Cellular Expert 4.2.3

Release Notes

Release is dedicated to improvements of coverage prediction performance working with high amount of data

Copyright © 2013 UAB CELLULAR EXPERT. All rights reserved. Cellular Expert and Cellular Expert logo are registered trademarks, @cellular-expert.com and www.cellular-expert.com are service marks of UAB CELLULAR EXPERT in Lithuania and some other countries.

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Table of Contents

1 New Functionality __________________________________________________________ 3

1.1 Process large extent calculations up to 70% faster ____________________________________ 3

1.2 Start/Stop preferred Jobs in Task Scheduler ________________________________________ 5

1.3 Share Prediction Path For Multiple Users ___________________________________________ 6

1.4 Manage Network Objects with Third Party Solutions __________________________________ 6

1.5 Validate Geographical Data Before starting Calculations _______________________________ 7

1.6 Opened Project Even With the Invalid Workspace Paths _______________________________ 8

1.7 Save Time With Renewed Radio Properties Dialog ___________________________________ 9

1.8 Update Workspace in Remote Server Easier ________________________________________ 10

1.9 Best Server Overlap Tool _______________________________________________________ 10 1.9.1 User Interface _______________________________________________________________________ 10 1.9.2 Prediction Results ____________________________________________________________________ 11

1.10 3D Coverage Predictions _______________________________________________________ 14

2 Fixed issues _______________________________________________________________ 15

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1 NEW FUNCTIONALITY

1.1 PROCESS LARGE EXTENT CALCULATIONS UP TO 70% FASTER Cellular Expert 4.2 Service Release 3 version beside typical prediction calculation process has an optimized algorithm, which speeds up data processing for country scale point-to-area networks. This covers Fields Strength, Best server and other primary results generation. Entire extent is divided into parts in accordance with Grid Cell Size parameter and at the end - merged. Grid Cell Size represents the size of parts in kilometers and can be adjusted via Workspace Properties dialog. For example value 120 means, that the calculation extent will be divided into 120km x 120km parts.

Influence of Grid Cell Size value is presented in the demo project (next page).

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Territory for the analysis: Iceland, 360km x 520km. With 40m resolution – 117 million points. Network: 500 sites, each with 2 sectors. Total number of sectors – 1000. Prediction model radius: 35km, cell size 40m. Site predictions: calculated in advance. Testing environment: 64-bit Windows 7; Intel® Xeon® CPU E3-1225 V2 @ 3.20GHz; RAM 8 GB. HDD 150MB/s 7200RPM. Duration of Field Strength together with Best Server calculation:

Grid Cell Size (pred. model radius and

kilometers) Parts

Cell Size for results

40m (117 mln points)

80m (29 mln points)

160m (7,3 mln points)

35x5714=200000 (Cellular Expert 4.2.2)

1 4hours15mins 1hour47mins 55mins

35x8=280 4 2hours16mins 1hour04mins 35mins

35x7=245 6 2hours23mins 1hour00mins 34mins

35x6=210 6 1hours42mins 59mins 38mins

35x5=175 9 1hours27mins 47mins 32mins

35x4=140 12 1hours23mins 48mins 42mins

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35x3=105 20 1hours14mins 51mins 53mins

35x2=70 48 1hours16mins (3mln.)

1hours14mins 1hours08mins

Improvement in percent

70% 57% 42%

Note: Improvement in percent is calculated using equation 100%-(ShortestTime*100/ LongestTime) Advantage of dividing calculations into parts appears in country scale networks, when the extent covers 100 square kilometers or more and the size of the parts is three-five times larger than used prediction model radius. There is no optimal grid cell size value suitable for all cases. It depends on the extent size, number of points (prediction model radius, cell size), sites locations (coverage overlapping), etc. Until the self-tuning mechanism is developed, grid cell size value should be tuned manually.

1.2 START/STOP PREFERRED JOBS IN TASK SCHEDULER Improved Task Scheduler (for Point-to-Area and Radio Links) allows to manage new jobs while others are proceeded and append them to the task list.

The main advantage compared to the older version appears, when one of the jobs fails. In this case there is no need to cancel the rest of the jobs: failed one can be edited (even new sites and sectors can be selected) and appended for the implementation. Note, that asynchronous mode exploits the advantages of multicore processors and allows to process two or more jobs at the same time - shorten the total calculation time twice or even more.

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1.3 SHARE PREDICTION PATH FOR MULTIPLE USERS Cellular Expert 4.2 Service Release 3 is the first version, which implements strategy to stop using database for prediction results (active workspace locks the database and it cannot be edited from other sources). Currently changes are made for Point-to-Area calculations: data from Predictions.mdb is moved to .xml files.

Management of .xml files and prediction grids is fully automatic: when something is missing or corrupted, new files are generated. This new functionality allows to share the same Prediction Path for multiple users and run predictions at the same time. One of the examples: planners work with dedicated to them network objects, have different network databases and projects, but the predictions can be stored in one location for the country scale calculations, merging all the data.

1.4 MANAGE NETWORK OBJECTS WITH THIRD PARTY SOLUTIONS Cellular Expert architecture became more open for advanced users, who need to manage network objects from third party software. Up to this version hierarchy of Cellular Expert network object was managed using class extensions. Now relations between sites, constructions, sectors, customers, as well as links, transmission lines and repeaters are made via ID fields in attribute tables. Because of this improvement there are no issues, which appeared from time to time moving data from local database to SQL, Oracle server and vice versa. Important: because of this functionality, database upgrade is required!

