Method of and An Operating Support System for Providing Performance Management in a Mobile Telecommunications System

Abstract

In LTE, there is no control node that collects Performance Management (PM) data from base stations, like a Base Station Controller (BSC) or Radio Network Controller (RNC) does for 2G/3G systems. Instead, an Operating Support System (OSS) has to collect PM data directly from eNodeBs, thereby causing scalability issues. A method of improved PM for LTE networks uses the statistical counters defined in the eNodeB and counters created from elementary events and parameters of events. Specific counters or user-defined counters can be defined that are, for example, not traditionally implemented in the nodes, or that use events from additional Network Elements (NEs). The counter files and events are collected by an observation gateway or directly by the PM application, and are monitored in different time scales. The counters are also aggregated for different time periods, thereby providing scalability and time-based statistics for the counter values.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of system performance management by an Operating Support System (OSS) of a mobile telecommunications system, the mobile telecommunications system comprising a plurality of nodes and radio access units servicing a plurality of cells generating a plurality of operational events data and counter values measured periodically for a first Result Output Period (ROP) the method comprising:
 collecting events data and counter values originating from the nodes and radio access units, the events data corresponding to events;   aggregating the collected counter values periodically for a second ROP and further ROP;   wherein the first ROP, second ROP, and further ROP correspond to a specific operational event and counter;   wherein the second and further ROPs have a duration longer than the first ROP;   creating further counter values from the collected events data periodically for the second and further ROPs;   processing the aggregated and further counter values;   analyzing the processed counter values for providing system operational performance indicia in different time scales.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second and further ROPs correspond to time periods related to usage of the mobile telecommunications system. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising storing the collected events data and counter values for a period of time being a multiple of the respective second and further ROPs. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 :
 wherein the events include parameters;   wherein the creating further counter values comprises creating further counter values for different parameters of an event.   
     
     
         5 . An Operating Support System (OSS) for providing performance management of a mobile telecommunications system, the mobile telecommunications system comprising a plurality of nodes and radio access units for servicing a plurality of cells and arranged for generating a plurality of operational events data and counter values measured periodically for a first Result Output Period (ROP), the OSS comprising:
 a collecting circuit configured to collect events data and counter values originating from the nodes and radio access units;   an aggregating circuit configured to aggregate the collected counter values periodically for a second ROP and further ROP;   wherein the first ROP, second ROP, and further ROP correspond to a specific operational event and counter;   wherein the second and further ROPs have a duration longer than the first ROP;   a counter creating circuit configured to create counter values from the collected events data periodically for the second and further ROPs;   a processing circuit configured to:
 process the aggregated and further counter values in relation to the originating nodes, radio access units, and ROP; 
 analyze the processed counter values for providing system operational performance indicia in different time scales, including the first and second and further ROPs. 
   
     
     
         6 . The OSS of  claim 5 , further comprising a setting circuit configured to set the different second and further ROPs; wherein the aggregating circuit and counter creating circuit are arranged for operating with set different second and further ROPs. 
     
     
         7 . The OSS of  claim 6 , wherein the setting circuit is further configured to set the second and further ROPs to time periods related to usage of the mobile telecommunications system. 
     
     
         8 . The OSS of  claim 5 , further comprising a storage circuit configured to store the collected events data and counter values for a period of time being a multiple of the respective second and further ROPs.