Radio Resource Measurement

1
Radio Resource Measurement 802.11k and its
Specification

2
Agenda

• - Why Radio Resource Measurement now?
• 802.11 Existing Measurement Approach
• Proposed 11k Approach
• Requirements
• Issues
• Futures
• Conclusions

3
Military Communications Needs
Connectivity
Space Layer
Airborne Layer
Maneuver Layer
WIN-T
WIN-T
Tactical
Tactical
Sensors
Unattended Ground Layer
Munitions
Robotics

• Assured Communications Anywhere in the World
  Without Fixed Infrastructure and Zero Setup Time

4
Connexion by Boeing
Connexion by BoeingSM
People working together To revolutionize the way
we work, communicate, entertain ourselves and
relax while mobile.
5
Connexion by BoeingSM

• Onboard Wireless LAN connects passengers to
  Connexion offboard service
• Certified usage of passenger wireless devices
  during BA DLH trials in the first half of 2003
• Full-scale launch of service in April 2004

6
787
7
Flight Test
8
Future Allocation Utilization

• Fixed Spectrum Assignments Lead to Inefficient
  Spectrum Utilization
• Opportunities Exist in Time, Frequency, and
  Geography
• RF Spectrum Allocated by Policy
• Allocations, Assignments, and Incumbents Vary by
  Country

Heavy Use
Heavy Use
Sparse Use
Medium Use

• Observations Show Bands of Local Heavy and Sparse
  Activity
• Temporal Usage Characteristics Vary by Band
  Service
• Potential for Usage Dependent on Incumbent
  Service Equipment

• Static Spectrum Management is Limited in Its
  Ability to Improve Spectrum Utilization
  Efficiencies

9
What is the XG Program?

• Develop both the Enabling Technologies and System
  Concepts to Dynamically Utilize Spectrum
• Improve Efficiency of Current, Static Assignments
  for Voice and Data (Threshold Factor of 10,
  Objective Factor of 20)
• Provide Capability to Share Spectrum with
  disparate systems

RF emitters detect each other and adjust
automatically
XG Systems Will Opportunistically Utilize
Unoccupied Spectrum in Time, Space, and Frequency
10
Key Technologies

• Develop Both the Enabling Technology and the
  System Concepts to Dynamically Use Spectrum

11
RRM Extension Options

• RRM blue stars show the location of RRM
  extensions, though RRM pink stars are remotely
  possible.
• RRM Applications are outside the 802.11 specs.

SME
RRM Applications (outside 802.11)
MAC SAP
MAC
MLME
RRM
MLME SAP
RRM
PHY SAP
PLME SAP
PLCP
PLME
RRM
PLME SAP
RRM
PMD SAP
PMD
RRM
12
11k Scope
This Task Group will define Radio Resource
Measurement enhancements to provide mechanisms to
higher layers for radio and network measurements.
13
(No Transcript)
14
TGh layer management model

• Extract from 802.11h-D2.1.32, which addresses
  some measurement extensions for DFS and TPC.

Figure 26 Layer Management Model
15
11h
SME
PLME
MLME
Channel Switch Decision
MAC Timing
Channel Switch Timing
CHANNEL SWITCH
Measurement Processing
MEASURE
Measurement Policy
Measurement Frames
MREQUEST /MREPORT
MREQUEST /MREPORT
SME
MLME
Measurement Frames
MeasurementPolicy
16
WLAN Context Transfer
Subnet A
802.11
802.16, 802.20, Or 802 Cellular
R
Subnet B
802.11
R
802.11f Context Blob (Certificates, pre-auth,
address, etc)
802.11
Context Transfer Packet
17
WLAN Context Transfer
Subnet A
802.11
802.16, 802.20, Or 802 Cellular
R
Subnet B
802.11
R
802.11f Context Blob (Certificates, pre-auth,
address, etc)
802.11
Context Transfer Packet
18
WLAN Context Transfer
Subnet A
802.11
802.16, 802.20, Or 802 Cellular
R
Subnet B
802.11
R
802.11f Context Blob (Certificates, pre-auth,
address, etc)
802.11
Context Transfer Packet
19
WLAN Context Transfer
Subnet A
802.11
802.16, 802.20, Or 802 Cellular
R
Subnet B
802.11
R
802.11f Context Blob (Certificates, pre-auth,
address, etc)
802.11
Context Transfer Packet
20
WLAN Context Transfer
Subnet A
802.11
802.16, 802.20, Or 802 Cellular
R
Subnet B
802.11
R
802.11f Context Blob (Certificates, pre-auth,
address, etc)
802.11
Context Transfer Packet
21
AP Measurements
Context Blob
802.11h Request For Info
or
Context Blob
10/100BaseT
AP1
STA1
Per STA Table
AP Table
Processor
Certs Pre-auth User CIM Schema QoS
Context Blob
22
Card Measurements
AP1
STA1
23
RRM Big Picture
Application Users of Radio Information
Upper Layers
Presentation
Session Users of Radio Information
Transport Users of Radio Information
IP Users of Radio Information
Interface to Upper Layers
MAC Radio Information
MAC
MAC and PHY Layers
PHY Radio Information
PHY
24
RRM Extension Options

• RRM blue stars show the likely location of RRM
  extensions, though RRM pink stars are (remotely)
  possible.
• RRM Applications are outside the 802.11 specs.

