GSM BSS

Communication
Flow
www.huawei.com

Copyright 2015 Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. All rights reserved.

Foreword
Course Purpose:
Understand the typical communication flow
Grasp the means of interface trace and trace review
Grasp the method of analyzing communication flow to aid us
for fault handling.

How to learn this course:

With the help of stored tracing files, use tracing review
function in the maintenance console to study.

Attention:
It is strictly forbidden to use the interface tracing function
when the system is under heavy traffic.

Page2

MS-MSC Signaling Stack

MS

BTS

BSC

MSC

CM

CM

MM

MM

L3
RR

RR
RR

BTSM

BTSM

L2

LAPDm

LAPDm

LAPD

LAPD

L1

SigL1

SigL1

SigL1

SigL1

Um Um

Page3

Abis

Abis

BSSMAP

BSSMAP

SCCP
MTP

SCCP
MTP

A
A

BSSAP Functional Structure

BSSAP BSS Application Part
BSSMAP BSS Management
Application Part
DTAP Direct Transfer Part
CM
MM

SCCP Signaling Connection Control

BSSAP
Part
SCCP
MTP Message Transfer Part
MTP-3
MTP-2
MTP-1
Page4

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page5

Location Update
Call Setup
Handover
Direct Retry
Short Message
Release
Case Analysis

Location Update Basis

Purpose of location update:

To inform the system the LA in which the MS
is going to facilitate paging

When does the MS need to perform location

update

Page6

Getting into a new location area

Periodical location update timer expire.

Location Update Flow

MS

BTS
Channel_req

BSC

MSC

Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack

IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND

First SABM
UA

Establish_IND(Location Updating Req)

CR(Complete_L3_
information)
CC
(NOTE 1)

Location Updating Accepted

TMSI Reallocation Complete

(NOTE 2)
Clear_CMD
(NOTE 3)

Page8

Clear_CMP

NOTE 1: Authentication, Encryption,

Identification

After establishing the SCCP connection between BSC and MSC

there might be authentication and encryption in an intact location
update flow.
For Huawei MSC, authentication and encryption are all optional. And
normally authentication is mandatory and encryption is optional in
practical situation.
Huawei BSS system supports encryption algorithm A5/1 and A5/2.

Identification: The ID in Est_IND message reported by the MS is

TMSI. When VLR cannot identify the TMSI or TMSI authentication
fails, MSC will start Identification flow. That means MSC will send
transparent transfer message Identity Request to MS and MS
will report Identity Response message which involves IMSI.

Page10

Authentication Flow
MS

BTS

BSC

Authentication Request

Authentication Response

Page11

MSC

NOTE 2
To reallocate TMSI or not during
location update is decided in MSC
side configuration.
If MSC chooses Reallocate TMSI
during location update to No,
TMSI will not be refreshed during
location update.

Page12

Abnormal Occasion
BSC receives Location Updating
Rejected message from MSC. The
possible reasons are:
The CGI which has been configured in
BSC side is not configured in MSC side.
(wrong CGI)
Communication failure between MSC
and VLR.
The MS is not registered in HLR.

Page13

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page14

Location Update
Call Setup
Handover
Direct Retry
Short Message
Release
Case Analysis

Call Setup Flow (MOC)

MS

Page15

BTS

BSC
MSC
Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND(CM Service Req)
CR(Complete_L3_information)
UA
CC
(NOTE 1)
CM Service Accepted
Setup
Call Processing
NOTE 2) Assignment_Req
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND
UA
ASSIGNMENT CMP
Assignment_CMP
Alerting
Connect
Connect Ack
Conversation
Disconnect
Release
Release Complete
Clear_CMD
(NOTE 3)
Clear_CMP

Channel_req

Call Setup Flow (MTC)

MS

BTS

Paging CMD
Channel_req

BSC

Paging CMD

Paging

MSC

Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND(Paging RESP)
CR(Complete_L3_information)
UA
CC
(NOTE 1)
CM Service Accepted
Setup
Call Confirmed
(NOTE 2) Assignment_Req
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND
UA

Page18

ASSIGNMENT CMP
Alerting
Connect
Connect Ack
Conversation
Disconnect
Release
Release Complete

Assignment_CMP

Clear_CMD
Clear_CMP

NOTE 1: Class Mark Update

Flow

Page19

NOTE 2: Assignment Method

Very Early Assignment
In IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND ,TCH is directly assigned.
When MSC sends Assignment _Req message, BSC will not
assign new channel but perform Mode_Modify flow. After that,
MS will report Assignment _CMP message to MSC.
Early Assignment
MSC sends Assignment_Req before Alerting.
Late Assignment
MSC sends Assignment_Req after Alerting.