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1.5 VALIDATE GEOGRAPHICAL DATA BEFORE STARTING CALCULATIONS Prediction Model Manager now has a functionality to check input data referred in the prediction model.

Information about missing data is displayed in the appeared message. This allows to be sure, that all needed references are valid and there are no possible issues due to no longer existing input data. Validation from Prediction Model Manager is initiated for the selected prediction model. Path validation for all the models in the project can be done using updated Workspace Integrity tool.

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Integrity tool generates log file where all missing input data is listed for each existing prediction model, regardless of whether the data paths lead to local disk, shared file directory on the intranet or SQL, Oracle server.

1.6 OPENED PROJECT EVEN WITH THE INVALID WORKSPACE PATHS Starting project (.mxd) or loading Cellular Expert Workspace in the existing one initiates validation procedure, where workspace paths are checked.

This includes Prediction path, Results path, Elevation and References. After the message, all this data can be accessed and corrected via Workspace Properties dialog.

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This functionality saves users time (previous versions do not allow to load workspace with missing data at all) by identifying incorrect data locations and allowing to fix that directly from Cellular Expert interface.

1.7 SAVE TIME WITH RENEWED RADIO PROPERTIES DIALOG Previous Radio Properties dialog design consists of separate tabs for transmitter and receiver. Now information from both tabs is merged into one view.

Changing radio system now is simplified: user selects new radio and all parameters are automatically loaded for both - transmitter and receiver. There is no need to click Use Radio Model Data button.

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1.8 UPDATE WORKSPACE IN REMOTE SERVER EASIER To simplify Cellular Expert workspace upgrade when it is located in a remote server (SQL,

Oracle), a new tool was developed: . It can be added to preffered toolbar from the Customize menu and used to create a copy of the remote workspace.

All data related to Cellular Expert Workspace is copied to chosen location, including prediction database and prediction grids. Made copy can be upgraded with standard Cellular Expert Upgrade tool and copied back to the server. Also Copy to Local functionality can be used as a backup to store server side information locally.

1.9 BEST SERVER OVERLAP TOOL

Best Server Overlap tool has been added which allows predicting overlap areas between several serving sectors. It can be used to plan radio frequency resources more efficiently and reduce interference in the network by controlling areas served by too many sectors. To use the tool, first calculate N best servers up to required number N for overlap analysis. Store N best servers in the results folder. Open Best Server Overlap tool, define criteria for area overlap and run calculations. In the result, area percentages will be generated as table fields for supplied territory polygons layer.

1.9.1 User Interface The tool opens dialog allowing to define the following parameters:

- Territory polygons: the shapefile denoting area boundaries in the form of polygons for which overlap statistics will be generated.

- N best servers folder: the results folder where N bets server predictions are stored.

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- Best server overlap table: defines allowable limits for best server overlap, including Nth best server number (comparing signal level to the first strongest best server), signal difference in dB between Nth and first sectors and maximum allowable area overlap percentage.

After defining parameters in the table, click OK to run predictions.

Figure 1. Input data in the geoprocessing form

1.9.2 Prediction Results Prediction results are stored in the fields NBS2, NBS4, … , HIGH_VAL in the territory polygons feature class. NBS2, NBS4, … - contains area overlap percentage for the corresponding N best server signals HIGH_VAL – indicator if area overlap percentage is out of allowable limits.

Figure 2. Calculated results in the form of polygon feature class

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Predicted results in the form of area polygons are loaded on the map in the following group layer structure.

Figure 3. BS overlap layers loaded into ArcMaps‘s Table Of Contents

Figure 4. Areas marked with red have higher percentage of BS overlap than allowed

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Figure 5. Percentage of area overlap between two servers within signal difference of 5 dB

(according to given tabular data in NBS_OVERLAP)

Each number best servers are added as a different visualization of the same polygon feature class. The detailed analysis can be performed using Identify command showing for which particular best server number overlap percentage is out of allowable limit.

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Figure 6. Analysis of overlapping best servers using Identify command

1.10 3D COVERAGE PREDICTIONS 3D Coverage prediction calculation results are loaded into table of contents in a sequence from highest receiver height on the top to the lowest at the bottom of list. 3D calculation results visualization parameters are configured in a Cellular Expert Workspace properties dialog by defining proper symbology file.

Figure 7. Workspace Properties dialog Visualization tab

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For a three dimensional view calculations results are loaded in ArcScene using Load 3D Coverage tool. To load coverage predictions you need to set results database and custom data visualisation parameters:

Extrusion value or expression. Coverage calculation results are extruded vertically to create signal strength, serving cell or other three dimensional coverage views. Extrusion level is defined by adding extrusion value or expression. Leaving the textbox empty coverage layer Z value will be set to 0.

Figure 8. Coverage results with different extrusion values

Floating on a custom surface. Three dimensional coverage views could be analyzed on a flat surface or using elevation raster height values. Depending on analysis preferences tool allows to set coverage preview parameters accordingly:

o Leave floating value field empty for a flat surface;

o Define floating surface by selecting elevation layers in a textbox or setting the path

to elevation raster.

Figure 9. Coverage results shown using flat surface (on the left) and

floating on an elevation surface (on the right) parameters

2 FIXED ISSUES

Issue with SiteID, when “-“ was not supported. Now it is fixed and Sites can have ID with minus symbol.

Other issues.

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We are thankful to everyone who contributed to this release by giving feedback with suggestions about improvements and for letting us know the real needs of a daily user. If you have any suggestions on, what you would like to see in future releases, do not hesitate to contact us by email or by our support system. info@cellular-expert.com www.cellular-expert.com http://support.cellular-expert.com/helpdesk/index.php