Workshop for Performance Related

Alarms
1) Performance alarms collection (identification and procedure to collect the alarms)

2) alarms to be analyse for improvement of performance(awareness regarding causes for occurrence,

criteria for analysis)

3) understanding the correlations of alarms(simulteneous occurrence of various alarms)

4) action to be taken for alarms reduction(methodology and procedure for alarm reduction)

5) frequency for monitoring alarms(schedule for alarm collection and analysis)

6) important KPI can be affected by alarms(impact of various alarms on various KPI and other
performance parameters)

7) different report can help for analyzing the performance(daily performance logs to be collected i.e.
G.826 performance report for all MW links)

As discussed in the Bharti Operational meeting held in Gurgaon me, Rishi and Gagan Bhashin will be
conducting this workshop in Patna and Kolkata.
 Alarm groups and numbers

The Alarm Reference documentation consists of alarm printouts and diagnosis reports. The alarms have been divided into four groups, and each of
them is described in a dedicated piece of documentation.
The alarms are numbered in ascending order as follows:
Table: Alarm groups and numbers

Disturbance Failure Diagnosis Base Transmission

Alarm number Notices printouts printouts reports station equipment Numbers reserved for
in: (NOTICE) (DISTUR) (ALARMS) (DIAGN) alarms alarms possible external alarms

switching 0–799 1000–1799 2000–2799       4000–4799

equipment 3000–3799

O&M equipment 800 - 899 1800–1899 2800–2899       4800–4899

3800–3899

transmission 900 - 999 1900–1999 2900–2999       4900–4999

equipment 3900–3999

diagnosis       3700–3999      
report number

base station/         7000– 8000–8999  

transmission 7999
equipment
alarms 

power             5000–5499
equipment

external             5500–5999
equipment
 Structure of the BSC alarm

a.Type of alarm printout

b.Name of the network element

c.Remote subscriber stage (4 characters)
Printed only if the object of the alarm is in a remote subscriber stage.

d.Computer sending the alarm

e.Alarm equipment type

SWITCH switching equipment O&M operation and maintenance equipment TRANSM transmission equipment POWER power equipment EXTERN
external equipment
Unknown equipment type is printed as ??????

f.Date and time

Start or termination time of the alarm.

g.Urgency level
*** requires immediate actions ** requires actions during normal working hours * normally no actions required
Unknown urgency level is printed as a question mark (?).
The urgency level is output in all alarm printouts except notices (NOTICE). The urgency levels of terminated alarms are indicated by dots (.)
instead of asterisks (*).

a.Printout type

b.Alarm object

b.Position coordinates of the alarm object

c.Alarm issuer
The program block issuing the alarm. If the name of the program block issuing the alarm is not available, the family identifier of the program
block is output in hexadecimal form instead of the name.
If the alarm is set in a preprocessor plug-in unit, the plug-in unit name and index are output in this field (for example PCU_S-1). In this case, the
alarm concerns the functioning of the plug-in unit in question.
 Cont…..

12) Trial information

If the network element has been divided into a traffic transmitting part and a trial part, this field displays the text TRIAL if the alarm was issued in the trial side.

13)Recovery information
When recovery is informed of the alarm in order to start the automatic recovery actions, this field displays *RECOV*.

14)Processing information
If the alarm is set before the start-up of the distributed part of the alarm system, this field displays LIB. Note that this kind of alarm does not stay as an active alarm
and thus there will be no cancel printout for it.

15)Consecutive number
Failure printouts (***, **, *) are numbered in ascending order. With the help of the number the operating personnel can follow the update and cancel printouts of the
original failure printout.

16)Alarm number
Alarm number is an unambiguous identifier for an alarm. It is also a search index for the description of the alarm.

17)Alarm text
Alarm text is a short description of the alarm.

18)Supplementary information fields

19)Supplementary text
A more detailed text printed out in some alarms.

20)Alarm operating instructions

The user defines an operating instruction with the AOA MML command for an alarm. If the instruction has been defined, then it is displayed in the alarm printout.
 Structure of a BTS alarm

1.Type of alarm printout

Standard alarm printout <HIST> Alarm history printout

b.Exchange

c.BCF number

d.BTS number

e.Event type

COMM communication failure

QUAL quality of service
PROCES processing failure
EQUIPM equipment failure
ENVIR environmental failure

f.Date

g.Time

h.Urgency level
*** requires immediate actions ** requires actions during working hours * no actions required
The urgency level is output in all alarm printouts except notices (NOTICE). The urgency levels of terminated alarms are indicated by dots (.) instead of asterisks (*).

