Nokia AirScale Configuration Guide

Configuring Base Stations for RAN Monitor Integration

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Table of Contents

1. Overview
2. Prerequisites
3. Accessing the WebLM Interface
4. Configuring Performance Monitoring
5. Configuration Parameters Reference
6. Verification
7. Troubleshooting

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Overview

To enable RAN Monitor to collect performance metrics, alarms, and configuration data from Nokia AirScale base stations, you must configure the base station to report data to the RAN Monitor system. This is accomplished through the Nokia Web Element Manager (WebLM) interface.

This guide walks through the process of configuring the Performance Measurement Common Administration (PMCADM) managed object, which controls how the base station sends performance data to external systems.

Who Should Use This Guide

Important: All Nokia AirScale base station configuration is performed by Omnitouch as part of the initial deployment and ongoing support. This guide is provided for:

• Advanced users who want to understand the base station configuration
• Self-managed deployments where customers configure their own base stations
• Troubleshooting and understanding the current configuration
• Additional base station onboarding in self-managed environments

If you are an Omnitouch-managed customer, contact Omnitouch support for base station configuration and onboarding.

For understanding the metrics being collected, see Nokia Counter Reference. For system configuration, see Runtime Configuration Guide.

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Prerequisites

Before configuring the base station, ensure you have:

• Network Access - Connectivity to the base station management interface
• Administrator Credentials - Username and password with configuration privileges
• RAN Monitor Details - IP address and port where RAN Monitor is listening
• Supported Software - Compatible Nokia AirScale base station software version

Required Information:

Parameter	Value	Example
RAN Monitor IP Address	IP where RAN Monitor runs	10.179.2.139
RAN Monitor Port	Collection port (default: 9076)	9076
Collection Interval	How often to send metrics	60 seconds

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Accessing the WebLM Interface

Step 1: Open the Web Element Manager

1. Open a web browser

2. Navigate to the base station management interface:

   http://<base-station-ip>/

   or

   https://<base-station-ip>/

3. Log in with your administrator credentials

Step 2: Navigate to Configuration Management

Once logged in:

1. Click Configuration in the top menu bar
2. Select Configuration Management from the dropdown
3. Click the Parameter Editor tab

You should now see the configuration tree in the left panel and parameter editor in the main window.

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Configuring Performance Monitoring

Step 1: Disable OAM TLS

Important: Before configuring performance monitoring, you must disable the OAM TLS enforcement on the base station. By default, the oamTls managed object is set to forced, which prevents unencrypted communication with external management systems.

In the left navigation panel (Objects tree):

1. Expand Current BTS configuration
2. Expand CURRENT_BTS_CONF-1
3. Expand MRBTS-X (where X is your base station ID)
4. Locate the oamTls managed object
5. Change the value from forced to off

Parameter	Default Value	Required Value
oamTls	forced	off

Note: This setting must be changed before RAN Monitor can establish communication with the base station. If left at the default forced setting, the base station will reject non-TLS connections.

Step 2: Locate the PMCADM Managed Object

In the left navigation panel (Objects tree):

1. Expand Current BTS configuration
2. Expand CURRENT_BTS_CONF-1
3. Expand MRBTS-X (where X is your base station ID)
4. Expand MNL-1 (Management Link)
5. Expand MNLENT-1 (Management Link Entity)
6. Click on PMCADM-1 (Performance Measurement Common Administration)

The parameter editor will display the PMCADM-1 configuration parameters.

Step 3: Configure Real-Time Performance Monitoring

Scroll down to the Structure 1 section, which contains the Real-Time Performance Monitoring Collection Entity settings. Configure the following parameters:

Required Parameters:

Parameter	Description	Recommended Value
Certificate type for TLS authentication	Security certificate type	RSA (if TLS enabled)
Real time performance monitoring collection entity host	IP address of RAN Monitor	Your RAN Monitor IP (e.g., 10.179.2.139)
Real Time Performance Monitoring Collection Entity Port Number	Port where RAN Monitor listens	9076 (default)
Real Time Performance Monitoring Collection Interval	How often to send metrics	60s (adjust based on requirements)
Enable TLS	Use encrypted connection	false (for initial setup)

Optional Parameters:

Parameter	Description	Default Value
SDL maximum upload file number	Max concurrent uploads	1
SDL Nonce	Unique identifier for security	12345678
Enable zero value counters suppression	Suppress counters with value 0	false (recommended to keep all data)

Step 4: Save and Activate Configuration

After configuring all parameters:

