9-1
9.1 Overview...........................................................................................................................................................9-2
9.2 Normal Procedure.............................................................................................................................................9-2
9.2.1 Intra-BSC Handover Procedure..............................................................................................................9-2
9.2.2 Inter-BSC Handover Procedure..............................................................................................................9-4
9.2.3 Inter-MSC Handover Procedure .............................................................................................................9-5
9.2.4 Inter-system Handover............................................................................................................................9-6
9.3 Abnormal Procedure.........................................................................................................................................9-7

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Figures

Figures
Figure 9-1 Intra-BSC handover procedure............................................................................................................9-2
Figure 9-2 Normal inter-BSC handover procedure...............................................................................................9-4
Figure 9-3 Normal inter-MSC handover procedure..............................................................................................9-5
Figure 9-4 Normal inter-system handover procedure ...........................................................................................9-6

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9 Handover Procedure

Handover Procedure

About This Chapter

The following table lists the contents of this chapter.
Title

Description

9.1 Overview

Introduces the classification of handover procedures.

9.2 Normal Procedure

Describes normal handover procedures, which consists of

intra-BSC handover procedure, inter-BSC handover procedure,
inter-MSC handover procedure, and inter-RAT handover
procedure.

9.3 Abnormal Procedure

Describes abnormal handover procedures and offers guidance

to troubleshooting.

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9.1 Overview
Handover procedure includes intra-BSC handover procedure, inter-BSC handover procedure
and inter-MSC handover procedure.

9.2 Normal Procedure

A handover procedure can be divided into 3 types according to different ranges involved in
handover: intra-BSC handover procedure, inter-BSC handover procedure and inter-MSC
handover procedure.

9.2.1 Intra-BSC Handover Procedure

Figure 9-1 Intra-BSC handover procedure
BTS2

MS

BSC

BTS1

Measurement Reports From MS

Channel ACT

MS

MSC

(1)

(2)

Channel ACT ACK (3)

Handover CMD (4)
Handover Access (5)
Handover Detect)
SABM
UA

(6)

(7)

PHY INFO
(8)

(10)

EST IND (9)

Handover Complete

(11)
Handover Performed

(12)

Step 1 MS sends Measurement Report to BTS1 on SACCH of the Um interface, and BTS1 will
transfer the message to BSC.
Step 2 BSC receives the Measurement Report. If it judges that the MS should be handed over to
another cell, it will send Channel Activation to BTS2 of the target cell to activate the channel.
Step 3 BTS2 receives the Channel Activation. If the channel type is correct, it will turn on the power
amplifier on the specified channel to receive information in the uplink direction, and send
Channel Activation Acknowledge to BSC.
Step 4 BSC receives the Channel Activation Acknowledge from BTS2, and sends Handover CMD to
BTS1, which will transfer the command to MS. The message is sent on FACCH on the Um
interface.

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Step 5 MS receives the Handover CMD, and sends Handover Access on FACCH to BTS2 for access
attempt.
Step 6 BTS2 receives the Handover Access from MS, and sends Handover Detect to BSC notifying
that the handover access message bas been received.
Step 7 In case of asynchronous handover, i.e., when BTS1 and BTS2 are located in different BTSs,
BTS2 will send PHY INFO on FACCH to MS while sending Handover Detect to BSC. The
PHY INFO includes such contents as the synchronous information for correct access of MS.
In case of synchronous handover, i.e., when BTS1 and BTS2 are located in the same BTS, the
PHY INFO message will not be delivered.
Step 8 As for the asynchronous handover, MS receives the PHY INFO, and sends SABM on
FACCH to BTS2. While for the synchronous handover, MS will send SABM soon after
sending Handover Access.
Step 9 BTS2 receives the first SABM, and sends EST IND to BSC, notifying it that the radio link
has been established.
Step 10 At the same time, BTS2 sends UA frames on FACCH to MS, notifying that the radio link
layer has been established.
Step 11 Then, MS sends Handover Complete on FACCH to BTS2, which transfers the command to
BSC notifying handover completion.
Step 12 BSC sends Handover Performed to MSC, notifying that the handover has been completed. At
the same time, BSC initiates a local release procedure to BTS1 to release the old channel
occupied.
----End

