Network Performance Management

VoLTE Muting – End to End Trouble Shooting Guide

(Algorithmic RCA/RCF)

Rev.
Date Reason for Issue Prepared by Reviewed By Released by
No.

Chirag Joshi
VoLTE Muting-End to Onkar Ghatpande Rajib Chakrabarti
01 Feb -2017 Heera Gupta
End Troubleshooting Roopal Bagree Selvinson SJS

Printouts of this document shall be deemed uncontrolled.

NSO Service Operations Centre Network Performance Management-RJIO

Amendment Record / Control Sheet (ACS)

Reason Prepared Contributed Details of Amendments /

Rev. No. Date
for Issue by Revisions

RF Operations’
competence development Rajnish V. Kumar Steps and method to
31-Jan- Chirag Joshi
01 for End to End (Backhaul), troubleshoot VoLTE
2017
troubleshooting of muting VoLTE Muting Task Muting
up to Circle & JC level Force Team

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Table of Contents

1 Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................................................................... 4
2 Introduction & Definition Of VoLTE Muting.............................................................................................................................. 4
3 VOMA Functional Guide ...................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4 Work Process / Procedure – VoLTE Muting ............................................................................................................................. 4
4.1 RF / Radio Access RCA for VoLTE Muting ..................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.2 Backhaul RCA for VoLTE Muting ........................................................................................................................................................ 7
4.2.1 IP Evaluation Matrices ........................................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.2.2 Microwave Evaluation Matrices ......................................................................................... Error! Bookmark not defined.
4.2.3 Transport Evaluation Matrices ............................................................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined.

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1 Purpose

The purpose of this document is to facilitate Root cause analysis and mitigation of VoLTE Muting.
Though the action identification workflow detailed below is automated in the Performance Management
tool (MYCOM) through the standard template mostly for RF and partial for backhaul; this document serves
the purpose for method and procedures of troubleshooting which will support the finalizing the RCA of
VoLTE muting.
This document is created to serve the purpose of quick and ready reference during the course of
troubleshooting.
This Operation Manual is a living document as many facets of Root Cause determination continuously
evolves owing to constantly evolving feature sets as well as development of technology and is aligned to
be updated on a continuous basis through prevalent release management process.

2 Introduction & Definition of VoLTE Muting

JIO has deployed one of the biggest network where Voice is fully supported by VoLTE & IMS. As Voice
conversations are real time in nature any gap or break in Voice can give the un-favourable user experience.
VoLTE muting is basically gap in Voice packets or RTP packets which can be perceived by human ears
as a blank voice. By standard practice and simulations 400ms is set as a minimum duration which can be
perceived as Voice Muting.
JIO has deployed a Samsung tool called VOMA which can detect Voice Muting or in other words
absence of RTP packets and gave the cell wise statistics. Also VOMA can give the RTP loss bifurcation
between Air interface and backhaul or core which can further help in troubleshooting.

3 VOMA Functional Guide

VoMA (VoLTE monitoring & analysis) tool is deployed by JIO to measure the Voice Muting which is
Samsung tool and runs on eNodeB and eNodeB is the measurement point.
As low as 400ms muting can be detected by VOMA and give the report for mute time as well as mute
instances.
VOMA also gives the initial segregation of muting with 3 level of categorisation.
1. DL Air Interface (eNodeB to UE-A) (RTP loss eNodeB to UE)
2. UL Air Interface (UE-A to eNodeB) (RTP loss UE to eNodeB)
3. Backhaul** (Backhaul + Core of A party & B party + UL B Party) (RTP not received @
eNodeB)
**Note: Backhaul in VOMA has to be used just as an indicative for the troubleshooting as backhaul of VOMA can have
A party backhaul + Core and B party Backhaul + Core issue; B party is not known under which eNodeB/CSS/AG1 etc.;
Even B party can be other Operator as well.

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Below is the VOMA functional diagram for these 3 level of bifurcation

4 Work Process / Procedure – Muting RCA & RCF

VOMA is integrated with JCP & MYCOM. Throughput which cell level Muting can be derived. Cells are
further bifurcated in critical & major category for the actioning to begin with.