1. Review your changes - Verify all IP addresses and ports are correct

2. Create a configuration plan:

   • Click Create Plan button at the top
   • The system will validate your changes
   • Note the Plan ID provided

3. Validate the plan:

   • Click Validate Plan button
   • Enter the Plan ID
   • Wait for validation to complete
   • Address any validation errors

4. Activate the configuration:

   • Click Activate Plan button
   • Enter the Plan ID
   • Confirm activation
   • The base station will apply the new configuration

Alternative: XML Configuration

For advanced users or automated deployments, the PMCADM configuration can be applied using XML. This is the configuration snippet that corresponds to the manual configuration above:

<managedObject class="com.nokia.srbts.mnl:PMCADM" distName="MRBTS-132/MNL-1/MNLENT-1/PMCADM-1" version="MNL25R1_2420_110" operation="create">
  <p name="act3gppXmlEnrichment">false</p>
  <p name="reportingIntervalPm">5min</p>
  <p name="sdlMaxUploadFileNumber">1</p>
  <p name="sdlPrimaryDestIp">10.179.2.139</p>
  <list name="rTPmCollEntity">
    <item>
      <p name="certTypeForTlsAuth">RSA</p>
      <p name="rTPmCollEntityHost">10.179.2.139</p>
      <p name="rTPmCollEntityPortNum">9076</p>
      <p name="rTPmCollInterval">60s</p>
      <p name="tlsEnabled">false</p>
    </item>
  </list>
</managedObject>

Key Parameters in XML:

• rTPmCollEntityHost - Set to your RAN Monitor IP address
• rTPmCollEntityPortNum - Set to 9076 (default webhook port)
• rTPmCollInterval - Collection interval (60s recommended)
• tlsEnabled - Set to false for initial setup
• sdlPrimaryDestIp - Set to your RAN Monitor IP address

Note: Replace 10.179.2.139 with your actual RAN Monitor IP address and adjust MRBTS-132 to match your base station ID.

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Configuration Parameters Reference

LNBTS Performance Measurement Parameters

The LNBTS (LTE NodeB) managed object contains parameters that control which performance measurement groups are collected. These parameters must be enabled to collect certain PM counter categories.

actL1PM - Activate Layer 1 Performance Measurements

Setting	Value
Parameter	actL1PM
Location	NOKLTE:LNBTS managed object
Type	Boolean (true/false)
Default	false
Required for	RTWP counters (M8005C306-339)

Description: Enables Layer 1 (physical layer) performance measurements including RTWP (Received Total Wideband Power) per antenna. When disabled, the base station will not report RTWP, interference, and other low-level radio measurements.

Counters Affected:

• M8005C306-309: AVG_RTWP_RX_ANT_1 through AVG_RTWP_RX_ANT_4
• M8005C310-313: AVG_RTWP_RX_ANT_5 through AVG_RTWP_RX_ANT_8
• M8005C314: MAX_RTWP
• M8005C317-325: UL_IOT_PUSCH distribution bins
• M8005C326-335: AVG_SIR distribution bins

Configuration via XML:

<managedObject class="NOKLTE:LNBTS" distName="MRBTS-XXXX/LNBTS-XXXX" operation="update">
  <p name="actL1PM">true</p>
</managedObject>

Configuration via WebLM:

1. Navigate to Configuration > Configuration Management > Parameter Editor
2. Expand MRBTS-X > LNBTS-X
3. Locate the actL1PM parameter
4. Set value to true
5. Create, validate, and activate the configuration plan

actPCMDReport - Activate Per Call Measurement Data Reporting

Setting	Value
Parameter	actPCMDReport
Location	NOKLTE:LNBTS managed object
Type	Boolean (true/false)
Default	false
Required for	Per-call measurement data

Description: Enables Per Call Measurement Data (PCMD) reporting, which provides detailed measurements for individual call sessions.

Configuration via XML:

<managedObject class="NOKLTE:LNBTS" distName="MRBTS-XXXX/LNBTS-XXXX" operation="update">
  <p name="actPCMDReport">true</p>
</managedObject>

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PMCADM-1 Object Overview

The PMCADM (Performance Measurement Common Administration) managed object controls how performance data is collected and reported from the base station.

