Abstract: A method of allocating users to core network nodes of a cellular telecommunications System, where users access the core network via a radio access network and where the nodes of the core network are grouped into a plurality of local pool areas and the local pool areas are further grouped into one or more pool areas, and each local pool area corresponds to a geographic area covered by the access network. The method comprises allocating a user to a core network node of a local pool area corresponding to the geographic area within which the user is located, maintaining the core network node while the user moves within the local pool area, and, in the event that the user moves out of the local pool area but remains in the same pool area, maintaining said allocation at least temporarily.

Abstract: A method, a device and a system are provided for monitoring Location-based Service of a mobile telecommunications network. A passive monitoring method is applied processing both positioning and Location-based Service information of different interfaces. In the system, a monitoring device is attached at the standard interfaces of the network calculating Key Performance indicators and/or measures of network usage from the combined information. In a preferred embodiment, traffic of Le and Gi interfaces (106, 107) of a 3GPP GPRS network (102) are monitored, however the invention can be applied to both circuit-switched and packet-switched telecommunications network supporting positioning.

Abstract: For implementing handling of congestions in a mobile network, a base station (100), e.g., an evolved Node B, is provided with at least one congestion controller (400, 400?). The congestion controller (400, 400?) operates in relation to data packets which are received from a transport network. The base station (100) then transmits the data packets on at least one radio link, which may be accomplished by using one or more scheduling queues (402) and a radio interface scheduler (410). A bitrate detector (404) measures a bitrate of the received data packets, and a bitrate limit calculator (408) calculates, on the basis of the measured bitrate, a maximum bitrate for transmission of the data packets on the radio link. A congestion detector (406) is used to detect a congestion in the transport network. In response to the detected congestion, the radio interface scheduler (410) schedules transmissions on the at least one radio link to meet the calculated maximum bitrate.

Abstract: A method and apparatus enabling performance monitoring in packet-switched IP networks such as those configured according to an IP multimedia subsystem, IMS, architecture. Performance is monitored by reconstructing selected control signaling sequences. The control signaling sequences, which are typically executed according a signaling protocol such as the Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, are reconstructed by parsing the contents of monitoring request headers configured, modified, and attached to control messages according to the present invention. The header includes at least an IMS monitoring ID field (510) for identifying the signaling sequence to be reconstructed, a processing node ID field (520) for representing the entities processing the messages, and a requester ID field (530) for identifying a requesting entity. It may also specify a monitoring level (540) indicative of the monitoring tasks required. The monitoring may be requested by an IMS node, or by an entity outside the IMS.

Abstract: For implementing handling of congestions in a mobile network, a base station (100), e.g., an evolved Node B, is provided with at least one congestion controller (400, 400?). The congestion controller (400, 400?) operates in relation to data packets which are received from a transport network. The base station (100) then transmits the data packets on at least one radio link, which may be accomplished by using one or more scheduling queues (402) and a radio interface scheduler (410). A bitrate detector (404) measures a bitrate of the received data packets, and a bitrate limit calculator (408) calculates, on the basis of the measured bitrate, a maximum bitrate for transmission of the data packets on the radio link. A congestion detector (406) is used to detect a congestion in the transport network. In response to the detected congestion, the radio interface scheduler (410) schedules transmissions on the at least one radio link to meet the calculated maximum bitrate.

Abstract: A technique for traffic monitoring in a network comprising monitoring components and a management center (MC) is described. A method implementation comprises the steps of selecting a first set of local identifiers from a larger second set of local identifiers, wherein the local identifiers are capable of providing a unique identification of a network connection at the first monitoring component, filtering network connections, allocating a local identifier of the first set of local identifiers to a network connection in case a filter condition applies during the filtering, checking associations of network traffic with local identifiers, and selectively monitoring network traffic associated with a local identifier from the first set of local identifiers.

Abstract: A monitoring system is provided for monitoring transport of data through interconnected nodes for processing data packets in a communication system, wherein said data packets conform to a layered transmission protocol, the system comprising: (1) a marking node for marking a packet selected according to a marking rule by placing a monitoring indicator in the lowest protocol layer thereof, said data packet having a first number of protocol layers, (2) at least, one packet processing node for forming a data packet based or the marked packet, such that said formed data packet comprises a second number of protocol layers that is different from said first number of protocol layers and such that said indicator is in the lowest protocol layer of said formed data packet, and (3) a monitoring node for monitoring said transport of data on the basis of the indicators in data packets that have passed through the at least one packet processing node.

Abstract: A method of handling performance data comprising a set of events is described. An event record for each event is stored as a set of blocks, each block containing one or more attributes of the event. The storage space occupied by each event record in is then reduced in discrete steps, each step including a reduction process that reduces the size of one of the set of blocks. This enables the provision of intermediate records between events and counters so that new event records contain complete details of their event, older event records contain less information, and even older event records may contain only high-level (counter) information.

Abstract: Methods of processing record data are presented, together with a Central Management Node for processing record data, and Management Subsystem DataBases for providing a record data set and matching record data. Triggered by service related network fault event, a key table comprising at least one key type is determined, based on a focus target record and related to the network fault event is determined, which key table is used in the step matching the at least one key with record data sets in determined Management Subsystem DataBases. Matched results are merged, whereafter a service performance indicator may be determined, based on which a multi-layer water flow analysis of subsystem specific performance related indicators can be obtained. This analysis may be successfully used to reveal the location of the service related network fault.