Critical – EUMR>0.5% (End User Mute Rate) >3 out of 7 days && >2 second Muting is >30% of the times in
total muting
Major – EUMR>0.5% (End User Mute Rate) >3 out of 7 days && >2 second Muting is >20% to <30% of the
times in total muting

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4.1 RF ( Radio) RCA for VoLTe Muting

VOMA output gives the Radio (DL & UL) & Backhaul bifurcation so action has to be
formulated based on RF or Backhaul. This section will focus on RF analysis for Muting RCA.
RF can cause the packet loss of Voice packets which can lead to muting during the
conversation.
Conversation is always between two Parties, User-A can perceive muting only of downlink
direction as that is where user-A is listening, Uplink muting of User-A will be perceived by User-B.
Same way Uplink muting of User-B will be perceived by User-A.

Radio Analysis For VoLTE Muting

Sr No. Radio Analysis RCA Tool Methdology Actions
i) Poor VoLTE CQI & BLER But not having NGBR
i) Inter Band Tilt Optimization
outage
1 RF-Coverage Mycom/JCP ii) NGBR eNodeb Tilt/Physical Optimization
ii) Poor VoLTe SINR
iii) Infill Site
iii) Poor Coverage & SINR Samples
i) UL & Dl VoLTE PKT Loss
ii) Overshooting
i) Physical Optimization - Tilt & Azimuth
2 RF Quality iii) PCI polution Mycom/JCP
ii) InterBand Optimization
iv) Poor VoLTE CQI/SINR
v) RF cable swap
3 RF Uplink Interferece Interference source identification Spectrum Analyser Inteference Mitigation
i) Self Outage
JCP/Mycom
eNodeB Availability /Hardware ii) NGBR Outage
4 TeMip Ourage & Hardware rectification
Malfunctioning ii) Short Duration Fluctuations
LSMR
iv) Hardware UAMA/L9CA
i) Sleeping Cell JCP/Mycom i) Sleeping Cell
5 eNodeB Software Malfunctioning ii) DSP Reset TeMip ii) DSP Reset
iii) Hardreset LSMR iii) Hardreset
i) High Delay in Handover
ii) MRO RLFs Too Late/Too Early & Ping-Pong HO Parameters A3,A2 & offset tuning &
6 Handover Optimization Mycom/JCP
Handover Physical Optimization
iii) High Handover failures

Above correlation is automatically available fully automated way in Mycom, below is the template to be
run for the cell basis where muting is found higher.

RF RCA Template Path: everybody/Muting Action Template

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Template Output cell wise for the final RCA..

4.2 Backhaul RCA for VoLTe Muting

VOMA output gives the Radio (DL & UL) & Backhaul bifurcation so action has to be
formulated based on RF or Backhaul. This section will focus on Backhaul analysis for Muting RCA.
Muting is caused by voice/RTP packet loss which can happen at any interface in our
backhaul network. Backhaul is the combination of multiple media and components e.g MW, fiber,
IP backhaul routers & aggregation routers etc.
Backhaul analysis reports are scheduled and on query taken out from Mycom

Backhaul Analysis For VoLTE Muting

Sr No. Backhaul Analysis
1 Based on eNodeB Counters
2 Backhaul Evaluation
RCA Tool Methdology Actions
i) Mitigation of packetloss/fail for Interface
i) GTP Packet Loss & GTP path fail Mycom
cuasing GTP loss/fail
i) IP Evaluation Matrics
Mycom / OEM i) Mitigation of packetloss for the
ii) Microwave Evaluation Matrics
Node identified Interface
iii) Evaluation Matrics

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4.2.1 IP– Evaluation Matrices :

Above analysis can be achieved with the help of following report of Mycom.
- Power loss report
- CRC/interface error report
- Exception report interface, CPU-Memory utilization, interface error

4.2.2 Microwave – Evaluation Matrices :

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4.2.3 Transport – Evaluation Matrices :

Above analysis can be achieved with the help of following report of Mycom.

- Exception reports Client interfaces

- Exception report for channels (Power level, errors, Q Factor)

- Exception report OTS losses (Span loss w.r.t. Design loss)

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