NETWORK ENGINEERING

LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation

1 © Nokia 2019
LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
Overview

• Medium sized TCP data flows are considered to have highest impact on end user experience
• Proper distinction between volume of data transferred by UEs is required:
- Small data transfers cab be majorly attributed to background services thus being less noticeable by end user
- As to not shift bias towards big file transfers as they consume large amounts of resources

To better accommodate users with medium data
volume LTE5731 is introduced:
• Based on configurable conditions additional
scheduler weight bias can be applied to DRBs on
which medium sized TCP flow was detected
• UL and DL are handled independently
• Available form FL/TL19B onwards
• Both on AirScale and FSM-r3
Increased bandwidth allocation for eligible UEs:
• Resulting in higher throughput in high load conditions
Applied only non-GBR QCIs:
• Each QCI is separately configurable
In case of Carrier Aggregation:
• Affects PCell and also every Scell

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LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
Conditions for applying bias

• With TCP Service Differentiation enabled (LNCEL:actTcpServiceDiff = true) PDCP layer is monitored
for TCP flow on per DRB basis:
- From the moment TCP traffic is detected, eNB starts measuring volume of TCP data
- After reaching first threshold (tcpServiceDiffConfig:dlMinBoostBytes /ulMinBoostBytes ) demarcating difference
between small and medium data volume size, scheduling bias is applied to corresponding DRB and direction
- While bias is applied total volume of transferred data on such DRB is measured, and after reaching next threshold
(tcpServiceDiffConfig:dlMaxBoostBytes /ulMaxBoostBytes) bias factor application is stopped

TCP flow finished

TCP flow detected

Upper threshold reached

Lower threshold reached
Bias factor is applied

TCP data volume is measured All data on DRB is measured

Data flow

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LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
Conditions when bias application is stopped

• Bias application can also be prematurely stopped if:

- Time between any two consecutive TCP packets exceeds tcpServiceDiffConfig:timeBetweenTcpPackets
• For TCP packet to be considered it’s size needs to meet specified value (tcpServiceDiffConfig:minTcpPacketSize )
- Handover procedure was triggered
- Another bearer for the same UE is setup, modified, deleted or bias starts being applied
- Configurable timer expires (tcpServiceDiffConfig:boostGuardTime )
• After bias application is stopped on certain DRB it can only be started again after configurable period
of time (tcpServiceDiffConfig:timeNextBoostingRound )
• Base QCI weight is multiplied by configured bias factor:
- Bias for each QCI can be configured separately (qciTab*:boostFactorDl /boostFactorUl )
- Product of which has upper limit of 100

(*) qciTab5 to 9, 70 and qciTabOperator

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LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
Lab results

Scenario:
• UE1 and UE2 have full DL buffer with UDP packets
• UE3 starts late with TCP file transfer

• Actual cell throughput stays unchanged so it is

impossible to monitor gains through KPIs
• Improved performance can be observed by Bandwidth Boost
end users through increased throughput in
most common usages (e.g. web browsing)
Tests (e.g. OOKLA, P3) under high PRB load:
• It is expected that tests results will be improved in
scenarios when multiple UEs contend for bandwidth

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LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
New parameters

Range and
Abbreviated name Full name Description Default MIND
step

LNCEL: Activate TCP

This parameter activates TCP Service 0 (false),
Service 0 link
actTcpServiceDiff Differentiation functionality. 1 (true)
Differentiation

tcpServiceDiffConfig: This parameter defines the maximum

0 .. 60000,
Boost guard time amount of time traffic boosting can be 3000 link
boostGuardTime step 10
applied to a bearer carrying TCP traffic.

tcpServiceDiffConfig: TCP boosting for the same bearer can be 0 .. 10000,

Time until next
restarted only after this minimum time has step 10 5000 link
timeNextBoostingRound boosting round
elapsed.

REQUIRES BTS RESTART REQUIRES CELL LOCKING ONLINE MODIFIABLE

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LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
New parameters

Range and
Abbreviated name Full name Description Default MIND
step

This parameter defines the amount of

tcpServiceDiffConfig: Downlink downlink data to be sent (for a bearer which
maximum is being TCP boosted in the downlink) after 0 .. 100000 3000 link
dlMaxBoostBytes boosting bytes which downlink TCP boosting for the bearer
is stopped.
This parameter defines the minimum
tcpServiceDiffConfig: Downlink amount of downlink data which must be sent
minimum (after downlink TCP traffic has been 0 .. 1000 875 link
dlMinBoostBytes boosting bytes detected on a certain bearer) in order to
start downlink TCP boosting for the bearer.

