Content for TS 23.009 Word version: 18.0.0

1… 4… 4.3… 6… 6.2… 6.2.3 6.3… 7… 7.2… 8… 8.1.3… 8.2… 8.2.2… 8.2.4 8.3… 8.3.2… 9… 10… 11… 12… 12.8… 12.8.2 12.8.3 13… 14… 15…

10.1 BSS/MSC (MS/BSS) procedures MSC-B (functional unit 1) 10.2 Call control procedures MSC-B (functional unit 2) 10.3 Handover control procedures MSC-B (functional unit 3) 10.4 MAP procedures MSC-B (functional unit 4) 10.5 Interworking between Handover control procedures and MAP procedures in MSC-B 10.6 Compatibility with GSM Phase 1
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10 Detailed procedures in MSC-B p. 89

10.1 BSS/MSC (MS/BSS) procedures MSC-B (functional unit 1) p. 89

The handover procedures in this functional unit consist of:

signalling between the MS and the MSC;
signalling between the BS and the MSC for access management.

Signals exchanged with functional unit 3 are indicated in subclause 10.3.

10.2 Call control procedures MSC-B (functional unit 2) p. 89

These procedures relate to the call control in MSC-B of the "handover" connection with MSC-A. For these procedures the following apply:

Call set-up:

the connection is set up by MSC-A. MSC-B should provide, if possible, the following backward signals:
signals indicating unsuccessful call set-up and, if possible, the cause of call failure;
address complete signal;
answer signal (see note).

NOTE:
The answer signal is not related to answering by the MS and it has no meaning in the handover procedure between MSC-A and MSC-B. But after successful handover or successful subsequent channel assignment using a circuit connection between MSC-A and MSC-B this signal is needed for bringing the connection in the answered state in the intermediate PSTN/ISDN exchanges.
there will be no indication that the call applies to a handover. This information has to be derived from the MS Handover Number received during call set-up in relation to the earlier MAP-PREPARE-HANDOVER request/MAP-PREPARE-HANDOVER response procedure between MSC-A and MSC-B.

Call clearing:

call clearing consists of two parts after inter-MSC handover: clearing of the BSS-MS connection and clearing of the inter-MSC connection, this case is only applicable to calls successfully handed over. If a request to release the call is generated by the network while the MS is re-tuning from one BSS to another BSS, then MSC-B shall begin clearing the call to the network and queue the call release to the MS until the MS has resumed communication;
the MAP is used to transfer information between MSC-A and MSC-B in order to make it possible for MSC-B to send the appropriate signals to the MS, specified in TS 24.008, and still leave the call control to MSC-A. MSC-A normally initiates release of the connection between MSC-A and MSC-B. Exceptionally MSC-B is allowed to release the connection if no MAP-SEND-END-SIGNAL response is received, or if the Handover is to be aborted.
when the Signalling System no 7 ISDN User Part is used, the normal symmetric release procedures apply. When a signalling system is used without a symmetric release possibility or a fault condition occurs, the following may apply:
- when MSC-B receives a clear-forward signal from MSC-A, it shall release the radio resources;
- in fault situation eg. machine malfunction or loss of the connection on interface A, MSC-B may send a clear-back signal to MSC-A.

10.3 Handover control procedures MSC-B (functional unit 3) p. 90

The procedures of functional unit 3 are given in form of SDL diagrams in Figure 42. To easily distinguish the interface concerned the messages received or sent from this unit are prefixed with either 'MAP' for a MAP message, 'A' for an A Interface message or 'I' for an ISDN/PSTN message. The procedure in functional unit 3 include:

handover from MSC-A.
This case is initiated by MSC-A, and includes allocation and establishment of the new radio channel. The procedure is outlined in subclauses 7.1 and 7.2.
intra-MSC handovers within the area controlled by MSC-B.
This procedure is the same as that of i) in subclause 9.3, except that the A-HANDOVER-REQUIRED is received by MSC-B. After successful completion of the intra-MSC handover, MSC-B shall notify MSC-A by sending an A-HANDOVER-PERFORMED message.
subsequent handover to another MSC (MSC-A or MSC-B').
The initiation procedure is essentially the same as that of i) of subclause 9.3. The Handover Command to the MS is now generated by MSC-B after the A-HO-REQUEST-ACKNOWLEDGE is received from MSC-A (via functional unit 4). The procedure is terminated in MSC-B when MSC-B receives a terminate procedure indication from functional unit 4.

Timers in MSC-B

The following procedures are supervised by timers in order to avoid a deadlock when responses are not received or the procedures fail.

The following timers are defined:

T201:

this timer supervises the queuing time for a free channel. T201 is set by O&M;

T202:

this timer supervises the time for handover completion for handover between BSSs in MSC-B. If T202 expires, the radio path and the connection on interface B' are released. T202 is set by O&M;

T204:

this timer supervises the time between sending of address complete message to MSC-A and receiving the A-HANDOVER-COMPLETE from BSS-B on MSC-B. This timer also supervises the time between issuing the handover command to the MS and receiving the MAP-SEND-END-SIGNAL response from MSC-A, for a subsequent handover. In the case of a handover without circuit connection between MSC-A and MSC-B this timer supervises the time between issuing the A-HO-REQUEST-ACKNOWLEDGE to the MSC-A and receiving the A-HANDOVER-COMPLETE from BSS-B on MSC-B. If the timer expires, then any new radio channel is released. T204 is set by O&M;

T210:

this timer is used to supervise the time for establishing a circuit connection from MSC-A to MSC-B. When T210 expires, the allocated channel in MSC-B is released. T210 is set by O&M. This timer is not started when MSC-A explicitly indicates that no handover number is needed;

T211:

this timer is used to control the time between requesting a subsequent handover (A-HO-REQUEST to the MSC-A) and receiving the response from MSC-A (A-REQUEST-ACKNOWLEDGE/A-HO-FAILURE). If T211 expires, the existing connection with the MS is maintained. T211 is set by O&M.

10.4 MAP procedures MSC-B (functional unit 4) p. 90

The MAP procedures for handover are defined in TS 29.002. They include:

procedures for basic handover;
procedures for subsequent handover;
procedures for obtaining the handover number from the VLR.

These procedures are outlined in clause 7.

10.5 Interworking between Handover control procedures and MAP procedures in MSC-B p. 91

The interworking between the Handover control procedures and the MAP procedures for handover is defined in TS 29.010. It includes:

interworking at basic handover completion;
interworking at subsequent handover initiation.

This interworking is not described in the present document.

10.6 Compatibility with GSM Phase 1 p. 91

If the MSC-B accepts an Inter-MSC handover procedure according to Phase 2 MAP and BSSMAP protocols while using a Phase 1 BSSMAP protocol towards BSS-B, MSC-B has to perform the protocol interworking.

The same holds if a Phase 1 MAP protocol is requested on the E-interface and MSC-B uses a Phase 2 BSSMAP protocol towards BSS-B.