IP Analysis and Simulation Tools
29th, Dec 2017
Welcome to another December 2017 issue of GL Communications' Newsletter providing information and insight into our industry leading IP Analysis & Simulation tools.
IP Simulation Tools
Message Automation & Protocol Simulation (MAPS™)
Message Automation & Protocol Simulation (MAPS™) is our foundation test tool for both protocol simulation and protocol analysis. The MAPS™ test suite comprises of multiple products working in tandem to support simulation of end-to-end services in GSM, UMTS, LTE, IMS, and IP networks.
The application includes various test cases to support the testing of real-time entities within the core network infrastructure. Along with automation capability, the application gives users unlimited ability to edit messages and control scenarios (message sequences).
GL's MAPS™ is designed to work on the IP/Ethernet as well as TDM interfaces. It supports a variety of VoIP protocols - SIP, ED137, SIP-I, MEGACO, MGCP, SIGTRAN, Diameter, LTE (S1, eGTP, X2), UMTS (IuCS, IuPS, IuH, Gn Gp), INAP, MAP, CAP, GPRS Gb, GSM A and BICC over IP transport layer.
RTP Traffic Generator
GL’s RTP Core Simulator allows creating, managing and deleting RTP sessions. The RTP Core simulator is a stand-alone application that can be easily integrated with applications such as GL’s MAPS™, VQuad™, and RTP ToolBox™.
RTP Core Simulator uses the RTP protocol to carry the media streams including real-time audio, Voice files, Video, DTMF/MF digits, tones, IVR, FAX (T.38 and G.711 Pass through), impairments, and loopback traffic over created sessions. Currently, RTP Video traffic simulation is supported in MAPS™ SIP application only.
With additional licenses, RTP Traffic Generator can support RTP traffic implementation over Iu-UP (Iu User Plane Interface) layer of the UMTS IuCs Network and also support RTP traffic as per ED-137B of EUROCAE Standards used for voice communication in Air Traffic Control networks.
PacketExpert™ (1G, 10G)
GL's PacketExpert™ is a comprehensive Ethernet Tester available for 1 Gbps, and 10 Gbps networks. PacketExpert™ finds use in testing a wide range of networks – from testing individual links/switches, testing local Ethernet/IP networks (LAN), end-to-end testing of Wide Area Networks (WAN), testing Core/MPLS networks, validate Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and much more. It’s available in different form factors – from Rack based High density 12-port / 24-port platform, Portable units, and Tablet-based units. All form factors support both electrical and optical (fiber) interfaces.
The PacketExpert™ applications include: Wirespeed BERT and Loopback, RFC 2544 Tests, Record Playback, Packet Broker, Multi-stream Traffic Generator and Analyzer, ExpertTCP™ and ExpertSAM™.
Mobile Data (GTP) Traffic Generator
GL’s MAPS™ Server with Mobile Data (GTP) Traffic Generation module supports stateful user-plane packet transmission and reception services between any two nodes in UMTS (SGSN, GGSN, RNC), and LTE (SGW, PDNGW) networks. It allows simulation of multiple sessions per user. Currently, Mobile Traffic Core-GTP (ETH101) supports generation and verification of HTTP traffic with pre-canned HTTP traffic files.
GL’s MAPS™ Server with PacketLoad appliance supports massive simulation of UEs (up to 500000) with high density (up to 4 Gbps or 40 Gbps) mobile data traffic simulation for both UMTS, and LTE networks. Currently, this solution offers simulation of stateful TCP/HTTP, and PCAP Replay traffic types.
PacketCheck™
GL's PacketCheck™ is a software based Ethernet test tool that is designed to check frame transport ability, and throughput parameters of Ethernet and IP networks.It can be used as a general-purpose Ethernet performance analysis for 10 Mbps, 100 Mbps and 1 Gbps Ethernet local area networks. The PacketCheck™ makes use of the network interface card (NIC) in the PC to transmit and receive Ethernet packets over the network.
Throughput up to 800 Mbps can be easily tested. The application generates multi-stream Ethernet/IP/UDP traffic with on-demand bandwidth (up to 800 Mbps) and measures end to end performance. Additional features include transmission of pre-recorded file traffic, GTP traffic simulation, Bursty and Fixed IFG (Inter Frame Gap) traffic generation mode, Delay measurements, impairment generation, and BER testing capability with provision to generate PRBS patterns or user–defined test patterns.
TDM/VoIP Equipment Testing
The VoIP phones, Gateways, and ATAs must be free of noise and other hindrances that may cause a degraded voice quality when using this equipment.