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9.2.2 Inter-BSC Handover Procedure

Figure 9-2 Normal inter-BSC handover procedure

MS

BTS1

BSC1

MSC

BSC2

BTS2

MS

Measure Report from MS (1)

(2)

Handover RQD

Handover REQ

(3)
Channel ACT

(4)

Channel ACT ACK (5)

Handover CMD

(7)

Handover REQ ACK

(6)

HANDOVER COMMAND (8)

Handover Detect
Handover Detect

(10)

Handover Access (9)

(11)
PHY INFO (12)
PHY INFO (13)
(14)

SABM
Establish IND

(15)
UA

(16)

HANDOVER CMP (17)

Clear CMD

(19)

Clear CMP

(20)

Handover CMP (18)

Compared with intra-BSC handover procedure, there are A interface signaling added to the
inter-BSC handover procedure. These A interface signaling will be described here. As for
the descriptions of other signaling, please see 9.2.1 BSC Handover Procedure.
Step 1 When MS needs to be handed over to the cell to which BSC2 belongs, BSC1 sends Handover
Required to MSC to request for outgoing BSC handover.
Step 2 MS receives Handover Required and sends Handover Request to the target BSC2.
Step 3 BSC2 activates a new channel, and sends Handover REQ ACK to MSC, notifying MSC the
channel is now available.
Step 4 MSC receives the Handover REQ ACK, and sends Handover CMD to BSC1, which will
transfer the message to MS, notifying MS to access in the new channel.
Step 5 MSC receives the Handover CMP from BSC2, sends Clear CMD to BSC1 which will initiate
local release. Then BSC1 responds to MSC with Clear CMP, indicating the clearance has
been completed.
----End

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9.2.3 Inter-MSC Handover Procedure

Figure 9-3 Normal inter-MSC handover procedure
MS

BTS1

BSC1

MSC1

MSC2

BSC2

BTS2

MS

Measure Report from MS (1)

(2)

Handover RQD

Perform Handover

(3)

Radio Channel ACK (8)

IAM
Handover CMD

(11)

ACM

(4)

Handover REQ
Handover REQ ACK

(7)

Channel ACT

(5)

Channel ACT ACK (6)

(9)
(10)

HANDOVER COMMAND (12)

Handover_Detect
Handover Detect

(14)

Handover Access (13)

(17)
PHY INFO (15)
PHY INFO (16)
(18)

SABM
Establish IND

(19)
UA

(20)

HANDOVER CMP (21)

Send End Signal

Clear CMD

(24)

Clear CMP

(25)

(23)

Handover CMP (22)

As for the descriptions of this procedure, please see "Inter-BSC Handover Procedure" and
"Intra-BSC Handover Procedure".
Here introduces briefly the messages on E interface:
Step 1 Perform handover: It is the message on MAP layer, including the CGI of original cell and
destination cell and the required channel type, inform MSC2 that a handover will be initiated.
Step 2 Radio channel ACK: It is the message on MAP layer, including the information of the new
channel in destination cell and handover number.
Step 3 IAM: Initial address message, it is TUP/ISUP message.
Step 4 ACM: address complete message, it is TUP/ISUP message.
Step 5 Send end signal: it is MAP message, send end signal.
----End

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9.2.4 Inter-system Handover

Signaling procedure
Figure 9-4 Normal inter-system handover procedure

GSM=>WCDMA
MS

BTS

1. MEAS Report

CN

BSC

2. MEAS Result

3.HO Required

RNC

4.CR(Reloc Req)
5. CC

7. HO
Command

9. HO to Utran Cmd

8. DR(HO to
Utran Cmd)

Node B

UE

RL SETUP
RL SETUP RESP

6. Reloc Req Ack

HO To
Utran Cmd

HO To
Utran Cmd
10. RL Sync
11. RL Restore
12. Reloc Detect
IND
15. Clear Cmd
16. Clear
Complete

14. Reloc
Complete

13. HO to Utran Complete

Procedure explanation
For details about the flow, see 9.2.2 Inter-BSC Handover Procedure.
The following is a brief description about the messages at the 3G side.

