The invention relates to the optimisation and management of mobile telecommunication networks.
Mobile communication networks are becoming larger and more complicated. The size of the networks makes it highly advantageous to enable many operations to be implemented with little or no human involvement.
Self-organising networks (or self-optimising networks), referred to herein as SON, are networks that are designed to be, to a large degree, configured, managed and optimised automatically.
The algorithm 1 starts at step 2, which occurs once the new node is added to the network. Step 2 is a basic setup procedure. In a mobile communication network, the step 2 may involve, for example, allocating an IP address for the new node. Next, at step 4, an initial configuration of the new node is performed. The new node typically communicates with an Operation and Maintenance (OAM) sub-system and downloads information required to automatically set a basic radio configuration.
At this stage, the new node has been configured, albeit in a sub-optimal manner. The next step, implemented at step 6 of the algorithm 1, is to optimise the setup of the new node, for example by considering the relationship between the new node and its neighbouring nodes.
Finally, the algorithm 1 includes a self-healing step 8, which step is used to monitor for faults and, in case a fault is detected, identify, diagnose and solve the fault, all, typically, without requiring human input.
When optimising mobile communication networks, SON algorithms typically change network configurations based on objectives and targets defined by a network operator. The network operator needs to be able to check if the targets are met at a rate according to his needs.
Target evaluation measurements and key performance indicators are usually defined together with related intervals, typically referred to as granularity periods. Such granularity periods are typically of the order of 15, 30 or 60 minutes, although, of course, any other granularity period would be possible.
These granularities may be too fine grained for the operator and also for the SON algorithms, which base their decision to change (or not change) configurations on measurement results.
By restricting SON algorithms to using the existing granularity periods, such algorithms can become unstable, since changes made to the network configuration are not given time to affect network performance before further adjustments are made.
The present invention seeks to address at least some of the problems outlined above.
The present invention provides a method of optimising configuration in a mobile telecommunication system, the method comprising: using and/or setting an evaluation period defining a time period over which the performance target is evaluated; using and/or setting an evaluation frequency defining how often the performance target is evaluated; and evaluating the performance target in accordance with the evaluation period and the evaluation frequency, wherein the evaluation of the performance target is used for optimising a configuration of a mobile telecommunication system. The method may be (or may form part of) a self-organising network (or self-optimising network) algorithm.
The present invention also provides an apparatus (such as an Integration Reference Point Manager and/or an Integration Reference Point Agent) comprising: means for evaluating a performance target in accordance with an evaluation period and an evaluation frequency, wherein the evaluation period defines a time period over which the performance target is evaluated and the evaluation frequency defines how often the performance target is evaluated; and means for optimising a configuration of a mobile telecommunication system depending on the evaluation of the performance target.
The present invention yet further provides a system comprising an Integration Reference Point Manager and an Integration Reference Point Agent, wherein the system is adapted to: obtain and/or set a time period over which the performance target is evaluated; obtain and/or set evaluation frequency defining how often the performance target is evaluated; and evaluate the performance target in accordance with the evaluation period and the evaluation frequency, wherein the evaluation of the performance target is used for optimising a configuration of a mobile telecommunication system.
The present invention enables the period over which decisions in a SON algorithm are taken to be adjusted, and also allows the period over which data is gathered to be adjusted. These adjustments can also, in many forms of the invention, be made independently of one another. Accordingly, the present invention provides a great deal of flexibility and addresses many of the problems discussed above.
The present invention enables a SON algorithm to be implemented in which performance targets are defined and evaluated. The evaluation of a performance target includes using or setting an evaluation period defining a time period over which the performance target is evaluated and using or setting an evaluation frequency defining how often the performance target is evaluated. The performance targets can be used for optimising a configuration of a mobile telecommunication system.
The present invention enables an IRP Manager, or a similar functional block, to control SON functionality with significantly flexibility.
Moreover, the approach of the present invention is in line with existing 3GPP OAM standards.
The measurements on which the performance target is determined may be taken in accordance with a predetermined granularity period. In some forms of the invention one or both of the evaluation period and the evaluation frequency may be set to be integer multiples of the granularity period. Typically, this is implemented by specifying either the integer or a granularity multiplier value.
In many forms of the invention, the evaluation period and/or the evaluation frequency is/are set via an Operations and Maintenance (OAM) interface.
The invention also provides a computer program comprising: code (or some other means) for using and/or setting an evaluation period defining a time period over which the performance target is evaluated; code (or some other means) for using and/or setting an evaluation frequency defining how often the performance target is evaluated; and code (or some other means) for evaluating the performance target in accordance with the evaluation period and the evaluation frequency, wherein the evaluation of the performance target is used for optimising a configuration of a mobile telecommunication system. The computer program may be a computer program product comprising a computer-readable medium bearing computer program code embodied therein for use with a computer.
