Wireless 3G Core Network

IP Network Simulation

MAPS™ UMTS for IuCS, IuH Interfaces Emulator

Simulation of UMTS protocol for IuCS interface over Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), or Internet Protocol (IP) between Radio Network Controller (RNC) and Mobile Switching Center (MSC) handling CS traffic. IuH interface emulation between Femto Home NodeB (Femto Cell) and Femto Home Node Gateway (HnB-GW) elements.

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Background

Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) is a 3rd generation mobile technology that can support greater data rates for voice and video data to the wireless end users. The underlying transport layer for UMTS can be Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), or Internet Protocol (IP).

The UMTS network consists of the following elements -

  • NodeB - supporting broadband mobile users
  • Radio Network Controller (RNC) - manages radio resources (NodeBs) and routes traffic to circuit and packet switched elements
  • Mobile Switching Center (MSC) - circuit switching element for voice
  • Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) - packet switching element for data and video
  • Femto Home NodeB (Femto Cell) - for enhanced coverage indoors and to offload the radio access network
  • Femto Home Node Gateway (HnB-GW) - provides wired broadband interface

To emulate various components in IuCS and IuH interfaces of UMTS network, GL utilizes its MAPS™ architecture – a versatile platform for detailed emulation of a wide variety of protocols. MAPS™ supports emulation of many other protocols such as ISDN, SS7, GSM, LTE, SIP, Megaco, MGCP, SIGTRAN, and more.

IuCS and IuH over IP

GL’s Message Automation & Protocol Simulation (MAPS™) designed for UMTS IuH interface can simulate Femto Home Node B (HnB), and a Femto Home Node Gateway (HnB-GW) by generating RANAP and DTAP signaling messages over SCTP Transport layer. A femtocell is a small cellular base station designed for use in residential or small business environments. Femtocells can offload the RAN and provide better coverage, plus improved data download & upload speeds. IuH links Femto Access Point (HnB) and a Femto Gateway (HnB-GW).

MAPS™ UMTS IuCS can emulate the RNC (Radio Network Controller) and the MSC (Mobile Switching Center) by generating RANAP and DTAP signaling messages over SCTP. It includes ready scripts to simulate Location Update, Call Control MO (Mobile Originating), Mobile Terminating (MT), Mobile-to-mobile Voice Call/ SMS, SMS over active voice call, Supplementary Service Call and Handover (Relocation) procedures.

MAPS™ IuCS emulator is enhanced with CSV based UE/Subscriber configuration option to allow massive UE simulation. In real time scenario, there exists huge number of subscribers with unique UE parameters. The recent enhancements were introduced to MAPS™ UMTS IuCS and IuH test tools to include CSV subscriber profiles to dynamically generate number of subscribers with unique IMSI, TMSI, MSISDN and other key parameters in sequential order.

The application gives the users the unlimited ability to edit messages and control scenarios (message sequence). “Message sequences” are generated through scripts. “Messages” are created using message templates.

The application is available as

  • MAPS™ - IuCS and IuH (Item # PKS160)
  • MAPS™ IuCS and IuH HD (Item #PKS109, PKS160)

With the purchase of RTP Core license (PKS102), MAPS™ IuCS supports transmission and detection of various RTP traffic such as, digits, voice file, single tone, dual tones, IVR, FAX*, and Video*. With regular RTP traffic, the maximum Simultaneous Calls up to 2500, and Calls per Second up to 250 is achievable. Almost all industry standard voice codec supported.

GL’s MAPS™ IuCS is also available in High Density version (requires a special purpose network appliance and PKS109 RTP HD licenses). This is capable of high call intensity (hundreds of calls/sec) and high volume of sustained calls (tens of thousands of simultaneous calls/platform).

** Some of these traffic types requires additional licenses – contact GL for more information

MAPS™ IuCS emulator also supports  Iu-UP (Iu User Plane Interface) protocol layer of the Radio Network with additional licensing (PKS103) to carry RTP traffic (AMR payload part) over Iu interface in support mode of operation for predefined SDU size.

MAPS™ IuCS ATM

GL's LightSpeed1000™ hardware platform (PCIe Card) with quad optical ports supports simulation of UMTS IuCs interface over ATM layer using MAPS™ IuCS ATM. The LightSpeed1000™ comes with software for overall monitoring, protocol analysis and emulation, and bert. The hardware can also be easily configured / programmed for delaying of ATM Cells or PPP packets.