Abstract: A system and method of handling poll-based alarms. The method begins by detecting a high-priority problem in a network. Next, network elements in the network related to the high-priority problem are mapped. The mapping step includes grouping network elements into focus groups wherein each focus group includes network elements having the same alarm. The mapped network elements are then polled for alarms. The polled alarms of the network elements are then correlated and processed.

Abstract: A system for determining a Home Zone service availability within a cell in a cellular communications network, wherein users of said cell comprise Home Zone users for whom services are provided at special Home Zone subscription rates when the user is in the cell, and non-Home Zone users. The system comprises measuring means for measuring total usage within the cell, and determining means for determining from said measurements and one or more Home Zone user usage profiles whether a further Home Zone user can be added to the cell.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention include a method and apparatus for encoding the signature string X into a first part B and a second part R with reference to a dictionary comprising a plurality of codes. The first part B identifies which, if any, characters of the signature string X are wildcard characters. The second part R is formed by, for each character in the signature string X that is not a wildcard character, retrieving a code from the dictionary based on the character and its position within the signature string X, the dictionary holding a different code for each such character-position pairing, and combining the retrieved codes according to a predetermined logical operation (e.g. XOR) to form the second part R.

Abstract: A method of handling performance data comprising a set of events is described. An event record for each event is stored as a set of blocks, each block containing one or more attributes of the event. The storage space occupied by each event record in is then reduced in discrete steps, each step including a reduction process that reduces the size of one of the set of blocks. This enables the provision of intermediate records between events and counters so that new event records contain complete details of their event, older event records contain less information, and even older event records may contain only high-level (counter) information.

Abstract: A method and apparatus enabling performance monitoring in packet-switched IP networks such as those configured according to an IP multimedia subsystem, IMS, architecture. Performance is monitored by reconstructing selected control signaling sequences. The control signaling sequences, which are typically executed according a signaling protocol such as the Session Initiation Protocol, SIP, are reconstructed by parsing the contents of monitoring request headers configured, modified, and attached to control messages according to the present invention. The header includes at least an IMS monitoring ID field (510) for identifying the signaling sequence to be reconstructed, a processing node ID field (520) for representing the entities processing the messages, and a requester ID field (530) for identifying a requesting entity. It may also specify a monitoring level (540) indicative of the monitoring tasks required. The monitoring may be requested by an IMS node, or by an entity outside the IMS.

Abstract: A method in a cellular mobile packet data network is provided composed of four main steps. These are capturing raw traffic traces over standardized interfaces of an operational cellular mobile data network, parsing through the traces in order to extract and correlate all the information, which is needed to build a traffic and session database, defining a set of appropriate key performance indicators, and calculating the above defined key performance indicators. A system in a mobile data network is also provided, the key element of which is a traffic and session database, which correlates traffic and mobility information extracted from passively captured traces collected from standardized interfaces. A set of key performance indicators describing the true, user perceived end-to-end quality of the most commonly used applications is also listed.

Abstract: A monitoring system is provided for monitoring transport of data through interconnected nodes for processing data packets in a communication system, wherein said data packets conform to a layered transmission protocol, the system comprising: (1) a marking node for marking a packet selected according to a marking rule by placing a monitoring indicator in the lowest protocol layer thereof, said data packet having a first number of protocol layers, (2) at least, one packet processing node for forming a data packet based or the marked packet, such that said formed data packet comprises a second number of protocol layers that is different from said first number of protocol layers and such that said indicator is in the lowest protocol layer of said formed data packet, and (3) a monitoring node for monitoring said transport of data on the basis of the indicators in data packets that have passed through the at least one packet processing node.

Abstract: Methods of processing record data are presented, together with a Central Management Node for processing record data, and Management Subsystem DataBases for providing a record data set and matching record data. Triggered by service related network fault event, a key table comprising at least one key type is determined, based on a focus target record and related to the network fault event is determined, which key table is used in the step matching the at least one key with record data sets in determined Management Subsystem Databases. Matched results are merged, whereafter a service performance indicator may be determined, based on which a multi-layer water flow analysis of subsystem specific performance related indicators can be obtained. This analysis may be successfully used to reveal the location of the service related network fault.

Abstract: A technique for classifying network traffic in the form of data packets generated by multiple applications installed on a device (400) is provided. A method implementation of this technique performed by the device (400) comprises the steps of receiving data packets belonging to one or more data flows, wherein each data flow includes the data packets generated by a specific one of the multiple applications, analyzing the received data packets to identify the application associated with each analyzed data packet, and classifying at least one data flow by including an application identifier in at least one of the analyzed data packets of this data flow.

Abstract: To provide a solution for efficient and large-scale characterization of push-to-talk service performance in a mobile communication environment there is described a method and apparatus for passive evaluation of push-to-talk traffic in a communication network. After capturing (S10) data transactions in the communication network there follows a step of extracting (S12) interpretations of data transactions being relevant for push-to-talk, traffic classes, and users, from captured data transactions. Then a correlation of extracted interpretations of data transactions being relevant for push-to-talk, traffic classes, and users is stored (S14) in a traffic data base. This allows to calculate (S16) at least one performance indicator with respect to at least one selected push-to-talk session as a function of information stored in the traffic database.

Abstract: A method of allocating users to core network nodes of a cellular telecommunications System, where users access the core network via a radio access network and where the nodes of the core network are grouped into a plurality of local pool areas and the local pool areas are further grouped into one or more pool areas, and each local pool area corresponds to a geographic area covered by the access network. The method comprises allocating a user to a core network node of a local pool area corresponding to the geographic area within which the user is located, maintaining the core network node while the user moves within the local pool area, and, in the event that the user moves out of the local pool area but remains in the same pool area, maintaining said allocation at least temporarily.