asset acp user reference guide

8/17/2019 Asset ACP User Reference Guide

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ASSET ACP User Reference Guide

For Version 9.0


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Confidentiality, Copyright Notice & Disclaimer

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All other company, brand or product names are trademarks or service marks of their respectiveholders.

This is a legal notice and may not be removed or altered in any way.

COPYRIGHT © 2015 TEOCO LTD.

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Thank you,

The TEOCO Documentation team


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Change History

This table shows the change history of this guide:

Edition Date Reason

1 23 February 2015 First edition.


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Table of Contents

Table of Contents

1

Introduction ..................................................................................................... 7

2 Using ASSET ACP ........................................................................................... 9

Using the ACP Workflow .................................................................................... 9

Recommendations and Guidelines .................................................................. 10

About the File Menu ......................................................................................... 11

Setting Up Thresholds and Parameters ........................................................... 12

Setting RF Array Thresholds ..................................................................................... 12 Setting the Strategy ................................................................................................... 16

Setting Traffic Options ............................................................................................... 18 Specifying the Settings .............................................................................................. 18

Globally Committing All Your Changes ..................................................................... 20

Managing Plans ............................................................................................... 20

Using the Plan Manager ............................................................................................ 21

About the Concept of Plans in ASSET ACP .............................................................. 21

Viewing and Using Plans in the Plan Manager ......................................................... 22 Creating Plans for Optimisation or Analysis .............................................................. 23 Using the Context Menu ............................................................................................ 30

Viewing Plans in the Map View Window.................................................................... 32 Applying a Plan to the Database ............................................................................... 35 Applying a Plan Temporarily to the Database ........................................................... 36

Comparison between Temp Apply and Apply to Database ....................................... 37

Deleting a Plan .......................................................................................................... 38

Setting Action-Constraints for Plans................................................................. 38

About the Action-Constraints Dialog Box .................................................................. 39 Using the Action-Constraints Dialog Box................................................................... 41

About Action-Constraints Templates ......................................................................... 53

Assigning Action-Constraints Templates to Objects ................................................. 63

Optimising a Network ....................................................................................... 65

Prerequisites for an Optimisation .............................................................................. 65 Running an Optimisation ........................................................................................... 66 Monitoring an Optimisation ........................................................................................ 67

About Applying Plans to the Database ...................................................................... 73

Analysing and Evaluating Plans ....................................................................... 73

Information Generated by the Analysis ..................................................................... 74 Prerequisites for Running an Analysis ....................................................................... 75

Performing an Analysis for a Single Plan .................................................................. 75 Performing an Analysis to Compare Plans ................................................................ 77 Displaying Plan Comparison Results in the Map View .............................................. 78

About Rollout Planning and Partial Plans .................................................................. 79

About Action-Constraints ................................................................................. 83

Methods of Configuring Action-Constraints ............................................................... 83

About the Action-Constraints Available ..................................................................... 84

Selecting Report Formats ................................................................................ 96

3 Index ............................................................................................................... 99


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ASSET ACP 9.0 User Reference Guide


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Introduction

1 Introduction

ASSET ACP is ASSET's automatic cell planning and optimisation tool. Relying on the same

advanced algorithm used by ADVANTAGE, the tool searches for improvements based on user-specified criteria, and greatly speeds up the cell planning process.

ASSET ACP enables the automatic optimisation of the physical network configuration to maximisecapacity for the desired range of services and traffic demands. It can optimise design parametersettings (antenna, power) to meet the network performance objectives.

Notes:

The tool is designed to aid planners in their day-to-day planning activities.

The maximum number of cells that can be experimentally modified within any oneoptimisation is 150. That is, when creating a plan, 150 cells is the maximum that can be in

the 'plan' state. There is no limit on the number that can be in the 'read-only' state. If, in addition to ASSET ACP, you also have a Financial Analysis licence, these two

modules share the same dialog box (ACP & Financial Analysis).

The technologies explicitly supported are:

o GSM

o UMTS FDD

o CDMA2000

o EV-DO

o Fixed WiMAX

o Mobile WiMAX

o LTE

In this guide, for simplicity, the term WiMAX may represent Fixed or Mobile WiMAX, andthe term CDMA/EV-DO may represent CDMA2000 or EV-DO.


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Using ASSET ACP

2 Using ASSET ACP

In ASSET ACP, the Optimiser Workflow enables you to perform the vast majority of tasks from a

single dialog box.

Using the ACP Workflow

The ACP Workflow enables you to perform all the tasks within ASSET ACP from a single dialogbox. This incorporates the setting up of parameters, costs, constraints and targets, and generationof optimisation plans.

Example of the ACP Workflow dialog box in ASSET ACP

The ACP Workflow comprises a number of main options in the left hand pane, and each of theseenables you to access a range of specific options that are displayed in the right-hand pane.

Note: The tab names and options within the ACP Workflow dialog box will vary slightly according to

the technology that you are using.

To start the ACP Workflow:

From the Tools menu, click ASSET ACP.


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Recommendations and Guidelines

Important: There are some crucial factors which you should consider when using ASSET ACP. It isstrongly recommended that you consider the following factors carefully, otherwise you run the risk

of optimisations taking much longer than necessary. If these issues are considered properly, andthe set-up is sensible, ASSET ACP can perform at its best in terms of speed, performance and

efficiency.

Large Array Support

For performance reasons, it is strongly recommended to turn off Large Array Support (LAS)when running optimisations.

If the scenario (region size, map data resolution, terminal count, covering cell depth, and soon) means that there is not enough memory available to ENTERPRISE without using LAS,it is better to reduce the memory demands of the scenario (such as splitting the scenariointo multiple parts), rather than attempt to use LAS.

For information on the Large Array Support Settings, see the ENTERPRISE Installationand Administration Guide.

Prediction Resolutions

For performance reasons, prediction resolutions for individual cells should be set so thatthey match the resolution at which the analysis or optimisation is being performed. Ideally,the predictions should already be available at the specified map data resolution, beforeperforming an analysis or optimisation.

You can use the following list of guidelines to maximise the ability of the optimisation algorithm to

find an optimised network configuration quickly:

Concentrate on the region and cells of interest . Use the Plan Wizard to specify the regionand cells of interest, and ignore areas or cells that should not be part of the optimisation.

Restrict the optimisation calculations to vectors and/or drive test routes (if possible) . Usethe option in the Plan Wizard (or the Edit Vectors right-click option) to restrict theoptimisation array and cost calculations to specific vectors and/or drive test routes.

Do not use a higher array resolution than required . If you can get realistic networkperformance results by specifying a low resolution for the optimisation, there is no point inusing a higher resolution.

Restrict the number of servers/cells considered for array generation. If you can get realisticresults (for example, with respect to interference) by specifying fewer servers/cells for theoptimisation, there is no need to use more.

Limit the optimisation cost calculations to a lower number of servers/cells (if appropriate).Use the Servers/Cells per Pixel option on the Strategy page of the Optimiser Workflow todo this.

Focus on problematic cells/areas. Use read-only filters (for network objects that should beconsidered, but not modified) and/or the Problem Cells options to ensure that theOptimiser concentrates on cells that are performing badly.

Do not under- or over-constrain the optimisation problem. Make sure that the specifiedactions/constraints are reasonable, so that inappropriate configurations are not evaluated,but also flexible enough to allow the Optimiser to produce the best possible plan.

Fine-tune the algorithm. The nature of the algorithm is general enough to apply to a widerange of optimisation problems. Although the algorithm can be fine-tuned per specific

scenario to further maximise its efficiency (the algorithmic fine-tuning depends on the setupand user permissions), it is not an easy task and must be approached with caution.