MAPS™ IuCS ATM uses SSCOP server for establishing SSCOP links over which RANAP, ALCAP, and DTAP signaling will be carried for making calls. SSCOP Server is a GL's WCS based server module that provides SSCOP, AAL5 and AAL2 layer services. Following licenses are required for MAPS™ IuCS ATM:

  • OC3 / STM1 MAPS UMTS IuCS over ATM, requires (Item # LTS220)
  • OC3 / STM1 SSCOP Server (Item # LTS214)
  • OC3 / STM1 AAL2 Traffic Core (Item # LTS217)

Over successfully established call, traffic can be generated. MAPS™ IuCS ATM internally uses AAL2 Traffic Generator for traffic generation. Various traffic types like Tone, Digits and File playback are supported.

Supported UMTS Analyzers and Simulators


Main Features

IuCS Signaling over IP
  • Simulates RNC, MSC, Home NodeB (HnB) and Home NodeB Gateway (HN GW) entities.
  • User controlled access to Mobility Management, Session Management, RANAP, and DTAP messages
  • Ready scripts for Mobile Originating Voice/SMS Call, Mobile Terminating Voice/SMS Call, Location Updating, Supplementary Services and Handover procedures for quick testing
  • Supports sending SMS over an ongoing voice call
  • Automated call generation and call reception
  • Supports traffic over Iu UP protocol layer and also over normal RTP sessions (requires additional licenses).
  • Supports RAB Assignment, Authentication, TMSI Reallocation, Encryption, and other optional procedures
  • All Codec supported including - G.711, G.711 App II with VAD, G.729, G.726, G.726 with VAD, GSM, AMR NB and WB, EVRC, SMV, iLBC, SPEEX NB and WB, G722, and G722.1. Visit Voice Codecs webpage for more comprehensive information.
  • Provides fault insertion, and erroneous call flows testing capability
  • Impairments can be applied to messages to simulate error conditions
IuCS Signaling over ATM
  • SSCOP links over which RANAP and ALCAP signaling will be carried further for making calls
  • SSCOP Server (GL's WCS based server module) provides SSCOP, AAL5 and AAL2 layer services
  • Supports various traffic types including Tone, Digits and File playback over AAL2
IuH Signaling over IP
  • Simulates Home NodeB (HNB) and Home NodeB Gateway (HNB-GW) entities.
  • Generates and process all Mobility Management, Session Management, RANAP, HNBAP, and DTAP messages.
  • User controlled access to RANAP signaling messages.
  • Ready scripts for Routing Area Updating, GPRS Attach, and Detach procedures for quick testing.
Supports Authentication, TMSI Reallocation, Encryption, and other optional procedures
Traffic Simulation
  • Massive UE simulation with related information access directly from Database, or CSV files
  • Massive UE simulation (up to 20,000) with related information access directly from Database, or CSV files
  • Simultaneous Calls up to 2000 on regular RTP core; however, with RTP HD appliance (#PKS109) up to 20,000 simultaneous calls can be achieved
  • RTP traffic simulation supports the following actions for almost all Standard Codec.

    • Transmitting Voice Files
    • Transmitting DTMF, MF Digits, and Single and Dual Tones
    • Recording Voice Files
    • Monitoring Single and Dual Tones, DTMF, and MF digits
    • Loopback, Talk using Microphone, Play to Speaker

  • Supports GTP Mobile traffic, External Gateway Traffic, and Gateway Traffic simulation with additional licensing
Statistics and Graphs
  • Displays Call Status, Results, Call Information, Total Iterations to be done and completed iterations.
  • Supports user defined graphs and statistics for monitoring performance of Signaling and RTP traffic
  • Export call statistics PDF and XML file format report generation
  • Customization of traffic parameters to be calculated and displayed for voice quality metrics such as Listening MOS, Conversational MOS, Packet Loss, Discarded Packets, Out of Sequence Packets, Duplicate Packets, Delay and Jitter.

Supported Protocols Standards

UMTS IuCS Protocol Stack

UMTS IuCS Protocol Stack

UMTS IuH Protocol Stack

UMTS IuH Protocol Stack

Supported Protocols Specification Used
IuCS Interface
SCCP Q.713, CCITT (ITU-T) Blue Book
MTP3 Q.703, ITU-T Blue Book
RANAP 3GPP TS 25.413 V9.1.0
MM / CC 3GPP TS 24.008 V5.16.0 (2006-06)
RR 3GPP TS 04.18 V8.13.0
SMS 3GPP TS 03.40 V7.5.0 & 3GPP TS 04.11 V7.1.0 GSM 03.38 version 7.2.0 Release 1998
Iu-UP
Iu User Plane Interface
3GPP TS 25.415
IuH Interface
RUA 3GPP TS 25468 V9.1.0
RANAP 3GPP TS 25.413 V9.1.0
MM / CC 3GPP TS 04.08 V7.17.0
RR 3GPP TS 04.18 V8.13.0
SMS 3GPP TS 03.40 V7.5.0 & 3GPP TS 04.11 V7.1.0 GSM 03.38 version 7.2.0 Release 1998
UMTS IuCS ATM base Protocol Stack

