Section: 5.5.2.3.2 Preparation phase
Content: Figure 5.5.2.3.2-1: E-UTRAN to GERAN A/Gb Inter RAT HO, preparation phase 1. The source eNodeB decides to initiate an Inter RAT Handover to the target GERAN A/Gb mode (2G) system. At this point both uplink and downlink user data is transmitted via the following: Bearer(s) between UE and Source eNodeB, GTP tunnel(s) between Source eNodeB, Serving GW and PDN GW. If the UE has an ongoing emergency bearer service the source eNodeB shall not initiate PS handover to GERAN. NOTE 1: The process leading to the handover decision is outside of the scope of this specification 2. The source eNodeB sends a Handover Required (S1AP Cause, Target System Identifier, Source to Target Transparent Container) message to the Source MME to request the CN to establish resources in the Target BSS, Target SGSN and the Serving GW. The bearers that will be subject to data forwarding (if any) are identified by the target SGSN in a later step (see step 7 below). The 'Target System Identifier' IE contains the identity of the target global cell Id. 3. The Source MME determines from the 'Target System Identifier' IE that the type of handover is IRAT Handover to GERAN A/Gb mode. The Source MME selects the Target SGSN as described in clause 4.3.8.4 on "SGSN Selection Function". The Source MME initiates the Handover resource allocation procedure by sending a Forward Relocation Request (IMSI, Target Identification (shall be set to "empty"), MM Context, PDN Connections, MME Tunnel Endpoint Identifier for Control Plane, MME Address for Control plane, Source to Target Transparent Container, Packet Flow ID, XID parameters (if available), Target Cell Identification, MS Info Change Reporting Action (if available), CSG Information Reporting Action (if available), UE Time Zone, ISR Supported, RAN Cause, Serving Network) message to the target SGSN. If the information ISR Supported is indicated, this indicates that the source MME and associated Serving GW are capable to activate ISR for the UE. When ISR is activated the message should be sent to the SGSN that maintains ISR for the UE when this SGSN is serving the target identified by the Target Identification. This message includes all PDN Connections active in the source system and for each PDN Connection includes the associated APN, the address and the uplink Tunnel endpoint parameters of the Serving GW for control plane, and a list of EPS Bearer Contexts. The old Serving Network is sent to target MME to support the target MME to resolve if Serving Network is changed. In network sharing scenarios Serving Network denotes the serving core network. The MM context includes information on the EPS Bearer context(s). If none of the UE's EPS Bearers can be supported by the selected target SGSN, the source MME rejects the handover attempt by sending a Handover Preparation Failure (Cause) message to the Source eNodeB. NOTE 2: If the handover is successful, the source MME will signal to the SGW and/or SCEF to release any non-included EPS Bearers after step 8 of the Execution procedure. The non-included bearers are locally released by the UE following the Bearer Context Status synchronisation that occurs during the Routing Area Update at step 13 of the Execution procedure. The target SGSN maps the EPS bearers to PDP contexts 1-to-1 and maps the EPS Bearer QoS parameter values of an EPS bearer to the Release 99 QoS parameter values of a bearer context as defined in Annex E. Prioritization of PDP Contexts is performed by the target core network node, i.e. target SGSN. If the Source MME supports IRAT Handover to GERAN A/Gb procedure it has to allocate a valid PFI during the bearer activation procedure. RAN Cause indicates the S1AP Cause as received from the source eNodeB. The Source to Target Transparent Container includes the value from the Source to Target Transparent Container received from the source eNodeB. The MM context contains security related information, e.g. supported ciphering algorithms, as described in TS 29.274[ 3GPP Evolved Packet System (EPS); Evolved General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) Tunnelling Protocol for Control plane (GTPv2-C); Stage 3 ]  [43]. Handling of security keys is described in TS 33.401[ 3GPP System Architecture Evolution (SAE); Security architecture ]  [41]. The target SGSN selects the ciphering algorithm to use. This algorithm will be sent transparently from the target SGSN