MAPS™ Diameter Protocol Emulator

Overview

MAPS™ Diameter can emulate S6a, S6d, S13, S13’, Cx/Dx, Gx, Gy, Rf, Ro, Rx, Sh, SLg, SLh, and Zh interfaces and LTE IMS network elements such as Mobility Management Entity (MME), Home Subscriber Server (HSS), Equipment Identity Register (EIR), and Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN), Application Server (AS), Serving Call State Control Function (SCSCF), Policy and Charging Rules Function (PCRF), Policy and Charging Enforcement Function (PCEF), Charging Trigger Function (CTF), Packet Data Network Gateway (PDN GW), Online Charging System (OCS), Application Function (AF), Call Session Control Function (CSCF), Bootstrapping Server Functionality (BSF), and Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC). This active emulation framework empowers users to thoroughly test and analyze the behavior of these network nodes and their interactions.

MAPS™ Diameter is enhanced to simulate Location Service (LCS) based SLh and SLg interfaces between the GMLC <-> HSS and GMLC <->MME defined for the Control Plane as per 3GPP TS 23.271 specifications.

The application supports both SCTP (Stream Control Transmission) and TCP (Transmission Control Protocol) transport protocol layers for PSTN signaling messages over IP networks. MAPS™ Diameter also supports TCP/TLS (Transport Layer Security) for the secured information transfer.

MAPS™ Diameter Emulator  includes powerful utilities like Message Editor, Script Editor, and Profile Editor which allow new scenarios to be created or existing scenarios to be modified using Diameter messages and parameters. "Message sequences" are generated through scripts. "Messages" are created using message templates. These features give the users the unlimited ability to edit messages on supported interfaces to support various procedures listed below.

MAPS™ also supports End-to-End 4G LTE Communications Network Lab with all components to simulate E-UTRAN, EPC (Evolved Packet Core) and IMS, allowing complete testing of the LTE-IMS network.

Real-Time Applications:

• Emulate up to thousands of Smartphones (UEs) powering up and down
• Authenticate and confirm security procedures
• Temporary addressing management for mobility and security
• Supports real-time applications of location-based services, providing up-to-date information for vehicle tracking, stolen assets tracking, temperature monitoring, traffic services, and emergency services

GL also provides a GUI based All-IP PacketScan Analyzer for on-line capture and decode of the Diameter signaling in real-time both during tests and as a stand-alone tracer for live systems.

Main Features

• Supports emulation of real-time LTE network using “MAPS 4G Wireless Lab Suite”
• Allows users to configure MAPS™ Diameter emulator as MME, HSS, PCRF, PCEF, CSCF, SGSN, PDN GW, EIR, AF, BSF, and AS entities to emulate a variety of interfaces such as S6a, S6d, S13, S13’, Cx/Dx, Gx, Gy, Rf, Ro, Rx, Sh, SLg, SLh, and Zh
• Supports simulation of Location Services (LCS) based SLh and SLg interfaces between the GMLC <-> HSS and GMLC <->MME entities
• User-friendly GUI generates hundreds of UE Signaling for load testing over SCTP/TCP Layers
• Users can apply impairments to messages in the emulator to emulate error conditions
• Supports customizing call flows and message templates using the Script Editor and Message Editor
• Supports scripted call generation and automated call reception
• Provides a protocol trace with full message decoding and graphical ladder diagrams, with time stamps, for visualizing call flows
• Software architecture is script-based and protocol independent
• During call generation, the emulator provides call statistics along with associated captured events and error events
• Supports Command Line Interface (CLI) based on a client-server model, allowing users to control all features through Python APIs
• Support for TCP/TLS for secured information transfer
• Additional licenses for the software allow users to modify messages on its interfaces, supporting different procedures:
• S6a interface - Location Management, Subscriber Data Handling, Authentication, Fault Recovery, and Notification procedures
• S13/S13' interface - Mobile Equipment Identity Check procedure
• CxDx interface – Server and User Authentication procedures
• Gx interface - IP-CAN Session Establishment and Modification procedures
• Gy/Ro interface - Online Credit Control procedure
• Rf interface - Offline Charging procedure
• Rx interface - Initial Provisioning, Modification of Session Information and AF Session Termination procedures
• Sh interface - User Data Handling (User-Data-Update, Subscriber-Notification, User-Data-Pull) procedures
• SLg interface - Subscriber Location procedures
• SLh interface - Location Service Routing Information procedures
• Zh interface - Bootstrapping- procedure