CRNC: Controlling RNC

SRNC: Serving RNC

DRNC: Drift RNC
The CRNC is responsible for the controlling the resources of a Node-B. It is res
ponsible for load and congestion control. If new radio links (RLs) are to be est
ablished CRNC does the job.
On the other hand, SRNC and DRNC are concepts that are tied to a UE-UTRAN connec
tion on the Uu interface. In other words, an SRNC serves a particular UE and man
ages the connections towards that UE. Likewise, DRNC fulfils a similar role to t
he SRNC except that it is involved only in the case of a soft handover. Thus the
UE initially starts a connection with an RNC that becomes its SRNC. If the UE m
oves towards a cell edge, SRNC may decide to put the UE in soft handover state.
If the new RLs added to UE s Active Set are under the control of a different RNC,
that RNC becomes the DRNC.
The important thing here is that CRNC is logically tied to Node-Bs, not connecti
ons. On the contrary, SRNC and DRNC are tied to connections to the UE. This impl
ies that CRNC manages common and shared resources while SRNC and DRNC manage ded
icated resources. This does not imply that SRNC will be involved only when UE RR
C is in CELL_DCH state. Even in CELL_FACH state, the UE being allocated Signalli
ng Radio Bearers (SRBs), dedicated logical channels (DCCH and even DTCH) would h
ave been established between UE and SRNC. DRNC cannot be involved in this state
because the principle of soft handover applies only to dedicated physical channe
ls.
the CRNC controls the BTS, and thus the common channels, whereas the SRNC
manages the UE.
the RNC that controls a BTS is known as the controlling RNC
(CRNC). This is with reference to the BTS, cells under its control and all the c
ommon
and shared channels within.