to the UE in the NAS container for Handover (part of the Target to Source Transparent Container). The IOV-UI parameter, generated in the target SGSN, is used as input to the ciphering procedure and it will also be transferred transparently from the target SGSN to the UE in the NAS container for Handover. More details are described in TS 33.401[ 3GPP System Architecture Evolution (SAE); Security architecture ]  [41]. When the target SGSN receives the Forward Relocation Request message the required EPS Bearer, MM, SNDCP and LLC contexts are established and a new P-TMSI is allocated for the UE. When this message is received by the target SGSN, it begins the process of establishing PFCs for all EPS Bearer contexts. When the target SGSN receives the Forward Relocation Request message it extracts from the EPS Bearer Contexts the NSAPIs and SAPIs and PFIs to be used in the target SGSN. If for a given EPS Bearer Context the target SGSN does not receive a PFI from the source MME, it shall not request the target BSS to allocate TBF resources corresponding to that EPS Bearer Context. If none of the EPS Bearer Contexts forwarded from the source MME has a valid PFI allocated the target SGSN shall consider this as a failure case and the request for Handover shall be rejected. If when an SAPI and PFI was available at the source MME but the target SGSN does not support the same SAPI and PFI for a certain NSAPI as the source MME, the target SGSN shall continue the Handover procedure only for those NSAPIs for which it can support the same PFI and SAPI as the source MME. All EPS Bearer contexts for which no resources are allocated by the target SGSN or for which it cannot support the same SAPI and PFI (i.e. the corresponding NSAPIs are not addressed in the response message of the target SGSN), are maintained and the related SAPIs and PFIs are kept. These EPS Bearer contexts may be modified or deactivated by the target SGSN via explicit SM procedures upon RAU procedure. The source MME shall indicate the current XID parameter settings if available (i.e. those XID parameters received during a previous IRAT Handover procedure) to the target SGSN. If the target SGSN can accept all XID parameters as indicated by the source MME, the target SGSN shall create a NAS container for Handover indicating 'Reset to the old XID parameters'. Otherwise, if the target SGSN cannot accept all XID parameters indicated by the source MME or if no XID parameters were indicated by the source MME, the target SGSN shall create a NAS container for Handover indicating Reset (i.e. reset to default parameters). The target SGSN shall determine the Maximum APN restriction based on the APN Restriction of each bearer context received in the Forward Relocation Request, and shall subsequently store the new Maximum APN restriction value. If SIPTO at the Local Network is active for a PDN connection in the architecture with stand-alone GW the source MME shall include the Local Home Network ID of the source cell in the PDN Connections corresponding to the SIPTO at the Local Network PDN connection. 4. The target SGSN determines if the Serving GW is to be relocated, e.g., due to PLMN change. If the Serving GW is to be relocated, the target SGSN selects the target Serving GW as described under clause 4.3.8.2 on "Serving GW selection function", and sends a Create Session Request message (IMSI, SGSN Tunnel Endpoint Identifier for Control Plane, SGSN Address for Control plane, PDN GW address(es) for user plane, PDN GW UL TEID(s) for user plane, PDN GW address(es) for control plane, and PDN GW TEID(s) for control plane, the Protocol Type over S5/S8, Serving Network) per PDN connection to the target Serving GW. The Protocol Type over S5/S8 is provided to Serving GW which protocol should be used over S5/S8 interface. 