Exemplary embodiments of the invention are described below, by way of example only, with reference to the following numbered drawings.
As described above with reference to
The present invention introduces two additional parameters/attributes in order to allow a network operator to adjust the period of the target evaluation interval and the frequency of that evaluation according to his requirements. These parameters/attributes are referred to herein as “targetEvaluationPeriod” and “targetEvaluationFrequency”.
The attribute targetEvaluationPeriod determines the period over which the SON algorithm shall use measurement results to evaluate the target achievement.
The attribute targetEvaluationFrequency determines how often the SON algorithm shall evaluate the target achievements.
Exemplary usages of the newly defined attributes are described below, with reference to
Thus, in the example of
In the timeline 40, the evaluation D2 (at time=60 minutes) takes into account the measurement results M2, M3, and M4 (at time=30, 45 and 60 minutes respectively) the evaluation D3 (at time=90 minutes) takes into account the measurement results M4, M5 and M6 and evaluation the evaluation D4 (at time=120 minutes) takes into account the measurement results M6, M7 and M8. The evaluation D1 (at time=30 minutes) takes into account the measurement results M2 and M3, and would also take into account a measurement result M0 (at time=0), if such a measurement existed.
Thus, in the example of
Of course, the timelines 30, 40 and 50 show only three exemplary embodiments of the invention. Clearly, the targetEvaluationFrequency and targetEvaluationPeriod attributes could be adjusted in many different ways that are not discussed here.
The present invention can be implemented by enabling information controlling SON functionality to be transported via the so-called Itf-N between an IRP Manager (usually a Network Management System) and IRP agents (usually an Element Manager). A mechanism for achieving this may be set as part of the relevant 3GPP standard, but this, at present, has yet to be decided.
Two possible options for such an implementation are referred to below:
a) an interface IRP may be provided, where the controlling information is part of an operation request sent from the IRP Manager 62 to the IRPAgents 64 and 66. This operation allows the IRPManager to transport on the Itf-N interface information to control the SON functionality.
b) a network resource mode (NRM) IRP may be used, where the controlling information is modelled as object classes, with the creation of such object classes and their attribute values being managed by the IRP Manager 62. Each object class represents the information used to control the SON functionalities.
In either case, targetEvaluationPeriod and targetEvaluationFrequency are defined. However, in the first case, there would be new parameters targetEvaluationPeriod and targetEvaluationFrequency in the suitable operation, whereas, in the second case, targetEvaluationPeriod and targetEvaluationFrequency attributes would be new attributes in the suitable object class; these attributes could be managed by the operations of these object classes.
Regardless of whether there is one general object class for SON functionality control or separate object classes of this kind for each SON use case, i.e. each SON optimization functionality, the basic principles of the invention would be the same.
Consider the following generic implementation example, where “SONFunctionName” is a placeholder: In this example, it is assumed that for this SON function, the target evaluation period and frequency shall be different for all potential targets, in this example two. In this example, two pairs of attributes are needed as follows:
Consider now this application to SON function Handover Optimization. In this example, it is assumed that for Handover Optimization the target evaluation period and frequency shall be the same for all potential targets, i.e. only one pair of attributes are needed as follows.
In the embodiments described above, reference has been made to a single optimisation algorithm. Thus, a single targetEvaluationPeriod and a single targetEvaluationFrequency is discussed. Of course, the principles of the invention can be applied to the optimisation of many features of a mobile communication system, such as handover optimization, load balancing optimization, interference optimization, and energy saving optimization. The various optimization algorithms may have difference requirements and may therefore have different pairs of evaluation period and frequency attributes.
The term OAM has been used to refer to “Operation and Maintenance”. The term “Operation, Administration and Maintenance” is often used in the art, but the meaning of these terms is the same.
The embodiments of the invention described above are illustrative rather than restrictive. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above devices and methods may incorporate a number of modifications without departing from the general scope of the invention, e.g. using specific operations to set the targetEvaluationPeriod and targetEvaluationFrequency, using other labels for parameters/attributes transporting/containing the same information, having several targetEvaluationPeriods and targetEvaluationFrequencies for several targets of the same optimization use case, using a fixed or default targetEvaluationPeriod and/or targetEvaluationFrequency etc. It is intended to include all such modifications within the scope of the invention insofar as they fall within the scope of the appended claims.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/EP10/50144 | 1/8/2010 | WO | 00 | 10/17/2012 |