Key Responsibilities:

• Configure real-time performance monitoring destinations
• Set collection intervals for metrics reporting
• Control data format and transmission parameters
• Manage security settings for data transmission

PMCADM Key Parameters

reportingIntervalPm - PM Reporting Interval

Setting	Value
Parameter	reportingIntervalPm
Location	com.nokia.srbts.mnl:PMCADM managed object
Type	Enumeration
Options	5min, 15min, 30min, 60min
Recommended	5min or 15min for real-time monitoring

Description: Controls how frequently the base station uploads performance measurement data. Lower values provide more granular data but increase network traffic and storage requirements.

Impact on Data Collection:

• 5min - Best for real-time monitoring and troubleshooting
• 15min - Good balance between granularity and resource usage
• 60min - Suitable for long-term trending only

Configuration via XML:

<managedObject class="com.nokia.srbts.mnl:PMCADM" distName="MRBTS-XXXX/MNL-1/MNLENT-1/PMCADM-1" operation="update">
  <p name="reportingIntervalPm">5min</p>
</managedObject>

Configuration via WebLM:

1. Navigate to Configuration > Configuration Management > Parameter Editor
2. Expand MRBTS-X > MNL-1 > MNLENT-1 > PMCADM-1
3. Locate the reportingIntervalPm parameter
4. Set value to desired interval (e.g., 5min)
5. Create, validate, and activate the configuration plan

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Real-Time Performance Monitoring Collection Entity

This sub-structure defines where and how the base station sends real-time performance metrics.

certTypeForTlsAuth - Certificate Type for TLS Authentication

• Type: Enumeration (RSA, DSA, ECDSA)
• Purpose: Specifies the certificate type when TLS is enabled
• Default: RSA
• Usage: Only relevant when tlsEnabled = true

rTpmCollEntityHost - Collection Entity Host

• Type: IP Address (IPv4 or IPv6)
• Purpose: Destination IP address for performance metrics
• Required: Yes
• Example: 10.179.2.139
• Notes: Must be reachable from base station management network

rTpmCollEntityPortNum - Collection Entity Port Number

• Type: Integer (1-65535)
• Purpose: TCP port where collection system listens
• Default: 9076
• Notes: Must match RAN Monitor configuration

rTpmCollInterval - Collection Interval

• Type: Time (seconds)
• Purpose: Frequency of performance data transmission
• Options: 15s, 30s, 60s, 300s, 900s, 1800s
• Default: 60s
• Recommendation: 60s for standard monitoring, 15s for detailed troubleshooting

tlsEnabled - Enable TLS

• Type: Boolean (true/false)
• Purpose: Encrypt performance data in transit
• Default: false
• Notes: Requires valid certificates on both sides if enabled

sdlMaxUploadFileNumber - SDL Maximum Upload File Number

• Type: Integer
• Purpose: Maximum number of concurrent file uploads
• Default: 1
• Notes: Increase for high-volume environments

sdlNonce - SDL Nonce

• Type: String (8 digits)
• Purpose: Unique identifier for SDL protocol security
• Default: 12345678
• Notes: Can be changed for security purposes

suppressZeroValueCount - Suppress Zero Value Counters

• Type: Boolean (true/false)
• Purpose: Omit counters with zero values from reports
• Default: false
• Recommendation: Keep false to maintain complete data for trending

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Verification

After activating the configuration, verify the base station is successfully sending data to RAN Monitor.

Check RAN Monitor Web UI

1. Open the RAN Monitor Web UI: http://<ran-monitor-ip>:4000/
2. Navigate to BTS Status page
3. Locate your base station in the device list
4. Verify the status shows Connected (green indicator) — this means the site has an active session AND has pushed both configuration and PM data
5. If status shows Waiting for PM Data, the session is active but the site hasn't pushed performance metrics yet (wait for the next 15-minute PM cycle)

Expected Status:

• Status: Connected (green)
• Session: Active
• Address: Matches base station IP
• Actions: All buttons enabled

If Status Shows Pending:

The device is attempting to register but hasn't completed authentication.

Possible causes:

• Manager ID and registration key mismatch
• RAN Monitor not configured to accept this device
• Network connectivity issues

If Status Shows Connection Error:

The device cannot reach RAN Monitor.