4a. The target Serving GW allocates its local resources and returns a Create Session Response (Serving GW address(es) for user plane, Serving GW UL TEID(s) for user plane, Serving GW Address for control plane, Serving GW TEID for control plane) message to the target SGSN. 5. The target SGSN establishes the EPS Bearer context(s) in the indicated order. The SGSN deactivates, as provided in step 9 of the execution phase, the EPS Bearer contexts which cannot be established. The Target SGSN requests the Target BSS to establish the necessary resources (PFCs) by sending the message PS Handover Request (Local TLLI, IMSI, Cause, Target Cell Identifier, PFCs to be set-up list, Source RNC to Target BSS Transparent Container and NAS container for handover). The target SGSN shall not request resources for which the Activity Status Indicator within a EPS Bearer Context indicates that no active bearer exists on the source side for that PDP context. The Cause indicates the RAN Cause as received from the source MME. The Source RNC to Target BSS Transparent Container contains the value from the Source to Target Transparent Container received from the source MME. All EPS Bearer Contexts indicate active status because E-UTRAN does not support selective RAB handling. Based upon the ABQP for each PFC the target BSS makes a decision about which PFCs to assign radio resources. The algorithm by which the BSS decides which PFCs that need resources is implementation specific. Due to resource limitations not all downloaded PFCs will necessarily receive resource allocation. The target BSS allocates TBFs for each PFC that it can accommodate. The target BSS shall prepare the 'Target to Source Transparent Container' which contains a PS Handover Command including the EPC part (NAS container for Handover) and the RN part (Handover Radio Resources). 5a. The Target BSS allocates the requested resources and returns the applicable parameters to the Target SGSN in the message PS Handover Request Acknowledge (Local TLLI, List of set-up PFCs, Target BSS to Source RNC Transparent Container, Cause). Upon sending the PS Handover Request Acknowledge message the target BSS shall be prepared to receive downlink LLC PDUs from the target SGSN for the accepted PFCs. Any EPS Bearer contexts for which a PFC was not established are maintained in the target SGSN and the related SAPIs and PFIs are kept. These EPS Bearer contexts shall be deactivated by the target SGSN via explicit SM procedures upon the completion of the routing area update (RAU) procedure. 6. If indirect forwarding and relocation of Serving GW applies the target SGSN sends a Create Indirect Data Forwarding Tunnel Request message (Target SGSN Address(es) and TEID(s) for DL data forwarding) to the Serving GW used for indirect packet forwarding. Indirect forwarding may be performed via a Serving GW which is different from the Serving GW used as the anchor point for the UE. 6a. The Serving GW returns a Create Indirect Data Forwarding Tunnel Response (Cause, Serving GW DL Address(es) and TEID(s) for data forwarding) message to the target SGSN. 7. The Target SGSN sends the message Forward Relocation Response (Cause, SGSN Tunnel Endpoint Identifier for Control Plane, SGSN Address for Control Plane, Target to Source Transparent Container, RAN Cause, List of set-up PFIs, Address(es) and TEID(s) for User Traffic Data Forwarding, Serving GW change indication) to the Source MME. Serving GW change indication indicates a new Serving GW has been selected. RAN Cause indicates the Cause as received from the target BSS. The Target to Source Transparent Container includes the value from the Target BSS to Source RNC Transparent Container received from the target BSS. If 'Indirect Forwarding' and relocation of Serving GW applies, then the IEs 'Address(es) and TEID(s) for User Traffic Data Forwarding' contain the DL GTP-U tunnel endpoint parameters received in step 6a. Otherwise the IEs 'Address(es) and TEID(s) for User Traffic Data Forwarding' contains the DL GTP-U tunnel endpoint parameters to the Target SGSN. The target SGSN activates the allocated LLC/SNDCP engines as specified in TS 44.064[ Mobile Station - Serving GPRS Support Node (MS-SGSN); Logical Link Control (LLC) Layer Specification ]  [23] for an SGSN originated Reset or 'Reset to the old XID parameters'. 8. If "Indirect Forwarding" applies, the Source MME sends the message Create Indirect Data Forwarding Tunnel Request (Address(es) and TEID(s) for Data Forwarding (received in step 7)) to the Serving GW used for indirect packet forwarding. Indirect forwarding may be performed via a Serving GW which is different from the Serving GW used as the anchor point for the UE. 8a. The Serving GW returns the forwarding user plane parameters by sending the message Create Indirect Data Forwarding Tunnel Response (Cause, Serving GW Address(es) and TEID(s) for Data Forwarding). If the Serving GW doesn't support data forwarding, an appropriate cause value shall be returned and the Serving GW Address(es) and TEID(s) will not be included in the message.