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About the File Menu

ENTERPRISE enables you to import XML files into a project or export XML files from a project. You

can do this using the File menu, which gives access to the XML Import and Export dialog boxes.

When you have an ASSET ACP licence, these dialog boxes contain an additional tab, enabling youto import or export ASSET ACP-specific plans, thresholds, templates and settings.

Important: Only plans marked as in 'Use' by the current user will get exported. This provides someuser-control in a situation where there are numerous plans, and you do not want to export all ofthem. However, if you want to export other plans, you need to use the 'Toggle Use' option for suchplans in the Plan Manager of the Optimiser Workflow. See Viewing and Using Plans in the Plan

Manager on page 22.

This picture shows an example:

Example of XML Export Dialog Box

For more information on importing and exporting XML data, see the ENTERPRISE User Reference

Guide.


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Setting Up Thresholds and Parameters

The ACP Workflow enables you to perform all the tasks within ASSET ACP from a single dialog

box.

This section focuses on the thresholds, parameters and settings, which are crucial to theoptimisation engine.

Important: These steps, in particular the ones related to the radio environment setup, are probablynot relevant to the general user, assuming that the administrator (or super-user) has alreadycompleted them. This is also true for optimisation scenarios that have been set up by one user thatcan be shared with other users who access the same project.



Setting RF Array Thresholds

The RF (radio frequency) array thresholds in the ACP Workflow enable you to specify:

RF array thresholds for clutter

RF array thresholds for vectors

These thresholds determine the required RF performance for your optimisations and analyses.

Specifying RF Array Thresholds for Clutter

In the RF Array Thresholds, you can configure clutter-specific thresholds that define the current orrequired performance of your network. This enables you to specify and use minimum signalstrength and signal quality targets for chosen clutter types.

These thresholds are evaluated when running optimisations and when performing an analysis.


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This picture shows an example of the Clutter Thresholds:

Example of Clutter Thresholds

To edit the Clutter Thresholds:

1. Within the left-hand pane of the ACP Workflow, double-click RF Array Thresholds, and thendouble-click Clutter.

2. Click the required technology, as appropriate, depending on your licences.

3. Specify the threshold values as required in the columns for the appropriate clutter types.The following table describes them:

Technology Parameter Description

GSM

UMTS

CDMA/EV-DO

Fixed WiMAX

Mobile WiMAX

LTE

RSS

RSCP

RSCP

DL RSS

Preamble RSS

RSRP

The minimum signal level (dBm) that is required toprovide coverage in the corresponding clutter type.

GSM

UMTS

CDMA/EV-DO

Fixed WiMAX

Mobile WiMAX

LTE

CINR

Pilot Ec/Io

Pilot Ec/Io

DL CINR

Preamble CINR

RSRQ

The minimum signal quality ratio (dB) that is required inthe corresponding clutter type.

All changes that you make on this page are automatically saved to the database in the Applied state, and the changes will persist when you close the Workflow dialog box.

However, if appropriate, you can carry out one of the following actions:

o If you want to restore the options on this page to the previous committed state (if such

a state exists), click Restoreo If you want to share the changes on this page with all other users, click Commit


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Setting the General Clutter Parameters

If you want to use the sampling options, you can do this on the General Clutter Parameters tab. Todo this:

1. Within the left-hand pane of the ACP Workflow, select RF Array Thresholds, then double-click Clutter, and then click General.

2. On the General Clutter Parameters tab, specify the Sampling parameters, if required, forthe appropriate clutter types. The following table describes the parameter:

Parameter Description

Sample Determines whether cost function sampling is applied to the cluttertype. This sampling is a calculation process using only a subset of

the total pixels during optimisation. The process 'removes'neighbouring pixels of the same clutter type, and therefore makesthe optimisation and analysis faster.

Sampling is only recommended if your mapping resolution is high(under 50m) and you want to optimise a large area.

Tip: You can display the subset of pixels on the map View. See About the Sampling Option on page 34.

If required, you can change all values in a column by editing one row and then double-clicking on the column heading.

Specifying RF Array Thresholds for Vectors

In the RF Array Thresholds, you can configure vector-specific thresholds that define the current orrequired performance of your network. This enables you to specify and use minimum signalstrength and signal quality targets for chosen vectors.

These thresholds are evaluated when running optimisations and when performing an analysis.

Note:

The Override checkbox not only enables you to edit the values, but also activates thevector thresholds. Conversely, if unselected, the vector thresholds are not active.Therefore, you should always bear this in mind before you run an optimisation or performan analysis.

When selected, vector thresholds will always have a higher priority than clutter thresholds(in the pixels that are intersected by your chosen vectors).


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This picture shows an example of the Vector Thresholds:

Example of Vector Thresholds

To edit the Vector Thresholds:

1. Within the left-hand pane of the ACP Workflow, double-click RF Array Thresholds, and thendouble-click Vector.

2. Click the required technology, as appropriate, depending on your licences.

3. Click the Select Vectors button, and in the dialog box that appears, choose the vectors forwhich you would like to configure parameters, then click OK.

4. Select the Override checkbox.

5. Specify the values as required in the columns for the appropriate vectors. The followingtables describe the thresholds:

Technology Parameter Description

All Priority You can specify the relative priority of the chosen vectors.This will determine which parameters are to be used atlocations with intersecting vectors. To raise the priority of avector, select it, then drag and drop it to the requiredpriority position.

GSM

UMTS

CDMA/EV-DO

Fixed WiMAX

Mobile WiMAX

LTE

RSS

RSCP

RSCP

DL RSS

Preamble RSS

RSRP

The minimum signal level (dBm) that is required to providecoverage in the corresponding vector.

GSM

UMTS

CDMA/EV-DO

Fixed WiMAX

Mobile WiMAX

LTE

CINR

Pilot Ec/Io

Pilot Ec/Io

DL CINR

Preamble CINR

RSRQ

The minimum signal quality ratio (dB) that is required in thecorresponding vector.


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Tip: You can employ functionality similar to that in spreadsheets, such as:

o Copying and Pasting single or multiple values within the dialog box

o Copying and Pasting values directly to and from Microsoft Excel ®

o Pressing the Ctrl-Shift-DownArrow/UpArrow keys (as a quick method of highlighting

rows in a column)

6. Leave the Override checkbox selected if you want these thresholds to be active for youroptimisations. You can deactivate them at any time, by deselecting the checkbox.

All changes that you make on this page are automatically saved to the database in the Applied state, and the changes will persist when you close the Workflow dialog box.


o If you want to restore the options on this page to the previous committed state (if sucha state exists), click Restore

o If you want to share the changes on this page with all other users, click Commit

Setting the Strategy

The Strategy option in the ACP Workflow enables you to:

Select the metrics to be used in the optimisations, that is Coverage or Quality, or acombination of both

Select the mapping resolution to be used in the optimisation

Specify a Reference Terminal Type

Set the pixel weighting for Area vs. Traffic

Select the technology or technologies (depending on licences)

Set the maximum number of servers or number of covering cells


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This picture shows an example:

Example of Metrics Selection/Weights tab

To do this:

1. Within the left-hand pane of the ACP Workflow, select Strategy.

2. On the Metrics Selection/Weights tab, either specify exact percentages in the edit boxes

for Coverage or Quality, or use the slider control.

3. Select the mapping resolution to be used in the optimisation.

4. Specify a Reference Terminal Type (required to generate the arrays).

5. In the Pixel Weighting pane, specify whether the calculation of the optimisation costsshould consider area only, traffic only or both combined. To do this, type a value in the %Traffic box to define the weighted importance of traffic-specific calculations for theoptimisation; the % Area value is then automatically updated.