UMTS IuCS ATM base Protocol Stack

Supported Protocols Specification Used
  IuCS ATM Interface
SSCOP ITU-T Q.2110
MTP3b ITU-T Recommendation Q.2210
AAL Type 2 (ALCAP) ITU-T Recommendation Q.2630.1
RANAP 3GPP TS 25.413 V9.1.0
MM / CC 3GPP TS 24.008 V5.16.0 (2006-06)
RR 3GPP TS 04.18 V8.13.0
SMS 3GPP TS 03.40 V7.5.0 & 3GPP TS 04.11 V7.1.0 GSM 03.38 version 7.2.0 Release 1998
Iu-UP
Iu User Plane Interface
3GPP TS 25.415

Call Simulation over IuCS ATM

In IuCS interface, MAPS™ acts as either RNC to test MSC (DUT) or MSC to test RNC (DUT) and simulates the following call control procedures:

Call Control MO - (Mobile Originating) Procedure

Typical Call Control MO Procedure over IuCS ATM

Typical Call Control MO Procedure
over IuCS ATM

Call Control MO Procedures at RNC Node over IuCS ATM

Call Control MO Procedures at
RNC Node over IuCS ATM

Call Control MO Procedures at MSC Node over IuCS ATM

Call Control MO Procedures at
MSC Node over IuCS ATM

Mobile Terminating Call (MTC) Procedure

MAPS™ can be configured to act as Mobile Station Controller (MSC) to process the Mobile Terminating (MT) call procedure by initiating the Paging message with the Mobile Station (RNC). MAPS™ (RNC) then completes the call as in call control MT procedure.

Typical Call Control MT Procedure over IuCS ATM

Typical Call Control MT Procedure
over IuCS ATM

MT Procedure at RNC Node over IuCS ATM

MT Procedure at RNC Node
over IuCS ATM

MT Procedure at MSC Node over IuCS ATM

MT Procedure at MSC Node
over IuCS ATM

Call Simulation over IuCS IP

Call Generation option allows the user to simulate outgoing communications where an outgoing call is initiated by sending call control messages using proper scripts and profiles. MAPS™ application acts as either the Caller or resides at the network terminal acting as Callee.

In IuCS interface, MAPS™ acts as either RNC to test MSC (DUT) or MSC to test RNC (DUT) and simulates the following call control procedures:

SMS over active Mobile-Mobile Voice Call Simulation

MAPS™ IuCS can be configured to simulate a simultaneous SMS call while an UE is on active mobile-to-mobile voice call with another UE.

To setup the test scenario, two profiles are configured to act as UE1 and UE2 at RNC for Location Update procedure. Once both the UEs are registered with the network, Mobile Originating call is initiated from UE1 following which the Mobile Terminating call is initiated automatically from MSC towards UE2, during which SMS call can be initiated by applying the “Send SMS” user event at either UE1 or UE2 to simulate SMS call while the original mobile-to-mobile voice call is still active.

SMS over voice call test setup
SMS over active  Mobile-Mobile Voice Call Procedure

SMS over active Mobile-Mobile Voice Call Procedure

SMS over Voice Call Simulation at RNC

SMS over Voice Call Simulation at RNC

Handover Procedure Simulation

MAPS™ IuCS can be configured to simulate Handover (Relocation) procedure for a UE in CONNECTED state carrying both the control signaling and the user data. Both Source RNC and Target RNC are simulated within single testbed demonstrating Relocation procedure to move the connection between the Radio Access Network (RAN) and the Core Network (CN) for the source RNC to the RAN for the target RNC.

Handover test scenario

The following screenshot depicts end-to-end procedure simulation, you may observe the Relocate Required request messages sent from RNC1 to MSC and from MSC to RNC2.

Handover (Relocation)  Procedures
Relocation Procedure Simulation  at MSC

Call Simulation over IuH IP

Call Generation option allows the user to simulate outgoing communications where an outgoing call is initiated by sending call control messages using proper scripts and profiles. MAPS™ application acts as either the Caller or resides at the network terminal acting as Callee.

In IuH interface, MAPS™ acts as either HNB to test HNBGW or HNBGW to test HNB and simulates the following call control procedures:

Supplementary Service Type Procedure:

Supplementary Service (USSD) is a communication protocol used by UMTS cellular telephones to communicate with the computers of mobile network operator. The following figure illustrates the Supplementary Service call flow between MAPS™- IuH and DUT.

