Concept

This section describes the common concepts used in the MSC Pool feature.

MSC Pool and MSC Pool Area

As shown in Figure 1, a group of MSCs comprise an MSC Pool. The area served by an MSC
Pool is called an MSC Pool area. From the perspective of the RNC/BSC, if one or more
RNCs/BSCs belong to an MSC Pool, all the service areas of the RNC(s)/BSC(s) comprise an
MSC Pool area. All subscribers in the Pool area are served together by the MSCs in the MSC
Pool.
Figure 1 MSC Pool and MSC Pool area
MSC Pool
MSC1

MSC2

RNC1/
BSC1

RNC2/
BSC2

RNC3/
BSC3

MSC Pool area

RNC/BSC Outside the MSC Pool Area

The MSCs in an MSC Pool can control one or more RNCs/BSCs outside the MSC Pool. These
RNCs/BSCs are called the RNCs/BSCs outside the MSC Pool area, as shown in Figure 2.
Figure 2 RNCs/BSCs outside MSC Pool area
MSC Pool
MSC1

RNC1/
BSC1

MSC2

RNC2/
BSC2

RNC3/
BSC3

RNC4/
BSC4

MSC Pool area

TMSI
The TMSI is a temporary identifier that is assigned to the mobile subscriber when it is registered
in an MSC. The TMSI is used to increase subscriber confidentiality by avoiding sending the
International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) on the air interface. Once a TMSI has been
assigned to a User Equipment (UE), the TMSI is used by the UE to identify itself in the network.
Figure 3 shows the TMSI structure. The TMSI contains an NRI in bits 23-14. The NRI is defined
with a length and with a corresponding set of values. The NRI length has a range of 0 to 10 bits.

For example, if the NRI has a length of 10 bits, it occupies bits 23-14 (including bit 23 and bit 14)
of the TMSI.
The implementation of the MSC Pool function depends on the TMSI reallocation function enabled
by the MSC in the MSC Pool, including the allocation of TMSI during location update and the
allocation of TMSI during service access.
Figure 3 Structure of the TMSI
31 30

29

CS/PS

VLR
restart

28 27 26 25 24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13

...

NRI range

Bits 31-30

CS/PS service indicator

Bit 29

VLR restart count

Bits 23-n (n14)

NRI

Other bits

User IDs

NRI
A network resource identifier (NRI) is used to identify an MSC node serving a specified MS/UE.
When an MS/UE registers with an MSC in the MSC Pool for the first time, the MSC allocates a
TMSI containing the local NRI for the MS/UE. When the MS/UE initiates a service again, the NRI
is contained in the service initiation request message. The RNC/BSC routes the service to the
MSC based on the contained NRI. In this way, each service initiated by the MS/UE in the MSC
Pool area can be routed to the corresponding MSC with which the MS/UE registered. In this case,
when an MS/UE roams within the MSC Pool area, the serving MSC need not be changed.
Compared with traditional networking, the number of location update signaling messages through
the C/D interface is reduced.
An NRI value defines a unique MSC in an MSC Pool. In order to have an active MSC Pool
feature, each MSC Pool member must be assigned at least one NRI value with a length different
from zero. If the NRI length is zero, the MSC does not assign any NRI values to the TMSI and the
MSC Pool feature is not operational (the MSC is not an MSC Pool member).
More than one NRI value can be assigned to an MSC serving an MSC Pool area. The subscriber
capacity in an MSC can be increased by assigning a new additional NRI value to the MSC. All
NRI values must have the same length if they belong to the same MSC Pool.

Null NRI
It is a special NRI. This NRI is encoded with common NRIs on a unified basis. During subscriber
migration, a null-NRI is used to instruct the RNC/BSC to reselect a serving MSC for the MS/UE.
For details about the function of the null-NRI in subscriber migration, see Principle.

Non-broadcast LAI
It is a special LAI and is encoded with common LAIs on a unified basis. During subscriber
migration, it is used to trigger the MS/UE to perform location update immediately after completing
the current service procedure. In addition, the Non-broadcast LAI can be used to identify each
MSC in an MSC Pool. For details about the function of the non-broadcast LAI in subscriber
migration, see Principle.
Each MSC in the MSC Pool has a unique Non-broadcast LAI. Each MSC in an MSC Pool must
be configured with the Non-broadcast LAIs of other MSCs in the MSC Pool, because the target
MSC determines the address of original MSC serving the MS/UE based on the Non-broadcast

LAI and obtains the subscriber information (subscriber's IMSI and unused encryption parameters)
from the original MSC during inter-MSC subscriber migration in the MSC Pool.

