Device and method for QOS based cell capacity dimensioning

Abstract

The invention relates to a method and system for monitoring QoS criteria of Traffic classes of at least one cell in a telecommunication syste, comprising means for setting thresholds, means for monitoring the traffic with regard to the trhresholds for the at least two different traffic classes, and means for adapting the traffic handling capacity of the monitored cell depending on the monitoring result. The monitored traffic classes preferably include circuit-switched traffic and packet-switched traffic, and/or realtime and non-realtime packet-switched traffic. Thresholds are preferably set and monitored for rate of call attempt blocking, and/or data throughput, and/or service blocking.

1 - 22 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         23 . Method for monitoring QoS criteria of at least two different traffic classes in at least one cell in a telecommunication system, wherein thresholds are set and monitored, and the traffic handling capacity of the monitored cell is adapted, by reallocating capacity between different traffic classes, depending on the monitoring result so as to avoid violation of the thresholds, 
 wherein the transceiver capacity of the cell is increased when rearranging of the existing traffic handling capacity allocation to the traffic classes is unable to avoid violation of at least one of the thresholds.    
     
     
         24 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein the monitored traffic classes include circuit-switched traffic and packet-switched traffic.  
     
     
         25 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein the monitored traffic classes include realtime and non-realtime packet-switched traffic.  
     
     
         26 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein QoS criteria thresholds are set for each traffic class and monitored automatically.  
     
     
         27 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein, when the monitoring result indicates that at least one of the thresholds provided for at least one of the services is not met, a check is performed as to possibility of changing the resources reserved for another service.  
     
     
         28 . Method according to  claim 27 , wherein, when the monitoring result indicates that the threshold for circuit-switched traffic is not met, a check is performed as to possibility of reducing the resources reserved for packet switched traffic, and, when the check result is positive, the resources reserved for packet-switched traffic are reduced.  
     
     
         29 . Method according to  claim 27 , wherein, when the monitoring result indicates that the threshold for packet-switched traffic is not met, a check is performed as to possibility of reducing the resources reserved for circuit-switched traffic, and, when the check result is positive, the resources reserved for circuit-switched traffic are reduced, and the resources provided for packet-switched traffic are increased.  
     
     
         30 . Method according to  claim 27 , wherein the resources reserved for packet-switched traffic are capacity or time slots or the area of packet-switched traffic covered by a radio access network or packet-switched traffic support node.  
     
     
         31 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein the threshold monitoring and cell capacity adaptation are performed by a network management system (NMS).  
     
     
         32 . Method according to  claim 23 , wherein a forecasting functionality for estimating the time of next hardware upgrade is provided.  
     
     
         33 . System for monitoring QoS criteria of at least two different traffic classes of at least one cell in a telecommunication system, comprising means for setting thresholds, means for monitoring the traffic with regard to the thresholds, and means for adapting the traffic handling capacity of the monitored cell, by reallocating capacity between different traffic classes, depending on the monitoring result, so as to avoid violation of the thresholds, 
 wherein the system is adapted to increase the transceiver capacity of the cell when rearranging of the existing traffic handling capacity allocation to the traffic classes is unable to avoid violation of at least one of the thresholds.    
     
     
         34 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein the monitored traffic classes include circuit-switched traffic and packet-switched traffic.  
     
     
         35 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein the monitored traffic classes include realtime and non-realtime packet-switched traffic.  
     
     
         36 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein QoS criteria thresholds are set for each traffic class and monitored automatically.  
     
     
         37 . System according to  claim 33 , wherein the adaptation means is adapted to perform, when the monitoring result indicates that at least one of the thresholds provided for at least one of the services is not met, a check as to possibility of changing the resources reserved for another service.  
     
     
         38 . System according to  claim 37 , wherein the adaptation means is adapted to perform, when the monitoring result indicates that the threshold for circuit-switched traffic is not met, a check as to possibility of reducing the resources reserved for packet switched traffic, and, when the check result is positive, to reduce the resources reserved for packet-switched traffic.  
     
     
         39 . System according to  claim 37 , wherein the adaptation means is adapted to perform, when the monitoring result indicates that the threshold for packet-switched traffic is not met, a check as to possibility of reducing the resources reserved for circuit-switched traffic, and to reduce, when the check result is positive, the resources reserved for circuit-switched traffic, and to increase the resources provided for packet-switched traffic.  
     
     
         40 . System according to  claim 37 , wherein the resources reserved for packet-switched traffic are capacity or time slots or the area of packet-switched traffic covered by a radio access network or packet-switched traffic support node.  
     
     
         41 . System according to  claim 33 , comprising a network management system (NMS) for performing the threshold monitoring and cell capacity adaptation.  
     
     
         42 . System according to  claim 33 , comprising means for estimating the time point of a next necessary hardware upgrade.  
     
     
         43 . Device for performing a threshold monitoring and cell capacity adaptation, in particular for a method according to any one of the preceding method claims, or for a system as defined in any one of the preceding system claims, comprising means for monitoring traffic in at least one cell of a communication network with regard to thresholds, and means for adapting the traffic handling capacity of the monitored cell, by reallocating capacity between different traffic classes, depending on the monitoring result, wherein the transceiver capacity of the cell is increased when rearranging of the existing traffic handling capacity allocation to the traffic classes is unable to avoid violation of at least one of the thresholds.  
     
     
         44 . Device according to  claim 43 , which is implemented as or in a network management system (NMS).