The Core Partner

of the Core Network

Migration
By Wang Qi

I
n recent years, the global telecom industry
has suffered the same changes: New
technologies based on IP technology are
emerging constantly, bringing forth a lot
of more competitive services. This has
provided telecom operators with advantages to
realize transformation and exploit new fields of
value. Numerous mobile operators are considering
optimizing the core network structure by replacing
the existing MSC with the new generation
equipment, which is based on softswitch technology.
Some well-known operators have already
made such attempts. For instance, China Mobile
built an R4-based transit layer; Orange launched a
purchasing plan for upgrading its global mobile core
networks. It is not an easy matter for any operator
to migrate the whole core network but a task full
of challenges. Due to its complexity and difficulty,
the core network migration needs a system-level
partner. Therefore, operators evaluate their suppliers
more strictly and carefully, especially in technology, times, which carried over 60% of the transit traffic, Figure 1: Huawei was
product, planning, and service capability. and successfully went through the challenge of awarded "The 2005 Highest
Development Achievement" by
Huawei plays the leading role in the area heavy traffic during festivals such as the Mid-Autumn
the STC
of wireless network. Huawei began to construct Day and the Spring Festival.
a transit network of new generation for China In the year of 2005, the Saudi Telecom
Mobile in 2004, and within half a year, Huawei (STC) far in the Middle East also selected Huawei
smoothly passed China Mobile's test and completed softswitch equipment to replace some existing
equipment deployment in 31 provinces. By the end nodes in its network, expecting to stand the
of 2004, the first batch of the transit traffic in the extremely heavy traffic during Ramadan and Hajj in
existing network had been successfully cut over to Mekka. Huawei’s equipment in Mekka welcomed
the new network. In the succeeding year, Huawei the first significant challenge in the Hajj of 2005.
expanded the new softswitch network for three At that time, 2,000,000 Muslim joined together

HUAWEI SERVICE JANUARY 2007 . ISSUE 1 

Special Report www.huawei.com

in prayer. As a result, the number of subscribers
was more than 10 times the usual number and
the traffic was nearly 20 times the usual traffic.
Huawei’s equipment run stably and the total call
completion rate reached over 65% even under such
an utmost traffic, and finally won good feedback
from STC. Huawei not only stood a critical test
but also rewrote the history of system breakdown
during Hajj. Once again Huawei was proved to be a
trustworthy service partner and awarded "The 2005
Highest Development Achievement" by the STC.
After Huawei successfully implemented some
challenging migration projects, more and more
famous operators began to cooperate with Huawei.
The Orange Group started to invite a bid for its
worldwide core network migration in 2005, and
Huawei finally entered Orange's global short list.
Currently, Huawei has gained the Orange’s subnet
migration project in Belgium, as well as those in
Egypt and Madagascar. In 2005, KPN, the largest
fixed and mobile service operator in the Netherlands
selected Huawei to migrate its wireless core network
equipment in the Netherlands, including all the
Packet Switched (PS) and MSC in the existing
network. Mr. Marco Visser, COO of KPN Mobile, said
that, with Huawei's innovative solutions, they were
able to introduce cutting-edge services more quickly
to their customers.
Hard work is always the gateway to success.
Leveraging the core capability formed by constant
learning, Huawei has possessed the total solution
integrated with product, design and service, which
ensures Huawei to win a number of bids. Generally,
Huawei divides the implementation of a core
network migration project into the following five
steps, as shown in Figure 2.
1. Network Evaluation
Network evaluation is the basis of a whole
network migration project. Before implementation,
Huawei evaluates the existing networks, including
operation support network, service network,
signaling network, bearer traffic network and
synchronization network. According to the results,
we can make the proper strategy and solution for
further implementation. In addition, the KPI of these
existing networks will be kept as a benchmark for
the performance of new network.
2. Migration Path Analysis
After fully analyzing the topology of existing
network and the features (such as capacity and
location) of existing nodes, Huawei proposes several
approaches to network migration. The final solution
is decided upon sufficient communication with the
customer. In the period, Huawei not only considers
the development of technology and utilization of
resources, but also takes into account the security
of implementation, so as to lower the cutover times
and reduce the risk.
3. Network Dimensioning
After the network migration path is determined,

Figure 2: Migration solution of wireless core network

1 Network Evaluation

2 Migration Path Analysis 3 Network Dimensioning

4 Scenario Designing 5 Implementation

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we will set down plan of equipment, capacity as well
as transmission resources to be deployed in different
phases, so that the operator can correctly evaluate
the revenue and TCO ratio of each financial year.
Huawei network design team will output equipment
configuration of annual network deployment, and
make adjustments according to detailed discussions
with customer.
4. Scenario Designing
The next step is to work out a cutover solution
specific to each kind of MSCs. Migration modes may
vary with actual MSC conditions. All the followings
are key factors to be considered:
• Capacity of the existing MSCs
• Environment of equipment rooms
• Amount of BSCs belonging to those MSCs
• Amount of office directions connected
• Amount of trunks and signaling
In addition, Huawei also thinks over the
operator's specifications and requirements for
cutover to select a migration mode.
5. Implementation
When a consensus is reached on all the above-
mentioned matters upon sufficient communication
with the customer, Huawei project manager
will set down a detailed project schedule and a
plan for human resources to guide subsequent
implementation. Meanwhile, the engineering design
team begins to design project implementation, as
Figure 3: Project design process
Customer
Requirements
High Level Design
(HLD)
Low Level Design
(LLD)
Deployment Design
(DD)
Manufacture
shown in Figure 3.
The following describes the whole design
process:
(a) High Level Design (HLD): Focus on
research and analysis of target networks and service
demands in every particular.
(b) Low Level Design (LLD): Based on the
HLD, standardize the interfaces, physical bearers,
and signaling flows between network elements (NEs).
Huawei wins
(c) Deployment Design (DD): Based on
the LLD, configure engineering parameters for the respect and
every NE. The DD can fully guide the engineering
team to complete the subsequent installation, high favor of
commissioning, and integration.
(d) High Level Test Plan (HLT): According to
more and more
the HLD, determine test elements such as target, multinational
scope, environment, and process.
(e) Detailed Test Plan (DTP): Based on the operators
DTP, make specific test cases.
In summary, a core network migration is and becomes
a comprehensive project, involving end-to-end
delivery. In its long-term practice, Huawei found
their most
out a set of methodologies, which has proved to be trustworthy
effective. Huawei softswitch has currently served
50,000,000 subscribers, with the largest shipment service partner.
all over the world. Huawei focuses on pressures and
challenges faced by customers during the whole
project implementation. As a result, Huawei always
gives top priority to meeting customer requirements
with quick response to help them develop services,
win the respect and high favor of more and more
multinational operators and become their most
trustworthy service partner.
High Level Test Plan
(HLT)
Detail Test Plan
(DTP)
Installation Commissioning Integration
HUAWEI SERVICE JANUARY 2007 . ISSUE 1