Troubleshooting the LTE Radio Interface

Who should attend:

This course is targeted at telecom professionals working on troubleshooting, quality assessment, optimisation, and OAM of E-UTRA.

Pre-requisites:

Participants must hold basic knowledge of LTE/EPC network architecture, terminology and modes of operation. For required background knowledge, attending Apis’ course LTE/EPC System Overview (or equivalent) is recommended. Additionally, familiarity with E-UTRA interface, protocols and signalling scenarios, so as with network monitoring tools, e.g. TEMS Investigation, would be beneficial.

Course overview:

The course provides in-depth knowledge of protocols and procedures found on Evolved UTRAN (E-UTRAN) through theory combined with case studies and self-solved hands-on exercises. Complex practical troubleshooting and optimization activities are made simple using monitoring tools, such as TEMS Investigation, and log-files recorded in live networks. Throughout the course a number of signalling scenarios are analysed, showing both successful and failed scenarios. Participants are required to have a Windows laptop.

NOTE: The course is under development and the course content is subject to changes.

Course Contents:

EPS Overview and E-UTRAN Protocol Architecture

• Mobile network evolution: GSM to EPS

• Network nodes, areas, bearer concepts and identity numbers introduced for EPS

• EPS interfaces and protocols

• E-UTRA frequency bands and UE capabilities

• Logical, Transport and Physical channels and their relation to the radio interface protocol stack

• X2, S1 and S11-interface protocol stacks

Uu-Interface (E-UTRA Radio Interface) Protocols

• NAS procedures (EMM and ESM)

• RRC procedures

• UE states and state transitions (NAS and RRC)

• PDCP and RLC protocols

• MAC and E-UTRA Scheduling

• Dynamic scheduling and semi-persistent scheduling

• Hybrid-ARQ

• E-UTRA Physical Layer

The X2 Interface

• X2 Application Protocol (X2AP) procedures

• Inter cell interference cooperation

• Data forwarding and in-order delivery of data PDUs at handover

Interworking

• Interworking with legacy R8 or pre-R8 3GPP networks

• Interworking with non-3GPP access networks

• Overview of various solutions for interworking with the CS domain

E-UTRAN Signalling Procedures and Hands-on Exercises

• Random access procedure

• RRC connection establishment

• Attach procedure, incl. establishment of default EPS bearer and security associations

• Dedicated Bearer activation

• Mobility

• Troubleshooting Case Studies

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