•Printout type
ALARM fault situation CANCEL fault terminated DISTUR disturbance NOTICE notice

c.TRX number

d.BTS name (15 characters)

e.Alarm object (FU/CU/LAPD/PCM/RTSL/TRE/DMR/TRU)

•State of the alarm object

ENABLED The alarm object is able to provide traffic services DISABLED The alarm object is not able to provide traffic services
14) Consecutive alarm number

15) Alarm number

Alarm number is a search index in the alarm reference documentation.

16)Text
The text is a short description of the alarm.

17) Supplementary text

In the case of alarms number range 7600...7699 this field indicates the fault reason.

18) Supplementary information fields

A maximum of 16 fields which are separated from one another by one or several spaces.
 Reasons for Alarm triggering
• Tramsmission Problem
– Cable/Connector
– Mux
– M/W ODU/IDU
– M/W fading/interference
– Configuration problem
• Hardware problem at BTS.
• VSWR/loose cables at BTS.
• Configuration Problem in BSC.
• Hardware Problem at BSC.
• Configuration Problem in BTS.
• Equipment failure(BSC/BTS)
• Environmental failure(High Temp)
• Configuration Problem in MSC.
• Configuration Problem in SGSN.
• Wrong RF parameters.
 How to get the Alarms in the
network
• GNSC is sending a list of active alarms in the
network daily.
• GNSC is preparing a daily report for alarm
history of the circles and store it at the given
locations. Report can be collected from there.

OSS Name IP ftp Report available for Circles Path

Bharti-Mah 10.64.2.1 Maharstra and MP m/home/nocldr/system_alarm_count

Bharti-Mum 10.115.16.129 Gujarat and Mumbai m/home/nocldr/system_alarm_count

Bharti-WB 10.133.1.1 Kolkata, Orissa and WB /home/nnocld/system_alarm_count

Bihar 10.137.16.131 Bihar m/home/nocldr/system_alarm_count

 Cont..
• Net doctor report 34 and 35 can be taken
for alarms count in the circle.
• Performance report for transmission
equipment.
• MML alarms logs ZEOL,ZAHO,ZEOH and
ZAHP output for each NE.
• Daily MAPA also provide information
about KPI degradation in cells.
 Owner for alarms
Owner:- BSS OMC
Rectification Responsibility:-
Transmission :-
RF :-
BSS FLM :-
BSS OMC:-
Switch:-
SGSN:-
 Major performance alarms observed in networks

