Mixed Deck — All ETCP Topics Flashcards

Which routing protocol is most commonly used for inter-domain routing in Ericsson transport network deployments?

Answer: BGP

BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) is the standard inter-domain routing protocol used between autonomous systems in transport networks.

Which Ericsson OSS component is responsible for collecting and presenting network performance KPIs?

Answer: PM (Performance Management) service in ENM

The Performance Management service in ENM collects performance counters and KPIs from network elements and presents them in reports and dashboards.

What does 'UE IP Address Preservation' during handover mean in Ericsson's packet core design?

Answer: The UE retains its IP address throughout mobility events so active sessions are not disrupted

Because the PGW/UPF acts as the IP anchor, the UE keeps the same IP address as it moves between eNBs or gNBs, preserving TCP/UDP sessions during handover.

What is the main difference between NSA (Non-Standalone) and SA (Standalone) 5G deployment modes?

Answer: NSA relies on 4G LTE as the anchor for control plane; SA uses a native 5G core for all functions

In NSA mode, the 5G NR radio is added while the 4G EPC handles control signaling; in SA mode, the full 5G core (AMF, SMF, UPF, etc.) handles all functions independently.

In Ericsson's OSS, what is the purpose of 'Bulk CM' functionality?

Answer: Exporting and importing bulk configuration changes to/from multiple NEs simultaneously

Bulk CM allows operators to export NE configurations to files, edit them offline, and re-import changes to hundreds of NEs in a single operation.

What does 'beamforming' enable in Ericsson's 5G Massive MIMO radios?

Answer: Directing radio energy toward specific users to improve signal quality and reduce interference

Beamforming steers narrow radio beams toward individual or groups of users, increasing received signal strength and reducing interference to other users.

Problems with Charger radios. The whips are 48 inches. According to the cutting chart, they should be what length for proper range?

Answer: 46.75

According to the cutting chart for Charger radios, the whips, which are initially 48 inches, should be cut to a length of 46.75 inches for proper range. This precise length adjustment is crucial for optimizing the radio's antenna performance, ensuring maximum signal transmission and reception efficiency.

What is the role of the CHF (Charging Function) in Ericsson's 5G core?

Answer: Collecting online/offline charging data from SMF/PCF and interfacing with the billing system

The CHF (Charging Function) is the 5GC network function that processes charging triggers from the SMF and PCF, converging online (real-time credit control) and offline (CDR-based) charging.

What does QCI (QoS Class Identifier) define in Ericsson's LTE EPC?

Answer: A standardized index mapping to specific packet forwarding characteristics (latency, loss, priority) for a bearer

QCI values (1–9 standardized, 65–70 for mission-critical) define the target packet delay budget, error loss rate, and scheduling priority for EPS bearers.

What is the primary advantage of using SR-MPLS over traditional LDP in Ericsson transport networks?

Answer: Simplified control plane with source-based routing and no per-path state in transit nodes

SR-MPLS eliminates the need for LDP or RSVP-TE signaling state in transit nodes, reducing control plane complexity while enabling traffic engineering.

What is the 'Dedicated Bearer' concept in Ericsson's LTE EPC?

Answer: An additional EPS bearer created to give specific traffic flows different QoS from the default bearer

A Dedicated Bearer supplements the Default Bearer to provide specific QoS treatment (e.g., guaranteed bitrate for VoLTE) to particular traffic flows identified by TFT (Traffic Flow Template).

What interface connects the eNB (4G base station) to the EPC's MME in Ericsson LTE deployments?

Answer: S1-MME

The S1-MME interface carries control plane signaling between the eNB and the MME for handover signaling, registration, and bearer setup.

What is the purpose of Ericsson's Alarm Management in ENM?

Answer: To receive, correlate, and display faults from network elements in real time

Alarm Management collects alarms from NEs, correlates related events to reduce noise, and presents active faults to operators for timely resolution.

Which of the following should you NOT do with data whilst at work?

Answer: A and D

Data protection regulations strictly govern how personal and sensitive data can be handled. Accessing 'personal data' not needed for work (A) is a breach of the 'need-to-know' principle, and recording 'personal data' for personal use outside of work (D) is a severe misuse and violation of privacy and data security policies. Both actions are explicitly prohibited to prevent unauthorized access, disclosure, and potential misuse of information.

Cloud providers must enable their customers to comply appropriately with these regulations.

Answer: All of the above

Cloud providers operate within a complex regulatory landscape and must enable their customers to meet various compliance requirements. Regulations like PCI DSS (for payment card data), HIPAA (for protected health information), and Sarbanes-Oxley Act (for financial reporting) impose strict security and privacy mandates. Providers must offer features, certifications, and contractual assurances that help customers satisfy these diverse regulatory obligations.

In Ericsson's 5G RAN, what is the Xn interface used for?

Answer: Inter-gNB communication for handover and dual connectivity coordination

The Xn interface connects neighboring gNBs (or gNB and ng-eNB) to support handover signaling, dual connectivity bearer setup, and interference coordination.

What does QoS DSCP marking do in an Ericsson IP transport network?

Answer: Marks packets to indicate their priority for handling

DSCP (Differentiated Services Code Point) marks packets in the IP header so network nodes can apply appropriate priority treatment.

In Ericsson's EPC, what does the SGW (Serving Gateway) do?

Answer: Acts as the mobility anchor for user plane data during intra-LTE handovers and idle-mode paging

The SGW anchors the user plane bearers during handovers between eNBs, buffers downlink data during UE paging, and routes packets between the eNB and PGW.

What is the difference between TDD and FDD in Ericsson 5G NR spectrum usage?

Answer: FDD uses separate paired spectrum for UL/DL simultaneously; TDD uses the same frequency alternating UL/DL over time

FDD uses paired spectrum bands (separate UL and DL frequencies) operating simultaneously, while TDD uses a single band and switches between UL and DL in time.

What is Dynamic Spectrum Sharing (DSS) in Ericsson's 5G strategy?

Answer: A software feature allowing 4G and 5G NR to dynamically share the same frequency spectrum simultaneously

DSS allows LTE and NR to coexist on the same carrier, dynamically allocating radio resources between 4G and 5G users without requiring dedicated 5G spectrum.