6. In the Mechanism Technologies pane, select the technologies for which you want themetrics/weightings to be used. You can also specify, as appropriate:

o Maximum number of servers (GSM) - the number of cells that are considered ascovering cells and interferers.

o Number of covering cells (all other technologies) - the number of cells that areconsidered as primary covering cells, handover cells (if appropriate) and interferers.

All changes that you make on this tab are automatically saved to the database in the Applied state, and the changes will persist when you close the Workflow dialog box.


o

If you want to restore the options on this tab to the previous committed state (if such astate exists), click Restore

o If you want to share the changes on this tab with all other users, click Commit


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Setting Traffic Options

The Traffic option in the ACP Workflow enables you to specify the list of terminal types to be used

in an optimisation.

This option is relevant if you want to consider traffic in your optimisations (it is not required for ananalysis/optimisation that is area-based only).

Note: Even if you do not consider traffic, you still need to specify a Reference Terminal type. You

can do this on the Metrics Selection/Weights tab of the Strategy page.

To do this:

1. Within the left-hand pane of the Workflow, select Traffic.

2. On the Terminal Types tab, you can select the required terminal type(s) from the list

displayed.

All changes that you make on this tab are automatically saved to the database in the Applied state, and the changes will persist when you close the Workflow dialog box.


o If you want to restore the options on this tab to the previous committed state (if such astate exists), click Restore

o If you want to share the changes on this tab with all other users, click Commit

Specifying the Settings

The Settings in the ACP Workflow enable you to: Set the Simulator Speed to run in memory-optimised mode

Choose a different antenna height parameter for optimisation

Specify the thresholds that relate to the Auto Plan Setup method

To access these settings, in the left-hand pane of the Workflow, select Settings:

There are two tabs available: Options tab and Auto Plan Setup tab.


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Simulator Speed

Service-based optimisations and analyses, are, by default, run in speed-optimised mode, which canhave an impact on the memory used. If you prefer to use the memory-optimised mode (lowerspeed) option, you can select this option as follows:

On the Options tab, select the 'Run Simulator in memory-optimised mode' checkbox.

Antenna Height Optimisation

By default, if antenna heights are being optimised, the optimisation updates the Height-Inv value.You should only choose this option if you prefer it to update the Height-Pred Offset value instead.See the ASSET User Reference Guide for an explanation of these height parameters.

You can select this option as follows:On the Options tab, select the 'Update Height-Pred Offset instead of Height-Inv in Site DB'checkbox.

Auto Plan Setup Thresholds

These thresholds relate to the Auto Plan Setup method of creating an optimisation plan. They areinvoked by the cell identification algorithm which is used within the Auto Plan Setup process. For

information on this method, see Using the Auto Plan Setup Method to Create a Plan on page 27.

To define the thresholds:

On the Auto Plan Setup tab, set the required options for the appropriate technology. Thistable describes the available settings:

Technology Threshold Description

GSMUMTSCDMA/EV-DOFixed WiMAXMobile WiMAXLTE

RSSRSCPRSCPDL RSSPreamble RSSRSRP

Only pixels containing values equal to or higher than thethreshold will be included.

All pixels below the threshold will be excluded.

The thresholds vary according to the technology that you are using.

All changes that you make on these tabs are automatically saved to the database in the Applied state, and the changes will persist when you close the Workflow dialog box.


o If you want to restore the options on each tab to the previous committed state (if such astate exists), click Restore

o If you want to share the changes on each tab with all other users, click Commit


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Globally Committing All Your Changes

If you want to Commit all your changes in the Optimiser Workflow, you can use the Global Commit All option from the main menu.

This will Commit all the Applied parameters in the workflow, such as the RF Array Thresholds,Settings and so on.

Note: This action will also Commit all the Applied changes in the ASSET tool, not only in the Site

Database, but also in all other dialog boxes.

To do this:

From the Database menu, click Global Commit All:

If other people are logged into the same database as you, it is possible that they have Committedchanges to network element(s) that you are now trying to Commit. If this happens, you areprompted either to cancel the Commit or to continue, overriding their Committed data with your ownchanges.

Managing Plans

The ACP Workflow enables you to perform all the tasks within ASSET ACP from a single dialogbox.

This section focuses on how to use the Plan Manager , which controls the plans and delta plans

output by the optimisation engine.




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Using the Plan Manager

The Plan Manager in the ACP Workflow enables you to perform a number of plan-relatedoperations:

View and use existing plans

Create new plans

View and Edit Action-Constraints

Analyse the performance of any plan, or compare plans

Start/Run Optimisations

Delete plans

Temp Apply/UnApply Apply to Database

There is also a context menu, which you can access by right-clicking on the icon of theappropriate plan. This provides quick access to the same options as most of the main buttons, butalso provides extra options. For more information, see Using the Context Menu on page 30.

Important: When you are using the ACP Workflow for the first time, you need to set up the generalparameters, strategy, settings, and so on, before you run any optimisations. These may include:

RF Array Thresholds (Clutter/Vectors)

Strategy

Traffic

Settings

However, this depends whether you have the appropriate user permissions. Parts of this processmay not be relevant to the general user. Depending on the situation, it is possible that the above

options and parameters are centrally specified and committed within the user's organisation.

About the Concept of Plans in ASSET ACP

There are two 'categories' of plan in ASSET ACP:

Plan

Delta plan

A delta plan is the result of an optimisation run from an original plan. However, in essence, the twotypes of plan, when created, can be considered to be the same. This is because, in general terms,you can perform similar operations using a plan of either category, and you can choose to Applyany of these plans to the database.


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Here are some basic principles:

Before you can start an optimisation, you must have at least one plan created. For moreinformation, see Creating Plans for Optimisation or Analysis on page 23.

Plans are created by way of a 'snapshot' from the current Site Database (this is the onlyway a 'new' plan can be created). During that process, you can choose to restrict the

scope of the plan in terms of (i) region, (ii) sites/nodes/cells, and (iii) vectors/drive testroutes, by using the options in the Plan Wizard. At the end of that process, the planappears within the Plan Manager list.

Plans and delta plans are listed in the Plan Manager section of the Workflow dialog box.

Delta plans can only emanate from a plan, and they must always be 'parented' to a plan,since they represent changes to the starting plan.

When you run an optimisation for the plan, the delta plans appear as 'children' of the parentplan.

Plans are categorised by the icon. Delta plans are categorised by the icon.

This picture shows an example of how plans and delta plans are listed in the PlanManager:

Viewing and Using Plans in the Plan Manager

When you are viewing plans, there are three viewing options:

These options are visual 'filters' that help you to distinguish which plan(s) you are working with.

The 'Created By Me' option always lists the plans that you (the logged in User ID) have created.

The 'All Plans' option always lists all existing plans, regardless of who created them.

The 'Used' option requires a more detailed description:

The concept behind the 'Used' option is that, generally speaking, only one individual would beworking with a particular plan at any one time. This would avoid 'multi-user' problems if you areintending to work iteratively with a plan, making progressive changes toward a new plan which hasthe potential to improve the quality of your network.

However, it is possible, if required, for a plan to be 'used' by more than one person. When this isthe situation, the Action-Constraints are viewable but not editable, and the plan cannot be deleted.

When you create a plan, it automatically becomes 'used' by you. However, it is possible to turn thisstatus on/off, using the Toggle option in the context menu. In a similar way, any user who did notcreate the plan, can use the Toggle option to activate his/her 'used' status for that plan. The option

can therefore be used to hand over the 'use' of the plan to a different single user, or (if explicitlyrequired) it can be used to share the 'use' of the plan amongst multiple users.