Page20

NOTE 2: Assignment Method

Very Early Assignment
MS

Channel_req

BTS

BSC

MSC

Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND (TCH)

First SABM

UA

Establish_IND(CM Service Req)

CR(Complete_L3_information)
CC
CM Service Accepted
Setup
Call Processing

Mode_Modify
Mode_Modify_Ack
Channel Mode Modify
Channel Mode Modify ACK
Alerting

Page21

Assignment_Req

Assignment_CMP

NOTE 2: Assignment Method

Late Assignment (MOC)
MS

BTS

BSC
MSC
Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND(CM Service Req)
CR(Complete_L3_information)
UA
CC
CM Service Accepted
Setup
Call Processing
Alerting

Channel_req

Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND
UA
ASSIGNMENT CMP
Connect
Connect Ack
Conversation

Page22

Assignment_Req

Assignment_CMP

NOTE 2: Assignment Method

Late Assignment (MTC)
MS

BTS
Paging CMD
Channel_req

BSC
Paging CMD

Paging

MSC

Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND(Paging RESP)
CR(Complete_L3_information)
UA
CC
CM Service Accepted
Setup
Call Confirmed
Alerting
Connect
Assignment_Req
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
First SABM
Establish_IND
UA
ASSIGNMENT CMP
Assignment_CMP
Connect Ack
Conversation

Page23

Abnormal Situation
MS

BTS

BSC

MSC

Call Processing
Assignment_Req
Assignment_Fail

Channel_Active_Ack
ASSIGNMENT COMMAND
ASSIGNMENT FAIL

Page24

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page25

Location Update
Call Setup
Handover
Direct Retry
Short Message
Release
Case Analysis

Intra-BSC Handover
MS

BTS1

BSC

BTS2

MS

Measure Report from MS

Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
HANDOVER COMMAND
Handover Access
(NOTE 1)

PHYINFO
PHYINFO
First SABM
UA

Handover_Detect

Establish_IND

HANDOVER COMPLETE
Handover_Performed
(NOTE 2)

Page26

MSC

NOTE1:Asynchronous/Synchronous
Handover

Intra-BSC asynchronous handover:

cell1 and cell2 do not belong to the same
BTS. Thus the target BTS shall send PHY
INFO message.

Intra-BSC synchronous handover:

cell1 and cell2 belong to the same BTS.
Actually they are two cells of one BTS. In
such occasion there will not be PHY INFO
message, After Handover Access
message, MS will send SABM directly.
Page28

Abnormal Occasion
In case of intra-BSC asynchronous
handover, when BTS1 has sent PHY INFO
message to the maximum time but the
MS still cant access the new channel,
BTS1 will send CONN FAIL IND message.
Its causing value is handover access
failure. When BSC receives this
message, it will start local-end release
flow to release the new channel in BTS1.

Page29

Inter-BSC Handover
MS

BTS1

BSC1

MSC

BSC2

BTS2

MS

(NOTE 1)
Measure Report from MS
Handover_Required Handover_Request

HANDOVER COMMAND

Handover_Request_Ack
Handover_CMD

Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
Handover_Detect Handover Access

Handover_Detect

PHY INFO
PHY INFO
First SABM
Establish_IND

(NOTE 2)

Page30

Clear_CMD
Clear_CMP

Handover_Cmp

UA

HANDOVER COMPLETE

NOTE1: Two Different Handover

Occasions of Inter-BSC Handover
Intra-MSC inter-BSC Handover:
Two BSCs belong to the same MSC.

Inter-MSC Handover:
Two BSCs do not belong to the same
MSC.
The A-interface messages are the
same for the two occasions above.

Page32

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page33

Location Update
Call Setup
Handover
Direct Retry
Short Message
Release
Case Analysis

Direct Retry Intra-BSC

MS

BTS1
BSC
Channel_req Channel_Required

BTS2

MSC

MS

Channel_Active
Channel_Act_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN CMD
First SABM

UA

Est_IND

CR(CMP_L3_info)
CC

CM Service Accepted
Setup
Call Processing
Assignment_Req
Handover CMD

Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
Handover Detect

Handover Access
PHY INFO
First SABM

Establish_IND
Handover CMP
Assignment_CMP

Page34

UA

Direct Retry Inter-BSC

BTS1

MS

BSC1

BSC2

MSC

MS

BTS2

CM Service Accepted
Setup
Call Processing
Assignment_Req
Handover RQD

Handover CMD

Handover CMD

Handover REQ
Handover REQ Ack
Handover Detect

Channel_Active
Channel_Act_Ack
Handover Detect

PHY INFO

EST_IND
Clear CMD
Clear CMP

Page35

Handover CMP

Handover Access
First SABM
UA

Handover CMP

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page36

Location Update
Call Setup
Handover
Direct Retry
Short Message
Release
Case Analysis

MS

Short Message MO on
SDCCH

Channel_req

BTS

Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack
IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND

BSC

MSC

First SABM
UA
First SABM(SAPI 3)
UA

EST_IND(CM Service Req) CR(Complete_L3_information)

CC
EST_IND(SAPI 3)
CP DATA
CP ACK
CP DATA
CP ACK
Disconnect
Release

To SC (Service Centre )
From SC (Service Centre )