9-6

The original BSS in the GSM system judges that the UE shall hands over to the cell of
UTRAN according to its handover algorithm and measurement information. BSS sends
the handover request towards CN. MSC sends RNC the message
"RANAP_RELOCATION_REQUEST", which carries the following information about
UE: IMSI, CN ID, target cell ID, encryption information, IU signaling connection ID,
handover cause, RAB configuration information, and user plane information.

RNC assigns radio resources for the migration and configures the NodeB through the
"RL SETUP" process. Then NodeB transmits and receives the radio signals.

NodeB returns the message "RL SETUP RESPONSE" after succeed in establishing RL.

RNC sends the radio resources and other parameter packets (including U-RNTI, RAB
information, transmission layer information and physical layer information) to CN
through the "RELOCATION REQUEST ACKNOWLEGEIU" message in the UI
interface. CN then sends them to the original BSS and the BSS sends them to the UE.
UE withdraws the relevant access parameters (configured by the RNC) in the system
messages and then implements downlink synchronization with NodeB. After the
synchronization, UE sends the data through the uplink.

NodeB reports "RL RESTORE IND" to RNC after detect the uplink synchronization.

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After receive the "RL RESTORE IND", RNC reports "RELOCATION DETECT" to CN
to notify that UE accesses to 3G from 2G. This message contains no other content.

UE sends the "HANDOVER TO UTRAN COMPLETE" message to RNC to notify the

handover is complete. The message can also contain the encryption serial number and
activation time of each CN.

Inter-BSC Handover Procedure

Refer to 9.2.2 Inter-BSC Handover Procedure.

9.3 Abnormal Procedure

In case of such exceptions as radio interface message loss, call drop, user hangup,
transmission, NSS, or even BSS equipment failure, the handover procedure might be
incapable to run normally.
Since there are many reasons resulting in abnormal handover procedure, only the common
cases will be described here.

Handover failure due to CIC exception

Suppose the CIC allocated in the Handover REQ received by BSC is marked as BLOCK,
BSC will respond to MSC with Handover Failure due to "Requested terrestrial resource
unavailable".

Handover failure due to MS access failure

When a MS accesses the new channel, BTS cannot decode the HANDOVER ACCESS or
HANDOVER COMPLETE message correctly, and the handover will fail. The MS returns to
the old channel and responds with a HANDOVER FAILURE message.
In the intra-BSC handover, if the BSC has not received the HANDOVER COMPLETE
message on the new channel or HANDOVER FAILURE message on the old channel at expiry
of timer T3103A, it shall consider the call as dropped and send a CLEAR REQUEST message
to the MSC on the old channel. Upon receiving the CLEAR COMMAND message from the
MSC, the BSC releases the old channel and notifies the target cell to release the new channel.
If timer T3103B1 or T3103B2 times out, the target cell shall release the new channel.
In the inter-BSC handover procedure, if BSC1 has not received the HANDOVER
COMPLETE message at expiry of timer T3103B2, it shall send a CLEAR REQUEST
message to the MSC to release the call. If BSC2 has not received the HANDOVER DETECT
or HANDOVER COMPLETE message, it shall send a CLEAR REQUEST message to the
MSC for the same purpose

Handover Procedure Initiation Failure

In case of handover procedure initiation failure, perform the following steps:
Step 1 Check whether the call complies with the handover initiation conditions
Step 2 Check whether there is a CGI list of neighbor cells in the measurement report
Step 3 Check whether there is any channel available for the selected neighbor cell

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Step 4 Check whether the data about the selected neighbor cell is correct, for example, whether the
CGI of the neighbor cell is consistent with that in the [Cell module information table].
Step 5 Log in to the BSC maintenance system. Click [Trace/GSM Trace/GSM Interface Trace] to
display the [Interface Trace] dialog box. Check whether the LAPD has sent the GMPU a
LAPD_GMPU_HO_IND message on the interface between the GMPU and LAPD. If yes, the
call complies with the handover initiation conditions. If a neighbor cell with correct data
already exists but there is still no HANDOVER COMMAND message on interface Um,
check whether the handover procedure initiation failure is due to no channel available or
another reason.
----End

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