In situations where you may want multiple users to work on the same plan, but have the freedom toedit the Action-Constraints for that plan, you can utilise the Duplicate option. This enables different


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users to 'branch off' from the same original plan into potentially different proposed network plans. Italso enables you to work on a copy of an existing plan, so that you can experiment with different

Action-Constraints, while still retaining the original plan.

Note: When exporting plans from a project using XML Export, only plans marked as 'Used' will be

exported. For more information, see About the File Menu on page 11.

Creating a New Plan from a Delta Plan

In situations where you want to work with a plan that emanates from a delta plan, you can convertany delta plan into a (normal) plan. This enables you to work with a plan whose values areequivalent to how they stood at the latest stage of the delta plan, and then you can edit the Action-Constraints (this is not possible in a delta plan). You can then run a secondary optimisation fromthe point already reached in the delta plan.

For more information on the context menu, including the Toggle and Duplicate options, see Using

the Context Menu on page 30.

Creating Plans for Optimisation or Analysis

There are two basic methods of creating a plan in ASSET ACP.

Using the Plan Setup to create a plan

Using the Auto Plan Setup to create a 'recommended' plan

Here is a brief summary of each method:

The Plan Setup method enables you to specify the region and the filters (cells) for the plan,and then manually assign the appropriate Action-Constraints templates.

It can be launched either from the Workflow, or directly from the Map View. The latter isquicker and easier if the Map View is already displaying the correct region and filters.

This method is recommended for users who wish to create plans without anyrecommendations from the tool.

The Auto Plan Setup method can automatically recommend the grouping of cells intofilters, and consequently facilitates the assigning of the appropriate Action-Constraintstemplate to those filters. It can also automatically determine the geographic area for theresultant plan, by creating a vector. The concept behind this method is that it can automatesome of the pre-optimisation tasks (which would be done manually when using the PlanSetup method).

This method is recommended for users who wish to create plans helped by

recommendations from the tool.

It can be launched either from the Workflow, or directly from the Map View. The latter isquicker and easier if the Map View is already displaying the correct region and cell filters.

A fuller description of this method is included in Using the Auto Plan Setup Method toCreate a Plan on page 27.

If you launch either method directly from the Map View, you should ensure that the display includesthe region and the cells that you want to choose from when creating the plan.

If you launch either method from the Workflow (Plan Manager), you should ensure that the displayincludes the region that you want to use when creating the plan. In this case, it is possible to

choose cells that are not displayed on the Map View, but they must be located within the region.


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Important:

When creating a plan, two of the steps are crucial in determining which cells will be

included: (i) specifying the region and (ii) selecting the site/cell filter(s).

A further (optional) step enables you to select specific vectors and/or drive test routes,

which can be useful if you want to precisely define the pixels that will be included in themetrics evaluation. This is an important way of focusing the optimisation calculations, but itdoes not (for example, in the case of a polygon) determine which cells are included.

Using the Plan Setup Method to Create a Plan

There are two basic methods of creating a plan in ASSET ACP. This section describes the PlanSetup method.

To create a new plan for optimisation:

1. Check that you have a Map View window open that displays the region and cells that youwant to include. (However, if you prefer to enter precise co-ordinates, an open Map View isnot essential.)

2. Open the Workflow by clicking the shortcut button on the main ASSET ACP toolbar.

3. In the left-hand pane, select Plan Manager .

4. Click the Plan Setup button, then click the Plan Setup option.

5. In the Plan Wizard that appears, type a name for the plan.

If required, you can select an existing plan as a template. For information on this, see thefollowing section.

Click Next.

6. Check that the region for the plan is correct. If necessary, you can modify the region byentering precise co-ordinates.

Click Next.


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7. Select one or more filters to determine which sites/nodes and cells are to be considered in

the plan.

Click Next.

8. The next step of the wizard enables you to select the appropriate Action-Constraintstemplates on a filter basis.

Note: Anything you edit here can be modified after creating the plan, using the Action-Constraints dialog box. In fact, if preferred, you can skip this step now, and do it later, asdescribed in Using the Action-Constraints Dialog Box on page 41.

Use the Add button to specify each filter-template combination. (You can delete a row by

clicking .) Here is an example:

Where appropriate, you can use the up and down arrows to set the filter priorities.

Only one template (per mechanism) can be assigned to a filter. Therefore, in cases wherean object exists in more than one filter in this dialog box, the filter priority number isimportant in determining which template is assigned.

If required, you can check the contents of the relevant filter by clicking .

Tip: You can edit any of the filter selections and/or template assignments by clicking in anyof the columns. You can also edit any of the Action-Constraints Templates (in the normal

way) by clicking the Manage Templates button.

Click Next.


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9. If appropriate to your requirements, restricting optimisation calculations to vectors canmake calculations faster and more focused, by focusing on the improvement of specificareas and/or drive test routes.

If you want to restrict the optimisation to particular vectors, select the Use Vectorscheckbox and then specify the vectors under the System or User folders, as appropriate.

- and/or -

If you want to restrict the optimisation and/or analysis to a drive test route, select theappropriate vectors from the Measurements folder.

You can subsequently modify the restriction selections at any time, by right-clicking on theplan in the Plan Manager of the Workflow, and selecting Edit Vectors.

10. Click the Finish button.

Using an Existing Plan as a Template

When you are creating a new plan for optimisation using the Plan Setup Method, you can choose toselect an existing plan as a template for the new plan.

If you do this, the cells to be included in the new plan are still determined by the region and filtersthat you select within the Plan Wizard, but the key difference is that all the action-constraints forcells that exist both in the original 'template' plan and in the new plan are 'copied' into the new plan.In effect, it copies the action-constraints for such cells into the Action-Constraints dialog box, buttakes a fresh snapshot of the parameters in the Site Database.

This option may therefore be useful if you have made changes in the Site Database since creatingthe original plan, and want to bring those changes into a new plan.

Note: Any cells that were in the original 'template' plan, but not captured by the region and filters forthe new plan, are always excluded from the new plan. Conversely, if there are cells in the new planthat did not exist in the original 'template' plan, they would need their action-constraints to be edited

in the Action-Constraints dialog box (in the usual way).


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Using the Auto Plan Setup Method to Create a Plan

There are two basic methods of creating a plan in ASSET ACP. This section describes the AutoPlan Setup method.

The Auto Plan Setup method can be considered as an automatic plan-recommendation system.This method can be very useful when the interactions between the cells to be planned are not well

known at the time when you are creating the plan.

The concept behind the Auto Plan Setup method is that it can automatically identify some of the

pre-optimisation tasks which would be done manually when using the Plan Setup method.

In basic terms, you begin with a Map View window which contains your required region and cells.You then need to specify which cells are your 'main focus'. So this requires that those cells arealready in one or more filters (you can use the normal Static or Dynamic filters, or the SelectionFilter).

At the stage where the Auto Plan Setup is aware of the 'main focus' cells, it can recommend the

grouping of other cells into 'tiered' filters (using an algorithm based on user-defined settings). It isthen simple to make the appropriate Action-Constraints template assignments. For example:

Filter Action-Constraints Template selection

Main focus Template allowing significant changes

Recommended (tier 1) Template allowing some changes

Recommended (tier 2) Read-Only

Furthermore, the Auto Plan Setup can then automatically determine the geographic area thatshould be taken into consideration during analysis and optimisation of the resultant plan. Thealgorithm builds a list of all cells contained within the plan that have any 'non-Read-Only' Action-

Constraints Templates associated with them. It then finds all pixels where any of these cellsprovides a signal strength above the relevant signal threshold defined on the Auto PlanSetup tab of the Settings page in the Workflow. An enclosed vector (polygon) is then createdaround all these pixels.