MSC Server
The MSC server is applicable to the R4 networking structure. The MSOFTX3000 functions as the
MSC server in an MSC Pool. The MSC server is also called Server or SoftSwitch (SX). In the
following context, unless otherwise specified, the name Server or SX refers to the MSC server.

Virtual MGW
One MGW is managed by one MSC server. One MGW can be divided into many virtual MGWs
which are managed by different MSC servers.

Iu-Flex
Intra-domain connection of RAN nodes to multiple CN nodes (Iu-Flex) indicates that one RAN
node can be connected to multiple CN nodes in the same CS/PS domain. Iu-Flex function has the
following advantages:

Multiple CN nodes share the load of the RAN node, this can:

Improve the utilization of the CN node.

Improve the disaster recovery capability of the network.

Reduce the loss caused by the CN node failure.

The service area of a single CN node is enlarged, this can:

Reduce the number of handovers when crossing CN nodes.

Reduce the number of CN node updates when subscribers roam.

Thus, the signaling traffic of the CN is reduced.

An efficient networking structure can be provided to operators for sharing the RAN.

Iu-Flex and the MSC Pool comply with the same protocols. Different from the Iu-Flex, the MSC
Pool is used in the CS domain of the CN.

Using MGW to Provide the A-FLEX Function

When the MSC Pool networking mode is applied to the present network, you need to upgrade
BSCs on the present network to enable the A-Flex function. BSCs on the present network,
however, do not support the A-Flex function. There are too many BSCs in the present network.
BSCs of different vendors may not support the A-Flex function. Therefore, it is difficult to upgrade
BSCs on the present network to support the A-Flex function.
To solve the above problem, Huawei MGW can be used to provide the A-Flex function. Thus,
when a Huawei MGW is deployed in the network, BSCs on the current network can access the
MSC Pool without upgrade. For details, see A-Flex Function Proxy on the MGW.

Default MSC
When a subscriber roams out of the MSC Pool area and registers with an MSC outside the MSC
Pool, the MSC outside the MSC Pool obtains the subscriber information from the original MSC
where the subscriber is registered. In this case, the MSC outside the MSC Pool should be able to
identify the subscriber's original MSC address based on the original LAI of the subscriber and the
NRI in the TMSI (because an LA in an MSC Pool area is served by all the MSCs in the MSC Pool,
the subscriber's original MSC can not be identified through the LAI only). In this case, the MSC
outside the MSC Pool should configure the mapping relations between LAIs and NRIs of the MSC
Pool and MSCs.
The above process has the following two disadvantages:

MSCs outside the MSC Pool need develop above mapping functions.
MSCs outside the MSC Pool should obtain the planning of NRIs in the MSC Pool and you
need configure large amount of data.

To solve this problem, the concept of a default MSC is adopted in the MSC Pool standards
definition.
An MSC outside the MSC Pool identifies the default MSC based on the original LAI of the
subscriber. The default MSC identifies the originally registered MSC according to the NRI in the
TMSI (the mapping between NRIs of all MSCs in the Pool and corresponding MSC addresses
needs be configured in the default MSC) and transfers the subscriber information between MSCs
outside the MSC Pool and the originally registered-to MSC.

Call Termination Recovery

When an MSC in the MSC Pool fails, the HLR cannot send the PRN message to this MSC. In this
case, subscribers registered at this MSC cannot be reached. In this case, subscribers can be
called only after they update their Location Area Code to the HLR or are registered in other valid
MSCs in the MSC Pool by originating calls.
When the failed MSC recovers, it needs to initiate paging in the whole network to obtain
subscriber information because it does not contain the LAIs of subscribers. In MSC Pool
networking mode, whole network paging is not initiated usually because the MSC Pool area is
very large. This may also cause call termination failure.
To solve these problems, some special signaling processing is required during an MSC failure in
the pool, which is called Call Termination Recovery. For details, see Call Termination Recovery
Principle.

CN-ID
It is the ID of an MSC node. The format is MCC+MNC+CN-ID. CN-ID ranges from 0 to 4095. A
CN-ID uniquely identifies an MSC in the MSC Pool.