Text Alarm No. Alarm count Team need to work on alarm

1 BCF FAULTY 7600 179 *** BSS FLM
2 BCF OPERATION DEGRADED 7601 487 ** BSS FLM
3 BCF NOTIFICATION 7602 6926 * BSS FLM
4 BTS FAULTY 7603 472 *** BSS FLM
5 BTS OPERATION DEGRADED 7604 421 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC
6 TRX FAULTY 7606 9418 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC
7 TRX OPERATION DEGRADED 7607 388 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC
9 OSCILLATOR ADJUSTING TEMPORARILY INTERRUPTED 7616 * BSS FLM
11 PCM FAILURE 7704 3241 ** BSS FLM Transmission
12 LAPD FAILURE 7705 23691 * BSS FLM Transmission BSS OMC
13 CONTINUOUS RESTARTS OF BCF/TRX 7715 * BSS FLM Transmission
14 TRAFFIC CHANNEL ACTIVATION FAILURE 7725 149 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC
15 CONFIGURATION OF BCF FAILED 7730 239 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC
16 BTS WITH NO TRANSACTIONS 7738 155 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC
17 MEAN HOLDING TIME BELOW DEFINED THRESHOLD 7743 1684 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC RF
18 EXCESSIVE TCH INTERFERENCE 7744 338 ** BSS OMC RF
19 CHANNEL FAILURE RATE ABOVE DEFINED THRESHOLD 7745 5052 ** BSS FLM BSS OMC RF
20 CH CONGESTION IN CELL ABOVE DEFINED THRESHOLD 7746 1020 ** BSS OMC RF
21 FREQUENCY ERROR 8112 817 * BSS FLM Transmission
22 SUBRACK HAS MISSING UNITS 8139 1037 *** BSS FLM Transmission
23 ROUTE SET UNAVAILABLE 2064 279 * BSS OMC Transmission BSS FLM
24 LINK SET UNAVAILABLE 2070 148 *** BSS OMC Transmission BSS FLM
25 FAILURE IN SIGNALLING LINK ACTIVATION OR RESTORATION 2072 369 ** BSS OMC Transmission BSS FLM
26 FAULT RATE MONITORING 2915 6312 *** Transmission BSS FLM
BTS AND TC UNSYNCHRONIZATION CLEAR CALLS ON A
27 INTERFACE 2992 1413 ** Transmission BSS OMC
BTS AND TC UNSYNCHRONIZATION CLEAR CALLS ON ABIS
28 INTERFACE 2993 3549 ** Transmission BSS FLM
29 NETWORK SERVICE ENTITY UNAVAILABLE 3019 248 ** Transmission BSS FLM SGSN
30 NETWORK SERVICE VIRTUAL CONNECTION UNAVAILABLE 3020 232 * Transmission BSS FLM SGSN
31 RECEIVED BIT ERROR RATIO (BER) > 1E-3 8099 3160 *** Transmission BSS FLM
32 FAR-END ALARM 8179 970 ** Transmission BSS FLM
33 BCCH IS NOT AT PREFERRED BCCH TRX 7734 140 BSS FLM BSS OMC
34 BTS/WBCx: TX ANTENNA FAULTY BSS FLM
35 TRANSCODER CHANNEL FAILURE 2955 41 BSS OMC
 7600 BCF FAULTY :-
• Power unit is probably broken.
• Oven oscillator is broken.
• Temperature inside the TRX is
dangerously high.
• Temperature inside the BTS is too high.
• The TX output power is out of limits (over
maximum or under minimum).
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH
Blocking.
 7601 BCF OPERATION
DEGRADED
• Cabinet I2C bus is jammed.
• Incompatible unit presence has been detected in the BTS.
Instructions:
• AC is off and the battery voltage is too low or battery is being
charged
• Difference between the PCM and BTS frequency reference.
• The TX output power has dropped at least 3 dB.
• Oven oscillator control is close to its margins.
• Power unit output voltage fault
• Power unit input voltage fault.
• No connection to power unit.
• Power unit temperature is dangerously high.
• Transmission unit temperature is dangerously high.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Blocking & Drops, TASR
and HOSR.
 7602 BCF NOTIFICATION
• Temperature inside the TRX is high.
• External synchronisation signals disabled
Instructions:
• Power unit output voltage fault.
• Power unit input voltage fault.
• No connection to power unit. Instructions
• Mismatch between BSC/MMI configuration file
and the actual configuration.
• External synchronisation signals disabled
• RF Impacted KPI : TASR and HOSR.
 7604 BTS OPERATION
DEGRADED

• 7606 TRX FAULTY 7607 TRX OPERATION

DEGRADED
• Rx levels differ too much between main and
diversity antennas
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Drops,
TASR and HOSR.
 7603 BTS FAULTY
• 7606 TRX FAULTY
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH
Blocking.
 7606 TRX FAULTY
• Failure detected during TRX configuring.
• Antenna connection faulty.
• External frame clock synchronisation failed.
• External frame clock missing.
• External frame number synchronisation failed.
• Fault in VSWR antenna monitoring.
• BOI detected that connection to TRX is lost.
• No connection to dual variable gain duplex unit.
• There is disturbance in the serial DL bus or bus is
broken.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Blocking.
 7607 TRX OPERATION
DEGRADED
• Fault in the chain between power unit and MHA.
• Fault in VSWR antenna monitoring.
• No connection to dual variable gain duplex unit.
• TRX is unable to implement EDGE services.
• IDD main/auxiliary TRX frequency band
mismatch.
• Mismatch between BSC/MMI configuration
and/or IDD TRX.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH
Drops, TASR and HOSR.
 7616 OSCILLATOR ADJUSTING
TEMPORARILY INTERRUPTED
• Oven oscillator adjustment function interrupted.
• The Abis frequency is too high or too low, or it fluctuates
so much that the master clock tune is unreliable and
tends to oscillate too much. Another reason for this
alarm can be that the oven adjustment scenario has
tuned the oven too near the edge. When the tune is
stopped, the master clock can go by itself out of
specification and therefore calls may drop after several
hours or days. This is a non-fatal alarm but it indicates
decreased traffic capacity in the base station.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Drops, TASR
and HOSR.
•
 7743 MEAN HOLDING TIME
BELOW DEFINED THRESHOLD
• Mean holding time on a channel is below the operator-
defined minimum during the measurement period. The
alarm is used to supervise the functioning of traffic
channels and to detect the possible faulty channels.
• Restore the channel by first locking it out of use and then
unlocking it
• minimum mean holding time for a TCH (10 s)
• length of TCH supervision measurement (120 min)
• channel seizure threshold value (10)
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Drops, TASR
and HOSR.
 7744 EXCESSIVE TCH
INTERFERENCE
• During the supervision period, the TCH time slot has
suffered excessive interference in idle mode that is equal
to or higher than the operator-defined alarm threshold
percentage. The alarm is used to supervise the BTS
traffic capacity.
• Measure the interference level on the traffic channel in
question.
• TCH interference level threshold value (50 %)
• excessive interference level threshold value (4)
• TCH interference supervision measurement (120 min)
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Drops, TASR
and HOSR.
 7745 CHANNEL FAILURE RATE
ABOVE DEFINED THRESHOLD
• The rate of calls terminating in failure on a channel is above the
threshold value set by the operator. The alarm is used to supervise
the functioning of traffic and signaling channels, and to detect the
possible faulty channels.
• Restore the channel by first locking it out of use and then unlocking
it
• TCH failure rate (20 %) SCHFR
• SDCCH failure rate (80 %)
• Length of supervision period (60 min)
• CS = channel seizure threshold value (10)
• Supervision start time (08-00)
• Supervision end time (18-00)
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Drops and HOSR.
 7746 CH CONGESTION IN CELL
ABOVE DEFINED THRESHOLD
• The percentage of rejected channel seizure requests due
to congestion as opposed to all channel seizure requests
in the base station is above the operator-defined alarm
threshold.
• Increase the network capacity if necessary.
• Channel seizure request threshold value (10) SDCCH
congestion threshold value (20 %)
• TCH congestion threshold value (20 %)
• length of congestion supervision period (120 min)
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Blocking.
 8112 FREQUENCY ERROR
• A frequency error has been detected in the
input signal. This alarm affects the provided
services.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TASR and HOSR.
 8139 SUBRACK HAS MISSING
UNITS
• An installation or usage error has been
detected in a piece of equipment. This
alarm may affect the provided services.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH
Drops.
2064 ROUTE SET UNAVAILABLE
• The signalling point cannot be reached
because none of the signalling routes of
the signalling route set can be used.
Signalling traffic to the signalling point
concerned is totally blocked.
• RF Impacted KPI :Complete service area
of BSC is impacted (100% outage).
 2070 LINK SET UNAVAILABLE