In summary, the main benefits of this method are:

The 'tiered' filters are recommended automatically (and they are independent of currentlyexisting filters). These tiered filters can be considered as a form of cell 'hierarchy' in termsof what can happen in the optimisation.

This is based on a cell identification algorithm that uses the settings under the Auto PlanSetup tab in the Settings page of the Workflow. For more information, see Specifying theSettings on page 18.

The templates in the Action-Constraints dialog box are assigned based on the previoussequence of assignments in this dialog box, which creates consistency for iterative use ofthe Auto Plan Setup.

You can manually override these recommendations (if you have the relevant permissions).

The geographic area for the eventual evaluation of the plan can be automaticallydetermined.

Note: Depending on the planning region size, cell volumes, and map data resolution, the

running of the algorithms for the filters and the geographic area can take some time.


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To create a new auto plan for optimisation :

1. If you intend to use the 'Create Restriction Polygon' option, a valid Reference TerminalType must have been specified on the Strategy page of the Optimiser Workflow.

2. Check that you have a Map View window open that displays the region and cells that youwant to include. (However, if you prefer to enter precise co-ordinates, an open Map View isnot essential.)

3. Open the Workflow by clicking the shortcut button on the main ASSET ACP toolbar.


5. Click the Plan Setup button, then click the Auto Plan Setup option.

6. In the Auto Plan Wizard that appears, type a name for the plan.Click Next.

7. Check that the region for the plan is correct. If necessary, you can modify the region byentering precise co-ordinates.

Click Next.

8. Select one or more filters to determine which sites/nodes and cells are to be considered inthe plan.

Click Next.

9. Select one or more filters to define which cells should represent the 'main focus'. ClickNext.

10. The 'Review Recommendations' step of the wizard shows the Focus filter and therecommended 'Tier 1' and 'Tier 2' filters, each associated with their appropriate Action-Constraints templates. Here is an example:

You can edit any of the filter selections and/or template assignments by clicking in the Filtercolumn or in any of the planning mechanism columns. You can also edit any of the Action-Constraints Templates (in the normal way) by clicking the Manage Templates button.

You can use the button if you need to specify more filter-templatecombination rows, and you can delete rows by clicking .


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Where appropriate, you can use the up and down arrows to set the filter priorities.Only one template (per mechanism) can be assigned to a filter. Therefore, in cases wherean object might exist in more than one filter in this dialog box, the filter priority order isimportant in determining which template is assigned.

You can check the contents of the relevant filter by clicking .

11. If you want the Auto Plan Setup to automatically determine the geographic area that shouldbe taken into consideration during evaluation of the resultant plan, select the 'CreateRestriction Polygon' option.

(You can only do this if a valid Reference Terminal Type has been specified on theStrategy page of the Optimiser Workflow.)

If you select this option, the Auto Plan Setup will run the restriction polygon algorithm andstore the associated vector.

The new vector subsequently appears in the ACP folder in the Vector Manager and in theMap View's Data Types list (where it can be visualised).

Click Next.

12. If required, you can restrict optimisation calculations to vectors to make calculations fasterand more focused, by concentrating on the improvement of specific areas and/or drive testroutes.

If you want to restrict the optimisation to particular vectors, select the Use Vectorscheckbox and then specify the vectors under the System or User folders, as appropriate.

- and/or -

If you selected the 'Create Restriction Polygon' in the previous step, the 'Use RestrictionPolygon' checkbox will be already selected, but you have the option to deselect it.

- and/or -

If you want to restrict the optimisation and/or analysis to a drive test route, select theappropriate vectors from the Measurements folder.

You can subsequently modify any of the restriction selections at any time, by right-clickingon the plan in the Plan Manager of the Workflow, and selecting Edit Vectors.

13. Click the Finish button.


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Using the Context Menu

When you are viewing the Plan Manager, there is also a context menu available, which you canaccess by right-clicking on the appropriate plan or delta plan. Here is an example:

Example of Context Menu for Plans or Delta Plans

This not only provides quick access to the same options as most of the main buttons, but alsoprovides extra options:

Option Available for Description/Comments

Action-Constraints Plans See Using the Action-Constraints Dialog Box on page41.

Edit Vectors Plans and delta plans Enables you to modify the vector selection for a plan.

Summary Plans Shows the included cells, the planning region (size,location, resolution).

Tip: It also provides an Update 2D View button,

which can be very useful.

Initial Report Plans Shows the current values, and the constraints, of thenetwork contained in the plan, and the possiblenetwork parameter changes that may be consideredin an optimisation (as appropriate).

Delta Report Delta plans The current values, and the constraints, of thenetwork contained in the delta plan, and the specificnetwork parameter changes 'proposed' by theOptimiser.

Final Report Delta plans A complete report of the state of the 'optimised'network.

In other words, the current values are replaced by the'proposed' values (only in the report, not in thedatabase).


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Analysis Plans and delta plans This enables you to run an analysis, in order toevaluate any plan configuration or compare any twoconfigurations. You can output associated reports.

See Analysing and Evaluating Plans on page 73.

Financial Analysis Plans and delta plans Perform a financial analysis of your network. This is alicensed module that can help you make informednetwork planning decisions. For more information,see the Financial Analysis User Reference Guide.

Optimise Plans and delta plans The automatic Optimiser can consider an extensiverange of physical design and network parametersettings in order to improve the performance of theradio network.

See Running an Optimisation on page 66.

Duplicate Plans This is a useful option in situations where you wantto:

Work on a copy of an existing plan, so that youcan experiment with different Action-Constraints,while still retaining the original plan.

Work on a copy of a plan that is being 'Used' bysomeone else, but want the freedom to edit the Action-Constraints for that plan.

For more information, see Viewing and Using Plansin the Plan Manager on page 22.

Duplicate Delta plans This is a useful option in situations where you want towork on a plan which emanates from a delta plan.The key benefits are:

The plan values are equivalent to how they stood

at the latest stage of the delta plan

You can edit the Action-Constraints (this is notpossible in a delta plan)

You can then run a secondary optimisation fromthe point already reached in the delta plan


Rename Plans and delta plans A quick way to rename a plan or delta plan. Thesenames must always be unique within a project.

Delete Plans and delta plans When you delete a plan, its 'child' delta plans are alsoremoved. However, a delta plan can be deleted

individually.

Bookmark Plans and delta plans This simply acts as a 'bookmark', so that you canquickly identify the plan you have been working on. Italso appears as the default plan in the dialog boxeswhere you need to select a plan.

Toggle Use Plans and delta plans You can use this option to toggle the 'Used' status ofa plan.

The option can be used, for example, to 'release yourusage' of a plan. This may, for example, enableanother user to 'obtain the usage' of that plan.



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Set Active Cells toSelection Filter

Plans and delta plans This enables you to quickly update (overwrite) thecontents of the Selection Filter with the 'active' cellsthat are in the selected plan.

For more information about the Selection Filter, see

the ENTERPRISE User Reference Guide.

Refresh Plans and delta plans Refreshes the page.

Viewing Plans in the Map View Window

In addition to viewing plans within the Plan Manager, there are also some viewing options in theMap View window.

When you have created plans, you can view that region in the Map View.

To do this:

1. Ensure you have a Map View window open that will include the planning region for the plan.

2. On the Map View toolbar, click the button.

3. In the Map Information Control dialog box, click the Data Types tab.

4. Select the required plan under the Plans heading:

5. Click the Apply button.


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The planning region is displayed:

6. If required, you can double-click the plan name in the Map Information and Control, andselect a different display colour.

