Relay Node O&M Data Context Management in Cellular Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current O&M architectures in cellular radio access networks face challenges in efficiently managing and monitoring relay nodes, particularly due to timing misalignment in transporting O&M data, relay node unavailability, and the need for efficient handover of relay node information to new donor base stations.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a system where a base station serves as a proxy for relay nodes by establishing and maintaining a relay node O&M data context, allowing it to perform O&M-related communications and data management independently of the relay node's availability, and facilitating efficient data transfer and handover.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If relay nodes transport O&M data directly to the O&M node, then O&M data can be obtained from the relay node, but it causes unnecessary strain on radio resources and timing misalignment with radio resource management
Solution Approach 1:
The donor base station acts as an intermediary between the relay node and the O&M node. It collects O&M data from the relay node and forwards it to the O&M node, eliminating the need for direct relay node-O&M node communication and aligning data transport with radio resource management timing.
Solution Approach 2:
The donor base station maintains a copy of the relay node's O&M data context locally. This allows the base station to respond to O&M data requests even when the relay node is unavailable, ensuring continuous O&M data availability without straining radio resources.
2Reliability
If relay nodes are monitored directly by the O&M node, then real-time monitoring is achieved, but it becomes difficult when relay nodes are unavailable or relocated
Solution Approach 1:
The donor base station pre-collects and stores O&M data from the relay node before the relay node becomes unavailable or is relocated. This preliminary action ensures that O&M data is already available in the base station's context, allowing continuous monitoring without interruption.
Solution Approach 2:
The donor base station serves as a persistent intermediary that maintains the relay node's O&M data context. Even when the relay node is unavailable or relocated, the base station can continue to provide O&M data to the O&M node, ensuring monitoring continuity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If relay node information is transferred during handover, then the new donor base station can manage the relay node, but it increases complexity and potential data loss
Solution Approach 1:
The source donor base station pre-prepares the relay node's O&M data context for handover. When handover occurs, the pre-prepared context is transferred to the target base station, simplifying the handover procedure and reducing the risk of data loss or inconsistency.
Solution Approach 2:
During handover, the relay node's O&M data context is copied from the source base station to the target base station. This copying mechanism ensures that the target base station receives a complete and consistent data set, reducing handover complexity and potential errors.
4Ease of operation
If multiple relay nodes are managed by separate O&M contexts in different base stations, then each base station can independently manage its relay nodes, but it increases overall system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple relay nodes' O&M data contexts are merged and maintained in a single donor base station. This consolidation allows the base station to manage multiple relay nodes independently while reducing overall system complexity by eliminating redundant O&M context storage across multiple base stations.
Data Source
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AI summary
The technology described in this application provides a way for an O&M node or system (34) to configure, monitor, and manage relay nodes (22) efficiently. A base station (24) serves a relay node (22) in a cellular communications system (30) that also includes the O&M node. A relay node O&M data context (36) for the relay node is established in a memory associated with the base station. O&M data pertaining to the relay node is stored in the relay node O&M data context. The information in the relay node O&M data context is different than O&M data pertaining to the base station. The base station performs, on behalf of the relay node, O&M-related communications using the O&M data in the relay node O&M data context.