• All signalling links in the signalling link set are

unavailable. There is no direct connection to the
partner exchange to which this link set is
connected.
• There is something wrong with the data
transmission connections of the links of this link
set, and/or links have been blocked.
• RF Impacted KPI : Complete service area of
BSC is impacted (100% outage).
 2072 FAILURE IN SIGNALLING LINK
ACTIVATION OR RESTORATION
• The activation or restoration of a signalling link
fails. If there are other available signalling links
in the signalling link set, signalling traffic is
transmitted through them. Signalling
transmission capacity is, however, decreased.
• RF Impacted KPI : Complete service area of the
BSC is impacted. SDCCH and TCH drops of all
cells of BSC shall have an severe impact.
 2992 BTS AND TC
UNSYNCHRONIZATION CLEAR CALLS
ON A INTERFACE
• Calls have been cleared repeatedly on the same A interface circuit
due to BTS and transcoder unsynchronisation and the number of
successive releases has exceeded the limit defined.
• This alarm only informs the user that calls are cleared due to
unsatisfactory transmission or equipment failure but it does not
directly indicate the faulty equipment, for example a plug-in unit.
• Block the circuit.
• Check the transmission between (the BTS) the BSC and transcoder.
• Check other active alarms concerning (the BTS) the BSC and
transcoder transmission or transcoder plug-in units.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Drops.
 2993 BTS AND TC
UNSYNCHRONIZATION CLEAR CALLS
ON ABIS INTERFACE
• Calls have been cleared three successive times on the
same Abis interface channel due to BTS and transcoder
unsynchronisation.
• This alarm only informs the user that calls are cleared
due to unsatisfactory transmission or equipment failure
but it does not directly indicate the faulty equipment, for
example a plug-in unit.
• Lock the channel.
• Check the transmission between the BTS and the BSC
(and transcoder).
• Check the alarms in transcoder plug-in units.
• RF Impacted KPI : High TCH and SDCCH Drops,TASR
and HOSR.
 3020 NETWORK SERVICE
VIRTUAL CONNECTION
•
UNAVAILABLE
A Network Service Virtual Connection is unavailable. It cannot be used for General
Packet Radio Service, that is, the data transfer capacity has decreased.
• In FR transport mode Check first if the other end has manually taken down the
Network Service Virtual Connection.
• Check the possible hardware and configuration problems mentioned below.
• Check that the pcm lines carrying the Frame Relay bearer channel and Network
Service Virtual Connection are operational.
• Check that the plug-in units terminating the Network Service Virtual Connection, the
AS7 in the SGSN's PAPU and the PCU in the BSC's BCSU, are operational.
• Check also that the identification parameters (NS-VCI, NSEI) of the connections are
the same in both ends.
• Check that the DLCI is configured right. It has to be same in both ends of a point-to-
point link. In IP transport mode (value of the first supplementary information field is
0xFFFF).
• Check first if the other end has manually taken down the Network Service Virtual
Connection.
• check the possible hardware and configuration problems.
• RF Impacted KPI : Complete EDGE/GPRS service unavailable on the cells defined in
the NS-VCI.
 8099 RECEIVED BIT ERROR
RATIO (BER) > 1E-3
• The bit error rate has been exceeded in
the input signal. This alarm affects the
provided services.
• RF Impacted KPI : Complete outage of the
site or severely impacts all the RF KPI if
link is fluctuating.
 8179 FAR-END ALARM
Transmission equipment has received a
far-end alarm. This alarm does not affect
the provided services.
• RF Impacted KPI : Complete outage of the
Site.
 7734 BCCH IS NOT AT
PREFERRED BCCH TRX