Important: The other items displayed (including the nodes or sites) depend on which other itemsare selected in the Data Types (this may also depend whether a Favourite View has been initiallydisplayed). This plan viewing option does not discriminate in terms of nodes/sites; it simply

visualises the planning region.

About Plan Viewing Options

When you are viewing plans in the Map View, you can use some additional options in the Map Viewwindow.

To access these options:

1. In the Map Information and Control, right-click the required plan:


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2. Click the required option. This table describes the options:

Option Description

Plan Summary A summary which lists the included cells, and the planningregion (size, location, resolution).

Tip: The summary also includes an Update 2D View button,which can be very useful.

Apply (or Remove) Sampling See About the Sampling Option on page 34.

Update Selection Filter Enables you to quickly update (overwrite) the contents of theSelection Filter with the cells that are in the selected plan.

For more information about the Selection Filter, see theENTERPRISE User Reference Guide.

Properties (all options) In the same way as for other items in the Data Types, theseoptions enable you to manage the display properties of eachitem.

Tip: The Properties option can also be accessed by double-clicking the plan name.

3. If you have modified one of the visual options (Apply Sampling, Properties), you need toclick the Redraw button to refresh the Map View.

About the Sampling Option

In the Clutter Parameters, on the General Parameters tab, it is possible to specify that you wantto enable cost function sampling for specific clutter types, so that only a subset of the total pixelsare used for an optimisation. This is described in Setting the General Clutter Parameters on page14.

If you have used sampling, whenever you are viewing plans in the Map View, you can choose tomodify the highlighted planning region so that it displays only the exact pixels that will be includedin the optimisation calculations.

To do this:

1. In the Map Information and Control, right-click the required plan (under the Plans heading inthe Data Types).

2. Click the 'Apply Sampling' option.

3. Click the Redraw button.

If some of the clutter parameters have been set to use sampling, only the correspondingpixels will be displayed. Here is an example:


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Applying a Plan to the Database

The Apply to Database option enables you to Apply any of your plans or delta plans to thedatabase (a delta plan is the result of an optimisation run from an original plan, but you can Applyeither type of plan, optimised or otherwise).

The Apply to Database option is equivalent to a normal manual Apply in the Site Database, and itenables you to use the complete functionality within ASSET ACP and ASSET. For example, youcan analyse the performance of the plan (using arrays and reports) within ASSET, and make anynecessary subsequent manual changes to the Site Database. As is the normal case for all Applied

data, you can choose to subsequently Commit the data.

There is also a 'Temp Apply' option, described in the following section.

There are key differences between the Temp Apply and the Apply to Database options. See

Comparison between Temp Apply and Apply to Database on page 37.

Important: You can, if required, use the Restore All option after using Apply to Database, butplease note that this will restore the database back to the last Committed configuration, which maylead to:

Any previously Applied changes in the Site Database being lost (in the normal way)

A configuration in the Site Database that is different from the plan that you created to startwith (because the plan, when created in the Plan Manager, is independent of subsequentdatabase changes)

To use the Apply to Database option :

1. Within the left-hand pane of the Workflow, select Plan Manager .

2. Select the appropriate plan.

3. Click the Apply Plan button.

4. Click the Apply to Database option.

The plan is now applied to the database.


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Applying a Plan Temporarily to the Database

This option enables you to 'Temporarily Apply' of one of your plans to the database, so that youcan analyse the performance of the plan (using arrays and reports) within ASSET. The main benefitof this is that you can experiment with the potential benefits of the plan, and subsequently revert to

the previous configuration in the database.

There is also a normal 'Apply to Database' option, described in the previous section.

There are key differences between the Temp Apply and the Apply to Database options. See

Comparison between Temp Apply and Apply to Database on page 37.

To use the Temp Apply option:

1. In the left-hand pane of the Workflow, select Plan Manager .


3. Click the Apply Plan button.

4. Click the Temp Apply option.

The plan is now temporarily applied to the database.

You will see the appropriate cell parameters temporarily modified in the Site Database window, butthe whole Site Database is in a read-only state.

The read-only state will remain in place until you decide to revert to the previous configuration in

the database.

To revert to the previous configuration in the database:


2. Click the Temp UnApply button.

The database is now reverted to its previous configuration, and the Site Database window is active

again.


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Comparison between Temp Apply and Apply to Database

There are some key differences between the 'Temp Apply' and the 'Apply to Database' options, as

summarised here:

Summary of Temp Apply

When you click Temp Apply, you can view the temporary changes in the Site Database window,which, at this point, appears in a read-only state. This operation is fundamentally different from thenormal Apply operation used in the rest of ENTERPRISE, because it does not overwrite anychanges you might have made in the Site Database since you created the plan. In other words,when you subsequently revert it from its 'temporary' state (by clicking Temp UnApply), nothing will

have changed from the configuration that was in place immediately before you clicked Temp Apply.

You cannot make any manual changes to the Site Database while it is in this 'temporary'restrictive state.

The operation does not affect other users who are sharing the project.

You cannot close a session (that is, close the project) while the Site Database is in the'temporary' state. It is obligatory to revert it by clicking Temp UnApply before you closeyour session.

The Temp Apply operation is independent of your user-specific object permissions (sinceno values are written to the database).

Summary of Apply to Database

This is equivalent to a normal (manual) Apply, which means that it will overwrite any changes youmight have made in the Site Database since you created and optimised the plan. In other words, ifyou had made some changes to the relevant cells since that time, it will overwrite those changes

with the new values when you click the Apply to Database option.

You can make further manual changes to the Site Database, in the normal way, after thisoperation.

You will be able to use the Restore option in the Site Database, if necessary, to restore tothe previous committed state (assuming the network elements had at some stage beenpreviously committed).

The operation may subsequently affect other users who are sharing the project, in thenormal way, if you choose to Commit the changes.

You can close a session (that is, close the project) in the normal way, if required, with somechanges in the Applied state.

The Apply to Database operation is always dependent on your user-specific objectpermissions.


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Deleting a Plan

To delete an optimisation plan:

1. Within the left-hand pane of the Workflow, select Plan Manager .


3. Click the Delete Plan button.

4. Click Yes to proceed.

The plan is now removed.

(You cannot delete a plan if it is 'in use' by more than one user.)

Setting Action-Constraints for Plans

The purpose of action-constraints in ASSET ACP is to allow certain network parameter changes tobe considered in a network optimisation, but at the same time impose meaningful limitations andrestrictions on those changes, in order to accurately represent the real-world environment.

In ASSET ACP, there are two separate 'sources' of action-constraints:

Action-constraints that you can set up and edit within the Optimiser Workflow

Action-constraints that you can set for specific network elements directly within the SiteDatabase

Important: Action-constraints that are set in the Site Database are always auto-populated into the

Action-Constraints dialog box when you create a plan. You then have the freedom to modify thoseaction-constraints at that stage, if required. When you run an optimisation, the Optimiser reads theaction-constraints exclusively from the Action-Constraints dialog box, regardless of their original'source'.

This flexibility enables you to:

Set specific action-constraints in the Site Database, and then edit these action-constraints(if required) and set up further action-constraints (if required) in the Action-Constraintsdialog box.

- or -

Set up action-constraints exclusively in the Action-Constraints dialog box.

This chapter focuses on the plan-specific Action-Constraints dialog box within the OptimiserWorkflow. For more detailed information about the action-constraints within the Site Database, see

About Action-Constraints on page 83.


