If the protocol layers above LLC (e.g. TCP) need an acknowledgement
to continue, it can take up to 400ms (single TS) until the MS is
polled for Ack/Nack which it can use to request an uplink TBF
quickly. The 400ms result from requesting an DL Ack/Nack every 20 RLC
blocks until all pending LLC frames have been sent.
Especially TCP's slow start mechanism can lead to a high delay at the
start of the connection, since the sender will eventually stop after
having sent the first packets (up to 4 (RFC2581) or 10 (RFC6928)).
This commit modifies append_data() to (re-)start
a timer every time it handles an LLC packet and to request an
Ack/Nack every time it expires. So if the server ceases to send IP
packets, the MS is polled in the assumption, that the server is
waiting for an ACK.
The following VTY commands are added (pcu node):
- queue idle-ack-delay <1-65535> timeout in centiseconds
- no queue idle-ack-delay disable this feature (default)
A sensible value is 10 (100ms) that at gave promising results when
testing locally.
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
Currently a DL TBF is immediately closed, when the LLC queue is
drained. This will lead to a new DL assignment if data is received
afterwards. In addition, it is not possible to keep the PACCH open
to poll the MS for UL establishment requests there.
GSM 44.060, 9.3.1a suggests to delay the release of an inactive TBF
for some time (max 5s).
This commit mainly changes create_new_bsn() to send LLC dummy
commands as filler if no LLC data is available until keep_open()
returns false. The keep_open() functions returns true unless a
configurable time has passed after the LLC data store drained. By
default, that time is not set which causes keep_open() to always
return false, so that delayed release is effectively disabled.
The following VTY commands are added:
- dl-tbf-idle-time <1-5000> to set the delay in ms
- no dl-tbf-idle-time to disable delayed release
Ticket: #556
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
This functions calculates the number of frames that have passed since
the last DL poll (RRBP flag set) has been sent. It returns a value
less than zero (fn_now - fn_sched) if the block has been scheduled but
not yet sent.
If the function is called before the first data block has been sent
it will return -1.
If the function is called before the first DL poll is sent, it
returns the number of frames since the first data block has been
sent.
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
Some properties of a DL TBF are explicitly calculated within modules
using DL TBFs.
This commit introduces the methods need_control_ts(), have_data(),
is_control_ts() to hide internals of the DL TBF implementation.
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
Currently the DL Ack/Nack is not requested, if the last chunk of the
final LLC frame in the TBF fits exactly into the remaining space of
the RLC block. It is also not requested, if the RRBP flag cannot be
set due to scheduling issues (single block allocation, polling
already pending for this TBF, ...). So up to POLL_ACK_AFTER_FRAMES
(20) RLC data blocks will have to be resent, before requesting the
Ack/Nack will be retried.
This commit removes the first_fin_ack parameter of
create_dl_acked_block entirely and adds a request_dl_ack() method
that should be called, when the TBF's state changes to FINISHED. This
request will be reset, when the block has been scheduled
successfully. Since the first_fin_ack hasn't been set if chunk ==
space, calling request_dl_ack() on both places in create_new_bsn()
when the state is changed to FINISHED will also fix the first issue
described above.
Note that DL scheduling might not be fair concerning access to
first_ts when multiple TS are used for a TBF. In theory, a TBF might
never get access to first_ts in the worst case.
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
Currently tbf_name() must not be used twice in a printf statement
with different TBFs, since the same baffer will be used for each.
This commit puts the text buffer into struct gprs_rlcmac_tbf to avoid
this problem.
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
Currently if a 'new' TBF is freed before the 'old' one (where
old_tbf->m_new_tbf == new_tbf), the old_tbf->m_new_tbf is not cleared
and can be accessed later on. This can lead to inconsistencies or
segmentation faults.
This commit adds m_old_tbf which points back from new_tbf to old_pdf.
m_new_tbf and m_old_tbf are either both set to NULL or one is the
reverse pointer of the other (tbf->m_new_tbf->m_old_tbf == tbf and
tbf->m_old_tbf->m_new_tbf == tbf). It extends set_new_tbf and
tbf_free to update the pointee accordingly.
The TBF test is extended to check this invariant at several places.
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
There are a couple of possibilities where one TBF is used to assign a
new one:
1. Assign a DL TBF from a UL TBF
2. Assign a UL TBF from a DL TBF
3. Assign a DL TBF from a DL TBF which is in wait-release state (T3193 is
running)
In these cases the assignment is sent on the existing TBF and triggers
the assignement of the new TBF (with different TFI/direction).
The current code detects these situations by looking at dl/ul_ass_state
and then chosing the TBF with the opposite direction (DL/UL) that has
the same TLLI. This does not work in the case 3 above where a new DL TBF
is triggered for a DL TBF. The current code reuses the old TBF (and
TFI), but this violates the spec.
This patch introduces a m_new_tbf member which is set to the new TBF to
be assigned. When receiving a control ack the code looks up the
n_new_tbf member of the tbf that requested the control ack and completes
the ul/dl assignment. If the old TBF was in the wait release state
(T3193 is running) it is released.
From 3GPP TS 04.60 9.3.2.6:
"""
If the network has received the PACKET DOWNLINK ACK/NACK message with
the Final Ack Indicator bit set to '1' and has new data to transmit for
the mobile station, the network may establish a new downlink TBF for the
mobile station by sending the PACKET DOWNLINK ASSIGNMENT or PACKET
TIMESLOT RECONFIGURE message with the Control Ack bit set to '1' on
PACCH. In case the network establishes a new downlink TBF for the mobile
station, the network shall stop timer T3193.
"""
reuse_tbf() is modified to allocate a new TBF with a new TFI and trigger
a dl assignment for that TBF on the old TBF. All pending data is moved
to the new TBF.