REQUIRES BTS RESTART REQUIRES CELL LOCKING ONLINE MODIFIABLE

7 © Nokia 2019 Nokia Internal Use

LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
New parameters

Range and
Abbreviated name Full name Description Default MIND
step

This parameter defines the amount of uplink

tcpServiceDiffConfig: data to be received (for a bearer which is
Uplink maximum
being TCP boosted in the uplink) after which 0 .. 100000 1000 link
ulMaxBoostBytes boosting bytes
uplink TCP boosting for the bearer is
stopped.
This parameter defines the minimum
tcpServiceDiffConfig: amount of uplink data which must be
Uplink minimum
received (after uplink TCP traffic has been 0 .. 1000 100 link
ulMinBoostBytes boosting bytes
detected on a certain bearer) in order to
start uplink TCP boosting for the bearer.

REQUIRES BTS RESTART REQUIRES CELL LOCKING ONLINE MODIFIABLE

8 © Nokia 2019 Nokia Internal Use

LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
New parameters

Range and
Abbreviated name Full name Description Default MIND
step

This parameter defines the minimum size

tcpServiceDiffConfig: threshold for a TCP packet. TCP packet size
Minimum TCP
must exceed this threshold in order for the 0 .. 10000 100 link
minTcpPacketSize packet size
packet to considered in TCP restart/stop
boosting logic.
This parameter defines the minimum time
tcpServiceDiffConfig: which must elapse between two large TCP
Time between 0 .. 10000,
packets (defined as having 1000 link
timeBetweenTcpPackets TCP packets step 10
size>minTcpPacketSize) in order to stop TCP
boosting for a certain bearer.

REQUIRES BTS RESTART REQUIRES CELL LOCKING ONLINE MODIFIABLE

9 © Nokia 2019 Nokia Internal Use

LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
New parameters

Range and
Abbreviated name Full name Description Default MIND
step

This parameter defines the scaling factor for

LNBTS:qciTab*: UL scheduling weight. It is used to increase
Boosting factor 1 .. 5,
the UL scheduling weight for bearers which - link
boostFactorUl for uplink step 0.1
have TCP traffic boosting triggered
according to tcpServiceDiffConfig settings.
This parameter defines the scaling factor for
LNBTS:qciTab*: DL scheduling weight. It is used to increase
Boosting factor 1 .. 5,
the DL scheduling weight for bearers which - link
boostFactorDl for downlink step 0.1
have TCP traffic boosting triggered
according to tcpServiceDiffConfig settings.

(*) qciTab5 to 9, 70 and qciTabOperator

REQUIRES BTS RESTART REQUIRES CELL LOCKING ONLINE MODIFIABLE

10 © Nokia 2019 Nokia Internal Use

LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
New counters

Counter name Description

TCP_BOOSTING_DUR_ERABS_{DL - UL} This counter provides total TCP boosting duration of all ERABs in {DL - UL}.
(M8006C33{7-8})
Notes: This counter is only applicable in PCell.
#8006 LTE_EPS_Bearer
Trigger event: This counter is incremented with E-RAB TCP boosting
duration in {DL – UL} either when TCP Boost is stopped or at the end of the
measurement period. This counter is updated for each E-RAB.

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LTE5731 TCP Service Differentiation
Feature impact

Feature impact How to measure?

DL/UL Boost ratio

DL Boost ratio TCP_BOOSTING_DUR_ERABS_DL
Provides information about percentage of time during (new) = ×100%
on QCIs {5-9} 1000 * (SUM_SIMUL_ERAB_QCI_5 +
which DL/UL QCI{5-9} DRBs are in boosted state
… + SUM_SIMUL_ERAB_QCI_9)

UL Boost ratio TCP_BOOSTING_DUR_ERABS_UL

(new) = ×100%
on QCIs {5-9} 1000 * (SUM_SIMUL_ERAB_QCI_5 +
… + SUM_SIMUL_ERAB_QCI_9)

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