An Integrated SON Experimental System for Self-Optimization and SON Coordination

In Self-Organizing Networks (SONs), a potentially large number of SON functions are available that autonomously perfom network management tasks. Different functions are e.g. available for the optimization of the network, and they can have conflicting goals. To ensure an effective optimization of the overall network, coordination of SON functions is necessary. For this purpose, we developed a policy-based coordination mechanism and a system to experiment with the coordination logic. The experimental system integrates a Long Term Evolution (LTE) radio network simulator, centralized self-optimization functions, and a SON coordinator. This setup allows for experimentation at the operational level of a SON-enabled network. We demonstrate the benefits of SON coordination by means of Coverage and Capacity Optimization (CCO).