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About the Action-Constraints Dialog Box

The ASSET ACP tool focuses on automatic optimisation of plans. The Action-Constraints dialog

box plays a crucial part in this process.

Here is some key information about its importance:

The Action-Constraints dialog box not only sets the constraints for the networkoptimisation, but, crucially, it also sets the possible actions (namely, the networkparameter changes) that can take place.

In the majority of cases, when you have created a new plan, you must set possiblechanges in the Action-Constraints dialog box, otherwise an optimisation will not run. Theonly exception is when you are performing an Antenna optimisation where electrical ormechanical tilts have been set on the Antenna Constraints tab in the Site Database beforethe plan was created.

For additional information about the action-constraints, see About Action-Constraints on page 83.

Example of Action-Constraints dialog box

The user interface of the Action-Constraints dialog box is designed to help you. The two mainguiding factors are the colour distinctions and the checking facility:

Colour Backgrounds

There are two colour backgrounds for columns in the dialog box:

The columns that cannot be edited (for example, those that show the current values of theplan) are presented on a blue background.

The columns that can be edited (for example, those for which action-constraints can be setfor the plan optimisation) are presented on a green background.

Checking Facility

The Check button is extremely useful for automatically verifying that the plan's action-constraints

are valid, and ready for the optimisation to run.


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For example, it can show you:

How many 'Degrees of Freedom' are in the plan, according to the current state of the Action-Constraints. This value emanates from the amount of variables in the plan. Thispicture represents a plan where fifteen of the antennas can each undergo a possibleazimuth change:

If there are no Degrees of Freedom, then the optimisation will not be allowed to run.

The feedback may display an error or a warning, for example:

Errors will not allow the optimisation to run; warnings will allow it to run, but the message isaimed at making you aware of the situation.

Important: It is recommended that you make full use of all these guiding factors to ensure

everything is set up correctly before optimising any plan.

About the Fixed Columns for the Action-Constraints

The Action-Constraints dialog box contains many columns for the potential network parameterchanges. These sets of columns exist for each planning mechanism (Antenna/Power).

One of the most important columns for each group of action-constraints is the 'Fixed' column.

Some basic principles are:

If the Fixed checkbox for any action-constraint is selected:

o That action-constraint (for the object in that row) can be considered as completelyinactive.

o The existing values - although inactive - remain in place just in case you want to reusethem later, by removing the Fixed setting. Unless that happens, they stay inactive.

Here is an example:

In one of the rows, the Fixed checkbox for the Azimuth action-constraint is selected.Therefore, when the optimisation is run, no azimuth changes will be considered for that

particular antenna in that row.


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The above principles are true whether the Action-Constraints dialog box is edited manuallyor by using Template Assignments. With specific regard to changes made to the Action-Constraints values by assignment from Templates, you should note the following:

o For each planning mechanism (Antenna/Power), there is a Read Only templateavailable. When this is assigned to a filter, all the 'Fixed' checkboxes (for the objects inthe associated filter, and independently for each mechanism) become automatically

selected in the Action-Constraints dialog box.

o When you create a template, it is likely that you will not have selected all the potentialaction-constraints in that template. When you assign that template to a filter, the 'Fixed'checkboxes for the action-constraints that were unselected in the template becomeautomatically selected in the Action-Constraints dialog box (for the objects in theassociated filter and independently for each mechanism).

For example, if a template has only Azimuth (Antenna mechanism) selected, the otheraction-constraints (Tilts, Heights, Device/Pattern) would all be set to 'Fixed' in the

Action-Constraints dialog box, after the template assignment.

For more information, see Assigning Action-Constraints Templates to Objects on page63.

Using the Action-Constraints Dialog Box

The Action-Constraints dialog box plays a crucial role in ASSET ACP, because it enables you tospecify which parameters can be changed (for the cells that can be planned) during optimisation.You can do this for one or both of the planning mechanisms.

For additional useful information about the action-constraints, see About the Action-ConstraintsDialog Box on page 39.

When you run an optimisation, there are two planning mechanisms you can use:

Antenna

Power

ASSET ACP provides the flexibility to run optimisations based on any single mechanism, or both,according to your optimisation strategy.

The Action-Constraints dialog box presents a tabular display containing a tab for each mechanism.There is also a Summary tab showing how many sites, cells, and antennas are in the Plan.

The other tabs (Antenna/Power) display the parameters relevant to each planning mechanism,which can be briefly described as:

The current values of the network contained in the Plan

The constraints, that is, the restrictions on what can be changed, in terms of objects,ranges, limits and so on

The actions, that is, all the possible network parameter changes that may be considered inthe optimisation

Important: The action-constraints of any plans which already have delta plans are always in Read-

Only format.

You can edit the Action-Constraints for an optimisation plan.

Note: If you are only intending to analyse a plan, you may not need to edit the action-constraints.


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To edit the Action-Constraints for an optimisation plan:

1. Open the Optimiser Workflow, by clicking ASSET ACP from the Tools menu.


3. Select the appropriate Plan, and click the Constraints button.

The Action-Constraints dialog box appears.

For the selected Plan, you can edit the constraints and/or the possible changes. You can do this:

Individually for each object, on a manual basis. You can employ functionality similar to thatin Microsoft® Excel® to do this, such as copying and pasting.

- or -

Using Action-Constraints Templates that you have created, which you can:

o Manually assign to objects in the Action-Constraints dialog box, under the Templatescolumn,

- or -

o Assign to objects on a 'filter-specific' basis, by clicking the Assign Templates button.

Important: When you have finished making changes in the Action-Constraints dialog box, you must always click 'Apply', in order to save the changes.

About the Viewing Options for Action-Constraints

You can perform many kinds of viewing operations similar to that in Microsoft® Excel®, by clicking

the appropriate within the dialog box.

There are two distinct 'levels' in the Action-Constraints dialog box, where the appears:

The section headings (ID, Current Values, Azimuth, Pilot Power, Candidate Planning andso on)

The column headings (Property, Cell, Min, Max, Step, Fixed and so on)

Example of Heading levels in Action-Constraints dialog box

For the Section headings, when you click , you can perform this viewing option:

Show/hide columns (within the section)

For the Column headings, when you click , you can perform these viewing options:

Show/hide column

Sort ascending


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Sort descending

Show all rows

Filter (gives option to show only the rows containing a chosen value in column)

In addition, if you prefer, you can perform similar viewing operations using the Show/Hide button:

Show/Hide button

About the Methods of Editing the Action-Constraints

The Action-Constraints dialog box is very flexible, and enables you to set up the action-constraints

for your optimisation plans in ways that suit your specific requirements. As you gain experience inusing the ASSET ACP tool, you will develop your own preferences in how you approach thisimportant part of the optimisation process.

Important: Whichever method(s) you use, you must always click 'Apply' in the Action-Constraintsdialog box, when you have finished, in order to save the changes.

In summary, as previously described, you can take different approaches to editing these values:

Individually for each object, on a manual basis

Using action-constraints templates

A combination of the above

In very simplified terms, here is some general advice on how you might use each method:

Manually Editing the Action-Constraints Values

If you only want to set up or edit a single parameter, for example an Azimuth Change Step, it isprobably easier and quicker to edit the value directly in the Action-Constraints dialog box:

Example of Azimuth values in the Action-Constraints dialog box


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If you want to set up different values for different groups of cells, make full use of the filters when

you edit the values.

Important:

o These filters only display the cells included in the plan when it was created. Therefore,they are intrinsically 'subsets' of the corresponding filters that you would view in theSite Database.

o Different filters can be selected for each planning mechanism.

o Each time you open a project, the filters in this dialog box will always default to the filterspecified on the Filters tab of the Preferences dialog box, under the File menu.