Ticket: SYS#382
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
All the function did was add debug output and call the set_state method.
Move the debugging into the method and remove the function.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored by: On-Waves ehf
The bandwidth calculation as well as loss report is only done for DL TBF
so move everything related to that in there.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored by: On-Waves ehf
There is no need for the union/struct anymore. Make the variable members
of the UL/DL class.
As a result gprs_rlc_dl_window gets a reset() method because
memset(&dir.dl, 0, sizeof(dir.dl)) doesn't work anymore in reuse_tbf().
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored by: On-Waves ehf
The current code uses dir.*l.window.sns() directly. The current
implementation only returns the dl.window.sns() which will cause
problems.
Remove now and re-add it as a method of DL/UL TBF if and when it is
needed.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored by: On-Waves ehf
The methods create_ul_ack(), rcv_data_block_acknowledged(),
maybe_schedule_uplink_acknack() are only used for UL TBFs so make them
methods of that class instead of the base class.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored by: On-Waves ehf
These functions are only used for DL TBFs so move them.
sched_select_downlink() in src/gprs_rlcmac_sched.cpp now needs to deal
with DL TBFs instead of the base class.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
This method is only userul for DL TBFs so move it. As a result
gprs_rlcmac_pdch::rcv_control_ack needs to work with dl_tbfs.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
The PODS struct has a back pointer to access the actual object.
llist_pods_for_each_entry traverses the list of struct llist_pods and
makes the entry available (through the back pointer).
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
UL and DL tbfs are used in very separate parts and are not the same
thing so split the alloc function and use the UL/DL version throughout
the code.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
Many functions only ever deal with or return a UL or a DL TBF.
Explicitly change the type to reflect which TBF is used where.
Ticket: SYS#389
Sponsored-by: On-Waves ehf
The current code would only ever assign one PDCH for the initial
assignment (from CCCH). Only if reuse_tbf is called the algorithm would
actually use multiple DL PDCHs if possible.
This patch introduced a tbf attribute upgrade_to_multislot that is set
if we have multiple PDCH configured, and support multislot assignment,
but can only assign a single PDCH (alloc_algorithm_b, parameter single
is set). In this case after the assignment completes (and the MS is
listening on a PDCH) we resend a DL assignment though the PACCH and this
time we can assign multiple timeslots.
The current code does not properly distinguish between DL assignments to
reuse a tbf (after it was put in state WAIT_RELEASE) and DL assignments
for an active tbf to change the allocation of the PDCH timeslots.
This patch introduces a new variable was_releasing which remembers if
trigger_dl_ass() was called with a tbf in state WAIT_RELEASE. In that
case we have to set the CONTROL_ACK field in the download assignment.
This should allow us to send DL assignments to change PDCH TS allocation
of a tbf before we enter FLOW state.
Move functions resend_needed(), mark_for_resend(), update(),
move_window(), state(), count_unacked() out of v_b directly into the UL
window and provide a function get_state in v_b to access the v_b
elements.
The send and receive window is now managed by an external object.
There are some issues that can only be solved with C++11 but it
is progres and removes some of the spaghetti code. For GPRS the
sns and ws is hardcoded. Move that into the window code.
This approach is somehow flawed. We need/want to debug problems on
systems with real traffic and re-compiling it with debug_diagram
is not an option. All internal logging needs to be expressive enough
so we can understand what is going on (e.g. create a script to
post-process the output).
All logging code that used tbf->tfi is now using tbf_name to
print the the TBF. External code is now using tfi() which is
inlined and should result in the same code being generated as
before (+debug code that can be stripped).
Now all updates to the tlli/tlli_valid are in one place. If we
implement the policy to update the matching/linked TBF we can
now to do it in a single place. Add a todo item for that as I
am waiting for feedback from the mailinglist.
This is like gsm_lchan_name and should be used in log statements.
This way we can easily change the information that is printed and
we know how to search things. The other part is that direct use
of tfi/tlli is removed which will allow us to make them private
and at the same time start to resolve the "tlli" updated in many
places.
Not old log statements are changed yet. This will done whenever
a bad log statement is seen on the console...
The timer is used for various timeouts and there is still external
client code that is calling it. In a perfect world the client code
would indicate that an event has happened and the internal timer
will be stopped. The best compromise is the "stop_t3191" method. It
allows to add semantic verification that the timer has been running.
Move the method into the PDCH. Extract the finding of TLLI into a
new class called Decoding. Move the assemble and forward LLC frames
into the TBF as it is poking in the internals of the TBF.
The code in gprs_rlcmac_data should ask the TBF for help in packing
the frames but it really shouldn't poke in the internals of the
tbf structure. This is very bad capsuling and has plenty of copy
and paste.
At the same thime this will be the most dangerous refactoring of
the code base.
The list belongs to the BTS. This makes cleaning this up more easy
and establishes a hierachy of resources that start from the BTS. The
debug_diagram code is now broken.
This is preparing the next commits and will ease working with
the debug_diagram when the global lists are killed. It will
simplify the APIin the long run.
The PollController is a friend of the SBAController and is allowed
to access the internal list. The list is hidden from everyone else.
This is done because the calculation of timeout should belong into
the PollController and not into the SBAController.
There really shouldn't be too many callers of state. Instead the
tbf should dispatch depending on the internal state. For now
introduce state_is and state_is_not accessor functions so we can
start to see who is using the internal state.
This is the begin of a long march of turning tbf into a C++ class
and properly hiding the secrets inside this implementation instead
of having it spread across various different files.
The TBF should use the IMSI to identify a block flow but all
handling is spread across the entire code. Start to clean this
up by moving relevant code into the tbf file. Afterwards one
can clean up and add more internal structure.
Jacob Erlbeck
Daniel Willmann