Possible causes:

• Incorrect IP address in PMCADM configuration
• Network routing issues
• Firewall blocking port 8080
• RAN Monitor service not running

Check Data Collection

View InfluxDB Status:

1. In RAN Monitor Web UI, navigate to InfluxDB Status
2. Verify data points are increasing
3. Check Performance Metrics count is growing
4. Confirm Last Update timestamp is recent

Expected Metrics:

• Performance Metrics: Count increasing regularly
• Configuration: Data points present
• Alarms: May be 0 if no faults active

Check Data Retention:

1. Navigate to Data Retention Policy page
2. Locate your base station
3. Verify Performance Metrics, Configuration, and Alarms counts

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Troubleshooting

Base Station Not Appearing in RAN Monitor

Symptom: Device doesn't show up in BTS Status page

Solutions:

1. Verify network connectivity:

   ping <base-station-ip>

2. Check RAN Monitor configuration:

   • Ensure device is added to config/runtime.exs
   • Verify IP address matches base station
   • Confirm credentials are correct

3. Review RAN Monitor logs:

   • Navigate to Live Logs page
   • Filter for error messages
   • Look for connection attempts from the base station

4. Verify base station configuration:

   • Re-check PMCADM-1 settings in WebLM
   • Confirm RAN Monitor IP address is correct
   • Ensure port 9076 is specified

Device Shows "Pending" Status

Symptom: Device appears but status is yellow "Pending"

Solutions:

1. Check manager registration:

   • Verify manager ID in RAN Monitor matches base station expectation
   • Confirm registration keys are properly configured

2. Review authentication:

   • Check credentials in runtime.exs
   • Ensure username/password match base station settings

3. Wait for registration cycle:

   • Registration may take 30-60 seconds
   • Refresh the page after waiting

Connection Errors

Symptom: "Network error: enetunreach" or similar

Solutions:

1. Verify network path:

   • Test connectivity from base station to RAN Monitor
   • Check routing tables
   • Verify VLANs/subnets are correctly configured

2. Check firewall rules:

   • Ensure port 9076 is open (for real-time performance data)
   • Ensure port 8080 is open (for SOAP API communication)
   • Verify no ACLs blocking traffic
   • Check iptables rules on RAN Monitor server

3. Verify RAN Monitor is listening:

   # Check both SOAP API and webhook endpoints
   netstat -tlnp | grep -E '8080|9076'

Missing RTWP or Layer 1 Counters

Symptom: Base station is reporting data but RTWP counters (M8005C306-339) are missing from InfluxDB

Cause: The actL1PM parameter is set to false in the LNBTS configuration, which disables Layer 1 performance measurements.

Solution:

1. Check current setting:

   • Export the base station configuration
   • Search for actL1PM in the LNBTS section
   • If value is false, this is the cause

2. Enable Layer 1 PM:

   • Access WebLM on the base station
   • Navigate to MRBTS-X > LNBTS-X
   • Set actL1PM to true
   • Create, validate, and activate the configuration plan

3. Verify after activation:

   • Wait for the next collection interval (typically 60 seconds)
   • Check InfluxDB for M8005C306-309 counters
   • RTWP data should now appear

Related Parameters:

• actPCMDReport - Per Call Measurement Data (may also need to be enabled)

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No Metrics in InfluxDB

Symptom: Device is connected but no data in database

Solutions:

1. Verify collection interval:

   • Check PMCADM-1 rTpmCollInterval setting
   • Wait at least one full interval period
   • Refresh InfluxDB Status page

2. Check InfluxDB connection:

   • Navigate to InfluxDB Status page
   • Verify "Connected" indicator is green
   • Confirm bucket name is correct

3. Review RAN Monitor logs:

   • Look for InfluxDB write errors
   • Check for data parsing issues
   • Verify API token has write permissions

TLS/Certificate Issues

Symptom: Connection fails when TLS is enabled

Solutions:

1. Verify certificates are installed:

   • Check base station has valid certificate
   • Ensure RAN Monitor has corresponding CA certificate

2. Try without TLS first:

   • Set tlsEnabled = false
   • Verify basic connectivity works
   • Re-enable TLS after confirming functionality

3. Check certificate validity:

   • Verify certificates are not expired
   • Confirm certificate subject names match
   • Check certificate chain is complete

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Additional Resources

Related Documentation

• Operations Guide - Complete RAN Monitor operations documentation
• Runtime Configuration Guide - RAN Monitor configuration reference
• Nokia Counter Reference - Performance counter definitions
• Grafana Integration - Building dashboards with collected metrics
• API Endpoints - REST API reference for device management
• Data Retention Policy - Managing stored performance data

Configuration Files

• config/runtime.exs - RAN Monitor device configuration

Support

For issues not covered in this guide:

1. Review RAN Monitor application logs
2. Check Nokia base station documentation for your software version
3. Verify network infrastructure configuration
4. Consult with network operations team