You can employ functionality similar to that in Microsoft® Excel®, such as:

o Copying and pasting single/multiple values within the dialog box

o Copying and Pasting values directly to and from Excel

o Pressing the Ctrl-Shift-DownArrow/UpArrow keys (as a quick method of highlighting anactive column)

Assigning Action-Constraints Templates to Cell Filters

If you want to set up or edit a variety of parameters, such as values for Mechanical Downtilt, Azimuth and Height, it is probably easier and quicker to set up Templates, and then use the AssignTemplates button to assign the template values to the objects:

Example of Assigning Action-Constraints Templates to Cell Filters

For more information, see Assigning Action-Constraints Templates to Objects on page 63.


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About the Action-Constraints on the Antenna Tab

The Action-Constraints dialog box contains tabs for each of the planning mechanisms. The topics inthis section describes the columns under the Antennas tab. These contain the parameters relevant

to the Antenna planning mechanism, and can be briefly described as:

The current values of the network contained in the Plan

The constraints, that is, the restrictions on what can be changed, in terms of objects,ranges, limits and so on

The actions, that is, all the possible network parameter changes that may be considered inthe optimisation

Tip: The Action-Constraints Templates provide you with a quick and easy way of setting upaction-constraints so that they can be reused across all or some of your plans. You should makefull use of these templates so that you avoid duplication of constraints that may be generic to allplans. In other words, you should avoid spending time setting many constraints directly in the

Action-Constraints dialog box, if there is a high chance that you will be using those action-constraints for other plans. See About Action-Constraints Templates on page 53.

Antenna Tab - ID Heading

This section of the Antenna tab of the Action-Constraints dialog box displays the column namesunder the ID heading:

Columns in the ID section of the Antenna tab in the Action-Constraints dialog box

This table describes the options:

Column Heading Description

Property, Site/Node, Cell,Layer/Carrier, Technology,Logical Antenna Index, AntennaInstance

These are object identities relating to the network elements included inthe plan.

Template If applicable, this is the assigned template that determines the possiblechanges in the row. If the changes are independent of a template, thisfield will display 'Custom'. If the Read Only template is assigned, all the'Fixed' checkboxes in the row are selected.


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Antenna Tab - Current Values Heading

This section of the Antenna tab of the Action-Constraints dialog box displays the column namesunder the Current Values heading:

Columns in the Current Values section of the Antenna tab in the Action-Constraints dialog box



Device/Pattern, Electrical, Mechanical, Total Tilts, Azimuth,Height, Shared identity, Easting/Northing.

All values relevant to the starting Plan.

Antenna Tab - Antenna Constraints Heading

This section of the Antenna tab of the Action-Constraints dialog box displays the column namesunder the Antenna Constraints heading:

Columns in the Antenna Constraints section of the Antenna tab in the Action-Constraints dialog box



Height Variation If you want to use height variation, select the checkbox. This defines whether theheights for individual antennas may differ at a specific Property.

Note: If height variation is not selected, all antennas on the same cell layer(GSM) or all carriers at this Property (all other technologies) must be at the sameheight. However, GSM cells for different cell layers, or cells of different

technologies (for example, GSM and UMTS) can still have antennas with heightsdifferent from each other.

Minimum AzimuthDifference

This enables you to set a minimum separation (in degrees) that you are willing toaccept between antennas of the same height on a specific Property.

Co-Location Enabled This enables you to allow antenna devices to share co-location parameters(identical location co-ordinates, height and azimuth, and existing on the sameProperty).

Note: If Antenna Co-location is not enabled for a Property, no antenna sharing orco-location configuration can be accepted as a valid starting configuration orexamined as a potential optimisation solution by the Optimiser. For moreinformation, see How the Optimiser Considers Shared Antennas on page 57.


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Forbidden AzimuthRange Min/Max

This enables you to define, for a specific antenna, an orientation range that theautomatic optimisation cannot consider for azimuth changes. For this, theminimum represents a clockwise bearing (the start azimuth of the forbiddenrange) and the maximum represents an anti-clockwise bearing (the end azimuth

of the forbidden range).For descriptive detail on this, see About the Forbidden Azimuth Range on page47.

About the Forbidden Azimuth Range

In the Action-Constraints dialog box, on the Antenna tab, there is a section heading named Antenna Constraints, and these constraints enable you to restrict the available options that can beused to optimise the antennas located on a Property.

One of the constraints enables you to define, for a specific antenna, an orientation range that theautomatic optimisation cannot consider for azimuth changes. For this, the minimum represents a

clockwise bearing (the start azimuth of the forbidden range) and the maximum represents an anti-clockwise bearing (the end azimuth of the forbidden range).

Note: This description of the Forbidden Azimuth Range also corresponds to the similar option onthe Antenna Constraints tab in the Site Database. (Action-constraints that are set in the SiteDatabase are always auto-populated into the Action-Constraints dialog box when you create a plan,

but they can be modified at that stage, if required.)

The way that you set the forbidden azimuth parameters depends on your exact requirements. Thisillustration shows the importance of setting up the minimum and maximum settings correctly:

Examples of forbidden azimuth ranges with corresponding parameters in the Action-Constraints dialog box


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This next picture illustrates a more specific example of how the forbidden azimuth might be used

within an antenna optimisation.

The example represents an antenna currently set to 60° with an optimisation azimuth rangebetween 0° and 120°, but with a forbidden range between 90° and 105°:

Specific example of how the forbidden azimuth might be used within an antenna optimisation

This picture shows how the corresponding parameters would be set in the Action-Constraints dialogbox:

Example of the corresponding parameters in the Action-Constraints dialog box


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Antenna Tab - Electrical Tilt/Patterns Heading

This section of the Antenna tab of the Action-Constraints dialog box displays the column namesunder the Electrical Tilt/Patterns heading:

Columns in the Electrical Tilt / Patterns section of the Antenna tab in the Action-Constraints dialog box



Use Min/Max/Step Serves as a 'switch'. Select this if you want Min/Max/Step values to be used in theoptimisation, but do not select it if you want Specified Device/Patterns to be usedinstead.

Min/Max/Step You can enable the electrical downtilt of the antenna to be changed, by specifyingMinimum and Maximum downtilts, and the allowed Step of change (all in degrees).

Fixed Select this if you want nothing to be changed for Electrical Tilt/Patterns. If this isselected, the 'Use Min/Max/Step' checkbox will have no effect.

SpecifiedDevice/Patterns

You can enable the antenna devices and/or patterns to be changed.

Tip: The easiest way to set up these is to use a template. See Configuring Action-Constraints Templates for Antenna Planning on page 55.

Note: If you want to enable these specified patterns to be used during optimisation,ensure that the Min/Max/Step checkbox is not selected.

Device Fixed Select this if you want the pattern to be allowed to change, but not the device.

Notes:

Total downtilt must also be set, in order to allow the required changes to the electricaldowntilt during optimisation. See Antenna Tab - Total Downtilt Heading on page 50.

For an optimisation to consider electrical downtilt changes, the appropriate antennapatterns for each antenna device need to be set up in the Cellular Antennas dialog box.

If any of the three antenna constraints for electrical tilt (Min; Max; Step) are enabled for anantenna in the Site Database, the ‘Use Min/Max/Step’ checkbox for that antenna is

automatically selected in the Action-Constraints dialog box, but this is editable.


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Antenna Tab - Mechanical Downtilt Heading

This section of the Antenna tab of the Action-Constraints dialog box displays the column namesunder the Mechanical Downtilt heading:

Columns in the Mechanical Downtilt section of the Antenna tab in the Action-Constraints di

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