diff --git a/src/lte/doc/source/lte-design.rst b/src/lte/doc/source/lte-design.rst index 023ec6dda..6147fc48e 100644 --- a/src/lte/doc/source/lte-design.rst +++ b/src/lte/doc/source/lte-design.rst @@ -1465,3 +1465,118 @@ A few notes on the above diagram: on control plane only. + +.. only:: latex + + .. raw:: latex + + \clearpage + +----------------- +X2-based handover +----------------- + +The X2 interface interconnects two eNBs [TS36.420]_. From a logical point of view, the X2 interface is a point-to-point interface between the two eNBs. In a real E-UTRAN, the logical point-to-point interface should be feasible even in the absence of a physical direct connection between the two eNBs. In the X2 model implemented in the simulator, the X2 interface is a point-to-point interface. + +The overall architecture of the LENA simulation model is depicted in the figure :ref:`fig-epc-topology-x2-enhanced`. It adds the X2 interface between eNBs to the original architecture described in :ref:`overall-architecture`. + +.. _fig-epc-topology-x2-enhanced: + +.. figure:: figures/epc-topology-x2-enhanced.* + :align: center + + Overall architecture of the LTE-EPC simulation model enhanced with X2 interface + + +X2 model +++++++++ + +The X2 model implemented in the simulator provides detailed implementation of the following elementary procedures of the Mobility Management functionality [TS36.423]_: + + * Handover Request procedure + + * Handover Request Acknowledgement procedure + + * SN Status Transfer procedure + + * UE Context Release procedure + +These procedures are involved in the X2-based handover. You can find the detailed description of the handover in section 10.1.2.1 of [TS36.300]_. Figure :ref:`x2-based-handover-seq-diagram` shows the interaction of the entities of the X2 model in the simulator. + +.. _fig-x2-based-handover-seq-diagram: + +.. figure:: figures/lte-epc-x2-handover-seq-diagram.* + :width: 700px + :align: center + + Sequence diagram of the X2-based handover + +The X2 model is an entity that uses services from: + + * the X2 interfaces (Socket) + + * to send/receive X2 PDUs through the X2-C and X2-U interfaces + + * the S1 application (current it is the EpcEnbApplication) + + * to get some information needed for the Elementary Procedures + + * the RRC entity (RRC-SAP) + + * to get some information neeeded for the Elementary Procedures + + * to get the transparent container to be sent to the UE as an RRC message + +Figure :ref:`fig-x2-entity-saps` shows the implentation model of the X2 entity and its relationship with all the other entities and services in the protocol stack. + +.. _fig-x2-entity-saps: + +.. figure:: figures/lte-epc-x2-entity-saps.* + :width: 700px + :align: center + + Implementation Model of X2 entity and SAPs + + +X2 interfaces ++++++++++++++ + +The X2 model contains two interfaces: + + * The X2-C interface. It is the control interface and it is used to send the X2-AP PDUs + (i.e. the elementary procedures). + + * The X2-U interface. It is used to send the bearer data when there is `DL forwarding`. + +Figure :ref:`fig-lte-epc-x2-interface` shows the protocol stacks of the X2-U interface and X2-C interface modeled in the simulator. + +.. _fig-lte-epc-x2-interface: + +.. figure:: figures/lte-epc-x2-interface.* + :align: center + + X2 interface protocol stacks + +In the original X2 interface control plane protocol stack, SCTP is used as the transport protocol but currently, the SCTP protocol is not modeled in the ns-3 simulator and its implementation is out-of-scope of the project. UDP protocol is used as the datagram oriented protocol instead of the SCTP protocol. + + +RRC Service Interface ++++++++++++++++++++++ + +The RRC service interface is used by the X2 entity to get some informations needed to build the X2 messages. It is divided into two parts: + +* the ``RrcSapProvider`` part is provided by the RRC entity and used by the X2 entity and + +* the ``RrcSapUser`` part is provided by the X2 entity and used by the RRC entity + + +S1 Service Interface +++++++++++++++++++++ + +The S1 service interface is used by the X2 entity to get some information neeeded to build the X2 messages. It is divided into two parts: + +* the ``S1SapProvider`` part is provided by the S1 entity and used by the X2 entity and + +* the ``S1SapUser`` part is provided by the X2 entity and used by the S1 entity + +