Typical Supplementary Service Call Flow over IuH IP

Typical Supplementary Service Call Flow over IuH IP

Supplementary Service Call Generation at HNB

Supplementary Service Call Generation at HNB

Supplementary Service Call Reception at HNBGW

Supplementary Service Call Reception at HNBGW

Mobile to Mobile SMS Call Flow:

MAPS™ IuH supports mobile-to-mobile SMS procedure, sent or received from mobile phone-to-mobile phone.

The following figure illustrates the Mobile to Mobile SMS call flow between MAPS™- IuH and DUT.

Mobile to Mobile SMS Call Procedure

Mobile to Mobile SMS Call Procedure

Mobile to Mobile SMS Call Generation at HNB

Mobile to Mobile SMS Call Generation at HNB

Mobile to Mobile SMS Call Reception at HNBGW

Mobile to Mobile SMS Call Reception at HNBGW

Bulk UE Simulation with CSV based Profiles

In real time scenario, there exists huge number of subscribers with unique UE parameters. MAPS™ supports bulk call generation to stress and load test the network with number of subscriber profiles. Each profile can have unique parameters to simulate different real-time scenarios. However, creating and maintaining massive number of XML based subscriber profiles with unique mobile identifiers such as IMSI, TMSI, MSISDN and traffic parameters is not feasible. Therefore, recent enhancements were introduced to MAPS™ UMTS IuCS and IuH test tools to include CSV subscriber profiles. CSV database system used within MAPS™ is a simple Excel® file that can dynamically generate up to 20,000 number of subscribers with unique identifiers (IMSI, TMSI, MSISDN) and other key parameters in sequential order.

MAPS™ also includes option to configure the ratio of SMS calls out of Total number of Calls. Considering 100% Total Calls, MAPS™ will generate SMS calls and MO Voice calls as per the defined ratio. For example, if the configured SMS call Ratio = 30% in Testbed, then during bulk call simulation, MAPS™ generates 30% SMS calls and remaining 70% of total calls generated will be MO Voice calls.

Bulk Call Generation with CSV based Subscriber Profiles

Bulk Call Generation with CSV based Subscriber Profiles

The call generation is based on the IMSI key parameter and call is received based on the Called Number key parameter. The Records are fetched from the CSV file for 2 different Key parameters, i.e., IMSI and CallingNumber. At MSC, 2 CSV files are saved in the working directory and is loaded in MAPS™, MS_Profiles_IMSI.csv file for key=IMSI, and MS_Profiles_CallingNumber.csv file for key=CallingNumber.

Sample MS_Profiles_IMSI.csv File

Sample MS_Profiles_IMSI.csv File

Resources

Please Note: The XX in the Item No. refers to the hardware platform, listed at the bottom of the Buyer's Guide, which the software will be running on. Therefore, XX can either be ETA or EEA (Octal/Quad Boards), PTA or PEA (tProbe Units), XUT or XUE (Dual PCIe Express) depending upon the hardware.

Item No. Item Description
  MAPS™ UMTS IuCS IuH over IP
PKS160


PKS102

PKS109
Message Automation & Protocol Simulation (MAPS™) - UMTS-IuCS
Message Automation & Protocol Simulation (MAPS™) - UMTS-IuH

RTP Soft Core for RTP Traffic Generation

MAPS High-Density Call Generator for IP & Wireless Networks
  MAPS™ UMTS IuCS ATM with LightSpeed1000™  
LTS100 Lightspeed1000™ - Dual OC-3/12 STM-1/4 PCIe Card - (Legacy)
LTS105 Lightspeed1000™ - Portable Dual OC-3/12 STM-1/4 USB Unit - (Legacy)
LTS220 OC-3 / STM-1 MAPS UMTS IuCS over ATM, requires LTS214
LTS214 OC-3 / STM-1 SSCOP Server
LTS217 OC-3 / STM-1 AAL2 Traffic Core
LTS320 OC-12 / STM-4 MAPS UMTS IuCS over ATM, requires LTS314
LTS314 OC-12 / STM-4 SSCOP Server
LTS317 OC-12 / STM-4 AAL2 Traffic Core
  Related Software
PKS164 MAPS™ UMTS IuPS interface
XX165 T1 or E1 UMTS Protocol Analyzer
OLV165 Offline UMTS Protocol Analyzer
LTS206 OC-3 / STM-1 UMTS Protocol Analysis
LTS306 OC-12 / STM-4 UMTS Protocol Analysis