SME
RRM Applications (outside 802.11)
MAC SAP
MAC
MLME
RRM
MLME SAP
RRM
PHY SAP
PLME SAP
PLCP
PLME
RRM
PLME SAP
RRM
PMD SAP
PMD
RRM
25
RRM MAC/PHY Interchanges
Frame Report
Report Request
Reports
NDIS
SME
MAC SAP
MAC
MLME
11h Get
Linux
MLME SAP
RPE Histogram
Req-Air
PHY SAP
PLME SAP
PLCP
PLME
PLME SAP
Get
CCA
CCA
MGT
PMD SAP
PMD
REQUESTS
REPORTS
Mgt Frames
Beacon on Setup
26
MAC/PHY Context
802.11f Context Blob
802.11h Request for Information
SME
SME
MLME
MAC
MLME
MAC
PLCP
PLCP
PLME
PLME
PMD
PMD
AP STA
AP STA
802.11h Request for Information
SME
SME
SME
SME
STA1
STA2
STA3
STA4
27
MIBs current

• 802.11
• Basic measurements configuration for STA
• Widely implemented in APs
• Very simple monitoring of global AP statistics
• 802.1x
• Detailed auth state for individual 1x ports
• Also some per port statistics
• Not widely implemented in access points today
• Bridge MIB
• Possible to get some info on which STAs are
  associated with an AP
• Implemented in some APs
• Not 802.11 specific, little MAC, and no PHY
  statistics

28
Work from Other TGs

• 802.11d
• dot11CountryString
• TGe
• dot11AssociatedStationCount
• dot11ChannelUtilization
• dot11FrameLossRate
• TGi
• Write only key access, IV status
• TGh
• Configuration, but no status, monitoring or
  statistics!!!

29
Purpose of Additions

• Enable better diagnostics of problems
• Using info that is easy and cheap to gather
• Enable better frequency planning, optimize
  network performance
• Enable automatic frequency planning
• Enable new services
• Location based services
• Voice Over IP (VOIP)

30
Diagnostics

• Interference from non 802.11 sources
• Interference from other 802.11 networks
• Interference from other APs within same ESS
• Interference from other APs within different ESSs

31
Added Station Table to MIB

• Station table is list of wireless STAs an AP
  knows about
• Also applicable to IBSS
• Currently implemented by many APs, as proprietary
  MIB/telnet/web interface

32
Stations Listed in Table

• Only wireless stations listed
• Stations that have communicated with this STA
• Authenticating stations
• Authenticated stations
• Associated stations
• WDS links
• Wireless stations known about through DS only
  (e.g. pre-auth)

33
Stations communicated with

• Table includes all stations a station has
  received any frames from
• For each station expose full state of
  communication with that station
• Pre RSN authentication state
• 802.1x port ID
• Further auth info can be found from 802.1x MIB
• Association state
• Detailed link statistics

34
Link Statistics

• dot11MACStatistics
• Counts of
• MSDUs/MPDUs received/transmitted
• Channel utilization in rx tx direction
• Measured as total µs
• Data rate modulation of last rx and tx
• RSSI, RCPI, and signal quality
• Link margin as seen by other station
• Available for 11h stations
• Either use recent measurement report, or request
  report for each SNMP request

35
Add MAC Statistics to MIB

• Channel utilization from TGe
• Total associated stations
• Total authenticated stations
• Optional events to notify mgmt station of
  authentication and association events
• Current MIB sends TRAPS on assoc/auth failures

36
Events to Report

• Allow all events to be configurable as
• Not reported
• Reported as TRAP (unreliable)
• Reported as INFORM (reliable)
• Default configuration should give same events as
  current 802.11 MIB
• Report all pre RSN auth/deauth events
• Report all association/deassocation events

37
Requirements Categories

• Data, Voice, Video
• Data QoS, wireless net (a, b, g, h)
• Voice RSSI, RCPI, S/N, Delay, Jitter,
  Encryption, device processor, wireless net (a, b,
  g, h)
• Video RSSI, RCPI, S/N, Encryption, device
  processor, wireless net (a, b, g, h)
• Diagnostics (non-802.11, 802.11, other APs)
• Access Point Table
• Station Table (BSS and IBSS)
• Link stats (counts, data rates, RSSI, link
  margin)
• MAC Statistics (channel utilization, total
  stations, events)
• Events (auth, deauth, associate, deassociate,
  current MIB)
• Coexistence Measurements
• Retries
• Clear Channel Assessment