GL's MAPS™ is an ideal tool to evaluate Gateway / ATA with TDM and VoIP Interfaces. The tester supports T1 E1 PRI ISDN, Megaco, MGCP, and SIP to simulate various elements in a hybrid TDM VoIP network, and test interconnection of different networks, be it IP-IP, TDM-IP, or TDM-TDM. MAPS™ can completely test Signaling Gateways, Media Gateways, Media Gateway Controller and SIP servers or SIP end points.
GL's VQuad™ VoIP and/or FXO Analog option, along with Voice Quality Testing (VQT), provides the complete automated network testing solution that can support up to four analog 2-wire interfaces (RJ-11), up to eight SIP User Agents and the voice quality measurement and analysis tools.
IP Analysis Tools
PacketScan™
GL's PacketScan™ is an All-IP Network Monitoring software offers powerful features to capture and monitor live signaling and traffic over IP.
The PacketScan™ is a feature-robust Windows® based software tool that can monitor and measure calls over IP (SIP, Megaco, MGCP) for Voice, Fax T.38 and Video calls. In the Wireless network, it can monitor 2G, 3G, and 4G protocols such as GSM, UMTS, GPRS, LTE, SIGTRAN signaling over IP.
GL’s PacketScan™ HD is network monitoring appliance that can capture and process packets over IP on high speed Ethernet links of 1 Gbps and 10 Gbps links.
NetSurveyorWeb™
GL's NetSurveyorWeb™ is based on a scalable and flexible architecture. It is used in conjunction with GL's Protocol Analyzer probes to non-intrusively monitor from one or many testing locations. GL's protocol analysis probes feed data to centralized database (Oracle) in real-time for further analysis. The probes provide instant visibility into the performance and operation of VoIP, Wireless, and TDM networks. The NetSurveyorWeb™ client application then locally or remotely facilitates to view records from the database using a simple web browser application.
Voice, Video, and Data QoS Monitoring
VQuad™ - Dual UTA HD, or the all-in-one VQuad™ Probe HD forms the central point of control for performing automated tests for voice, data, and video to and between any network, any service, and any interface.
Test any device - from Wireless devices (WiFi, Bluetooth®, 3G, 4G, LTE), Broadband Internet (3G, 4G), VoIP devices, PSTN, and TDM circuits.
Various applications (Voice Quality, Audio Analysis, Video Quality, Data tests, Echo, Delay and Fax tests) works with VQuad™ to provide "end-to-end assessment" with additional test and measuring capabilities. All the applications work in conjunction with the VQuad™ for automatically and remotely analysing the captured data and sending the test results to the central database. You can query results remotely or control the tests using web-based WebViewer™.
GLInsight™ for TDM and IP FAX
GLInsight™ has a Windows®-based user-friendly software which allows analysis of pre-recorded modem and fax transmissions collected on IP and PSTN networks.
Decoded results are analyzed on a per-network basis. Alternatively, data from two networks can be combined to provide additional insight into the networks’ behaviour. Results files and transmitted graphics, signal level, and signal quality are just a few of the diagnostic tools provided.
It is a unique system used by developers of modem and fax technology often in interoperability labs. It can be used during the development and deployment phases of the products that support fax and modem transmission.
IP Network Emulators (LAN & WAN Emulators)
Conducting tests on real WAN links is expensive or simply not feasible in most cases. GL’s WAN Emulators help user to test the performance of such WAN network-dependent applications by emulating the WAN conditions in a local setup easily and cost effectively. GL’s WAN Emulator products are briefly explained below:
IPNetSim™ (1G and 10G)
GL’s IPNetSim™ emulates multiple streams of varying conditions over a bi-directional WAN IP link of 10/100/1000 Mbps or 10 Gbps capacity in either Electrical or Optical mode.
IPNetSim™ comprises of 4 ports, of which 2 ports support 10/100/1000 Mbps in either Electrical or Optical mode, emulating a 1Gbps full duplex pipe. The other two ports on the unit support 10 Gbps using 10 Gbps SFP+s.
For each direction, incoming traffic can be identified into separate user defined streams (up to 16 streams for 1 Gbps pipe and up to 4 streams for 10 Gbps pipe). This allows network operators to apply separate set of WAN impairments per stream.
IPLinkSim™ (1G and 10G)
GL’s IPLinkSim™ is a, single stream IP WAN Emulator. It’s simple-to-use IP Wide Area Network (WAN) link emulator that emulates bi-directional WAN IP links of 10/100/1000 Mbps or 10 Gbps capacity.
The appliance offers 4 ports, of which 2 are 10 Gbps optical ports, and other 2 are 10/100/1000Mbps Electrical/Optical ports. IPLinkSim™ simulates a single bi-directional stream between these two active ports. It offers bandwidth control to emulate various WAN link speeds from 10 Mbps to 10 Gbps.
Simply connect IPLinkSim™ unit in series with existing optical or electrical links, and introduce any impairment type to test the various applications in the lab prior to live deployment
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