Newsletter: Remote Protocol Analyzer Functionality
Welcome to the October issue of GL Communications' newsletter providing information and insight into our Remote Protocol Analyzer (RPA) functionality.
HDLC based protocols such as ISDN, SS7, GR303, and others can be monitored remotely via a set of hardware and software features available with our T1 or E1 based protocol analyzers, see diagram below:
Essential elements of Remote Protocol Analyzer are:
- Dual Capture T1 E1 Cards or USB Based T1 E1 Hardware at the site of monitoring
- T1 E1 Server software with HDLC capture software installed in the PC housing the T1 E1 Cards or connected to the USB Based Unit
- Appropriate GUI based "Remote Protocol Analyzer" at Client side such as ISDN, SS7, and others licensed via "dongle"
- LAN/WAN, TCP/IP network with sufficient bandwidth to transport HDLC frames
Overview
"Remote Protocol Analyzer", or RPA functionality is an extension of the feature rich capability available with GL's GUI based Protocol Analyzers. See Complete Protocol Analyzers for a complete set of protocol decodes and analysis available with GL's T1, E1, VoIP, and Wireless interfaces. The RPA feature permits:
- unattended and 24/7 operation
- remote accessibility for difficult connection situations
- remote non-intrusive operation
- remote detailed diagnostic capability
For HDLC based protocols, HDLC frames can be transported via TCP / IP and captured remotely with a GUI Protocol Analyzer Client. At the Client location the full capability of a real-time Protocol Analyzer is available for storing, analyzing, filtering, displaying, and processing the protocol information.
At the monitoring site, the T1 E1 hardware, Server software, and HDLC capture software is all that is required irrespective of the protocol being monitored. At the Remote site, the appropriate GUI based PA receives HDLC frames and performs the PA function as if the remote link did not exist. The bandwidth of the LAN or WAN link transporting the HDLC frames should be adequate for the protocol being monitored. GL has the following range of Remote Protocol Analyzers.
- Remote / Offline HDLC Analyzer
- Remote / Offline ISDN Analyzer
- Remote / Offline V5.x Analyzer
- Remote / Offline SS7 Analyzer
- Remote / Offline Frame Relay Analyzer
- Remote / Offline GR303 Analyzer
Important features of Remote Protocol Analyzers
- Remote Protocol Analyzers are applicable for HDLC based Protocols
- Server software with special HDLC capture capability is co-located with T1 E1 hardware
- Client side consists of a PC with Ethernet connectivity and GUI Remote Protocol Analysis software - no special T1 or E1 hardware is required
- Supports Real-time and Offline analysis at the Remote Client side
- Remote Analyzers support capturing of encapsulated protocols and long frames.
- Streams can be captured on the selected time slots (contiguous or non-contiguous), sub-channels or full bandwidth.
- Captured frames in any of these analyzers can later be used for traffic simulation using Transmit/Receive/Playback applications.
- Common Filtering criteria can be set for T1/E1 cards located on multiple servers
- Analyzer displays summary, detail and hex dump view in different panes
- Summary pane displays Frame Number, Time, Length, Error, Message Type and more. To analyze in detail, user can select a frame in summary view
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