38
Technical Topics

• MIBs
• Signal Strength
• Standardizing RSSI (RCPI)
• Real Time Parameters
• Real Time Issues
• Retries
• Measuring Transmission Speeds
• Measuring Throughput in WLANs
• VOIP Radio Resource Issues
• Video Radio Resource Issues
• Additional Information needed in the MIBs
  (802.1x, 802.11, 802.1p)
• Diagnostics Needed for Effective Mgt of WLANs

39
Goal of Radio Measurement

• Initial deployment
• Enable some degree of automatic radio
  configuration
• Network expansion
• Enable some degree of automatic radio
  reconfiguration
• Enable Radio Aware Performance (monitoring,
  roaming, handoff)
• Provide information to monitor radio
  performance and fix problems
• Facilitate better roaming

40
Define Radio Configuration

• A set of 802.11 parameter values, individualized
  for each BSS in a WLAN, that determine WLAN radio
  performance
• Including, but not limited to
• BSS channel
• AP transmit power
• Client transmit power limit

41
What will radio measurements allow us to do?

• Simplify and/or automate WLAN radio configuration
• Achieve better performance in dense BSS
  deployments
• Better utilize radio resources across client
  stations
• Alert WLAN administrator to problems
• Notify client station users of current radio
  status
• Each company uses measurements to add value

42
What did we measure?

• Attributes that characterize the WLAN radio
  environment
• Attributes that affect or reflect WLAN radio
  performance
• Attributes that are not manufacturer specific
• Define the simplest, smallest set of measurements
  required

43
Two Categories of RM

• Statistical Measurements characterize the radio
  environment in a long-term statistical sense. For
  example,
• Measure 802.11 traffic load as channel busy
  fraction1
• Measure non-802.11 interference as received power
  histogram1
• Identity Measurements identify stations that
  affect each others performance. For example,
• Identify each neighbor AP by overhearing its MAC
  address
• Identify each neighbor STA and its serving AP in
  a similar manner
• Identify hidden STA when receiving downlink
  frames with no ACK
• 1 these measurements are already in 802.11h
  specification

44
What changes are needed in all stas?

• Wireless MAC message protocol
• Built on 802.11h mechanisms and measurement
  frames
• Added RRM capability bit and RRM action frame
  type
• Augmented 802.11h measurements with new
  requests/reports
• MAC firmware
• Handle new management frames in the wireless MAC
  protocol
• Compute measurement payloads from PHY registers
  and traffic

45
What additional changes are needed in access
points?

• Process measurement requests from external
  entity
• Translate external request into measurement
  action at AP radio
• Translate request into action frame and send to
  client stations
• Perform these actions at periodic interval, if
  requested
• Accumulate, store and/or report measurements
• Measurements taken at the AP radio
• Measurements reported by client stations
• Method of conveyance is a separate discussion

46
What should not change at any station?

• Wireless MAC control frames and procedures
• Wireless MAC data frames and procedures
• Any hardware, including MAC and PHY

47
Future Allocation Utilization

• Fixed Spectrum Assignments Lead to Inefficient
  Spectrum Utilization
• Opportunities Exist in Time, Frequency, and
  Geography
• RF Spectrum Allocated by Policy
• Allocations, Assignments, and Incumbents Vary by
  Country

Heavy Use
Heavy Use
Sparse Use
Medium Use

• Observations Show Bands of Local Heavy and Sparse
  Activity
• Temporal Usage Characteristics Vary by Band
  Service
• Potential for Usage Dependent on Incumbent
  Service Equipment

• Static Spectrum Management is Limited in Its
  Ability to Improve Spectrum Utilization
  Efficiencies

48
What is the XG Program?

• Develop both the Enabling Technologies and System
  Concepts to Dynamically Utilize Spectrum
• Improve Efficiency of Current, Static Assignments
  for Voice and Data (Threshold Factor of 10,
  Objective Factor of 20)
• Provide Capability to Share Spectrum with
  disparate systems

RF emitters detect each other and adjust
automatically
XG Systems Will Opportunistically Utilize
Unoccupied Spectrum in Time, Space, and Frequency
49
Key Technologies

• Develop Both the Enabling Technology and the
  System Concepts to Dynamically Use Spectrum

50
Conclusions

• Measurements Necessary for Future Growth
• Fast Track for Radio Resource Measurement
• More Control May Be Adopted as a Next Step
• (another task group, 11v)
• Future Technologies Require More Measurement
• Automating Radio Environment Adaptation

51
11k Status Jan 06
3rd Letter Ballot Passed Expect to go to
Recirculation Letter Ballot Winter 06 Expect to
go to Sponsor Ballot Spring or Summer 06 Expect
to be a standard by late 06 or early 07
52
For WiFi Alliance

• Introduce 11k
• Request start of acceptance/testing/conformance
  criteria
• Next major step to 802.11 sophistication and
  development
• VOIP via the Neighbor Report
• Tools to further the standard and the industry