• The BTS has at least one TRX defined as

the preferred BCCH TRX but the BCCH
channel is not on such a TRX so the
BCCH coverage may have decreased (If
ICE feature used).
• RF Impacted KPI : EDGE might get
disabled.
• 3019 NETWORK SERVICE ENTITY UNAVAILABLE
( Complete outage)
• 7704 PCM FAILURE (Complete Outage)
• 7705 LAPD FAILURE (TCH and SDCCH blocking)
• 7715 CONTINUOUS RESTARTS OF BCF/TRX (TCH
and SDCCH blocking & Drops )
• 7725 TRAFFIC CHANNEL ACTIVATION FAILURE(TCH
Drop and Blocking)
• 7730 CONFIGURATION OF BCF FAILED ( SDCCH and
TCH blocking or Complete outage)
• 7738 BTS WITH NO TRANSACTIONS (
• 2915 FAULT RATE MONITORING
BTS alarm system
The BTS alarm system receives alarm indications from the following sources in the radio network:

•BTS equipment alarms

•BTS software alarms
•external alarms from the BTS site
•alarms concerning PCM circuits in the radio network
•alarms from LAPD links in the radio network
•alarms from Abis interface equipment
•alarms from application programs of the BSC
•transmission equipment alarms.
This block diagram illustrates the structure of the BTS alarm system:
 Displaying alarms
Alarms are written in a logical file. From the logical file, they can be directed to a local printer or to Nokia NetAct. The table below shows the logical files used
with alarms. For further information on the logical files used with alarms, refer to the Logical files directed to terminal devices section of Logical Files.
Table: The logical files used with alarms

Explanation
LOGICAL FILE

SWITCH1 Two- or three-star switching equipment alarms

TRANSM1 Two- or three-star transmission equipment alarms

POWER1 Two- or three-star power equipment alarms

EXTERN1 Two- or three-star external alarms

OPERMA1 Two- or three-star operation and maintenance equipment alarms

SWITCH2 Switching equipment alarms whose type is notice, disturbance, or one-star alarm

TRANSM2 Transmission equipment alarms whose type is notice, disturbance, or one-star alarm

POWER2 Power equipment alarms whose type is notice, disturbance, or one-star alarm

EXTERN2 External alarms whose type is one-star alarm

OPERMA2 Operation and maintenance alarms whose type is notice, disturbance, or one-star
alarm

BTSALARM1 Three-star BTS alarms

BTSALARM2 Two-star BTS alarms

BTSALARM3 One-star BTS alarms

BTSALARM4 BTS notices and disturbances

Each alarm event, alarm and its cancellation, not filtered by the alarm system, is saved in a log file. This log data is called alarm history. Using the AH command
group commands, you can display the history data concerning the system's alarm situation. For further information on displaying alarm history, refer to Alarm
History Handling (AH ) for DX 200 alarms, and Base Transceiver Station Alarms Handling (EO ) for BTS alarms.
You can either display the alarm history, or merely the active alarms, on the selected output device.
The printout format is the same as in alarm printouts.
It is recommended that you print out the active alarms every day. Check if they require maintenance actions.
A DX 200 alarm whose object unit is not in the normal working state is normally filtered by the alarm system. When the alarm is filtered (by any means), it is
neither printed out nor stored in the alarm history. However, an alarm that is filtered purely on the basis of the state of its object unit is printed out when
displaying active alarms.
You can print out active DX 200 alarms with the command AHO , and active BTS alarms with the command EOL .
You can display the DX 200 alarm history data with the command AHP , and the BTS alarm history data with the command EOH .