Release Complete
Clear CMD
Channel Release
Disconnect

Deactive SACCH
Release IND
RF Channel REL
RF Channel REL ACK

Page37

Clear CMP
RLSD
RLSD CMP

Short Message MT on
SDCCH
MS

BTS

BSC

Paging CMD

Paging CMD
Channel_req

MSC

From SC

Channel_Required
Channel_Active
Channel_Active_Ack

IMMEDIATE ASSIGN COMMAND

First SABM
UA

First SABM
UA

EST_IND (Paging Response) CR(Complete_L3_infor)

CC
CP DATA
EST_REQ(SAPI 3)
EST_CNF(SAPI 3)
CP DATA
CP ACK
CP DATA
CP ACK
Disconnect
Release

To SC

Release Complete
Clear CMD
Clear CMP

Page38

Short Message MO on
SACCH
MS

BTS

BSC

MSC

ACTIVE CALL
CM Service REQ (FACCH)
CM Service ACC (FACCH)
First SABM(SAPI 3)
UA

EST_IND(SAPI 3)
CP DATA

To SC

CP ACK
CP DATA
CP ACK

ACTIVE CALL

Page39

From SC

Short Message MT on
SACCH
MS

BTS

BSC

MSC

ACTIVE CALL

First SABM(SAPI 3)
UA

EST_IND(SAPI 3)

CP DATA

From SC

EST_CNF(SAPI 3)
CP DATA
CP ACK
CP DATA
CP ACK

ACTIVE CALL

Page40

To SC

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page41

Location Update
Call Setup
Handover
Direct Retry
Short Message
Call Release
Case Analysis

BSC Normal Release Flow

MS

BTS
(NOTE 1)

BSC

MSC

Disconnect
Release
Release Complete

CHANNEL RELEASE
First DISC
UA

Clear_CMD

Deactive_SACCH
Release_IND
RF_Release_Req
RF_Release_Req_ACK

Clear_CMP
RLSD
RLSD CMP

Page42

NOTE1 Two Occasions of Release

NSS originating release
MS originating release
In these two different occasions all
the messages are the same except
the direction of the first 3 messages.

Page44

Local-end Release Flow

MS

BTS

BSC

Deactive_SACCH
Release_Req(LOCAL END) (NOTE 1)
Release_Confirm
RF_Release_Req
RF_Release_Req_ACK

Page45

MSC

Contents
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Page46

Location Update
Call Setup
Handover
Direct Retry
Short Message
Release
Case Analysis

Case Description
BSCs ASSIGNMENT CMD message
has been sent but the BTS sends
several EST IND messages. Later MS
sends ASSIGNMENT FAIL message
and the causing value is Protocol
error unspecified.

Page47

Case Analysis
By analyzing the messages we can find that
MS has reported several EST IND messages
before ASSIGNMENT FAIL message.
When BTS receives an SABM frame it will
report an EST IND message to BSC. So we
know now that the MS must have sent many
SABM frames to the BTS.
BTS can decode the SABM frame sent by MS
but MS cannot decode the UA frame sent by
BTS. And this caused the BTS to report many
EST IND messages.
Page48

Case
Analysis
Case realize:

In the lab we can simulate. Disconnect the TX antenna to

make the downlink signal pure. Trace the A-bis signaling we
can find that BTS sends several EST IND messages to BSC for
the newly assigned TCH but cant succeed. And then MS
sends ASSIGNMENT FAIL via the previous SDCCH and the

Conclusion:

causing value is Protocol error unspecified.

In the practical field, when many ASSIGNMENT FAIL
messages appear, the main reason might be the poor
downlink receiving power level or receiving quality.

Connection between TRX and (CDU).(ie duplexer in case of

BTS30X.series)

Page49

Appendix: Power Class

Phase 2 MS output Power Class and the exact

power relations.
power

class

GSM900 Max
peak power

DCS1800 Max
peak power

Tolerance(dB)
_normal

Tolerance(dB)
_extreme

------

1W(30dBm)

+/-2

+/-2.5

0.25W(24dBm)

2.5

4W(36dBm)

2.5

Page50

5W(37dBm)

2W(33dBm)

2.5

0.8W(29dBm)

2.5

Power Control Level

Phase 2 MS
Power control
level and the
exact power
relations.

Page51

power
control
level
0-2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19-31

output
power
(dBm)
39
37
35
33
31
29
27
25
23
21
19
17
15
13
11
9
7
5

Tolerance
_normal
(dB)
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
5
5
5
5

Tolerance
_extreme
(dB)
2.5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
6
6
6
6

Power
control
level
29
30
31
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15-28

output
power
(dBm)
36
34
32
30
28
26
24
22
20
18
16
14
12
10
8
6
4
2
0

Tolerance
_normal
(dB)
2
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
3
4
4
4
4
4
5
5

Tolerance
_extreme
(dB)
2.5
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
5
5
5
5
5
6
6