Network testing and monitoring systems

• US 20050130645A1
• Filed: 05/20/2004
• Published: 06/16/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Actix Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Actix Limited (Amdocs Ltd.)
• Inventors: Albert Dobson, Robert William, Ko, Yiu Fai
• Granted Patent: US 7,224,968 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/423
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/142 using statistical or mathematical methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/344 Out-of-band transfers
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5003 Managing SLA; Interaction between SLA and QoS
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5022 by giving priorities, e.g. assigning classes of service
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5087 wherein the managed service relates to voice services management of VoIP services H04M7/0081
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/509 wherein the managed service relates to media content delivery, e.g. audio, video or TV
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/02 Capturing of monitoring data
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0852 Delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/55 Testing of service level quality, e.g. simulating service usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 24/00 Supervisory, monitoring or testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/20 Manipulation of established connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 84/04 Large scale networks; Deep hierarchical networks

Abstract

A method of testing a digital mobile phone network such as a GPRS or 3G network comprises either using real traffic or creating test traffic using test mobile phone coupled to a computer, and using the computer to measure a parameter associated with the network'"'"'s response to the traffic. The measurements made by the computer are themselves sent as traffic to create one or more data streams within the mobile phone network comprising the traffic, measurements relating to the traffic, and signalling relating to the traffic, whereby this data stream or these streams can be captured at interface points within the network and analysed to investigate the functioning of the network dynamically as the network is exercised with the traffic. Software and test equipment for performing the method are also described.

Claims

1. A method of providing performance information for a digital mobile communications network, the network comprising:

a communications network infrastructure, the infrastructure having a plurality of elements, including a plurality of radio communications base stations, and having interfaces between said elements; and

a plurality of mobile communications devices for radio communications with said base stations;

communications between a said mobile communications devices and said base stations, and signals on interfaces within the network infrastructure, comprising traffic and signalling data;

the method comprising;

collecting data on at least one parameter associated with a first data communications session of a said data communications device to provide measurement data;

establishing a second data communications session for said mobile communications device;

sending said measurement data from said mobile communications device into said communications network infrastructure using said second data communications session;

reading at least signalling data for said first data communications session from a first of said network infrastructure interfaces;

reading said measurement data from a second of said network infrastructure interfaces;

correlating said signalling data for said first data communications session and said measurement data; and

outputting a result of said correlating to provide said performance information.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said reading from said first interface comprises reading data for a plurality of communications sessions and identifying signalling data for said first data communications session.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising identifying said measurement data by identifying a characteristic pattern associated with said measurement data.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second interfaces comprise the same interface within the network infrastructure.

5. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first and second data communications sessions comprise concurrent sessions.

6. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said collecting and said establishing of said second data communications session is performed by a software agent running within said mobile communications device.

7. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said measurement data includes information on at least a category or characteristic of said first data communications session.

8. A software agent for providing performance information for a digital mobile communications network, the network comprising:

a communications network infrastructure, the infrastructure having a plurality of elements, including a plurality of radio communications base stations, and having interfaces between said elements; and

a plurality of mobile communications devices for radio communications with said base stations;

communications between a said mobile communications devices and said base stations, and signals on interfaces within the network infrastructure, comprising traffic and signalling data;

the software agent being configured for operation within a said mobile communications device and comprising code for controlling the device to;

collect data on at least one parameter associated with a first data communications session of a said data communications device to provide measurement data;

establish a second data communications session for said mobile communications device;

combine a characteristic pattern with said measurement data;

send said measurement data with said characteristic pattern from said mobile communications device into said communications network infrastructure using said second data communications session;

whereby said measurement data is identifiable and retrievable at a said network infrastructure interface.

9. A machine readable medium carrying the software agent of claim 8.

10. Performance monitoring code for providing performance information for a digital mobile communications network, the network comprising:

a communications network infrastructure, the infrastructure having a plurality of elements, including a plurality of radio communications base stations, and having interfaces between said elements; and

a plurality of mobile communications devices for radio communications with said base stations;

communications between a said mobile communications devices and said base stations, and signals on interfaces within the network infrastructure, comprising traffic and signalling data;

the code comprising code to;

input at least signalling data for a first data communications session of a said mobile communications device from a first of said network infrastructure interfaces;

input measurement data from a second data communications session of said mobile communications device from a second of said network infrastructure interfaces;

correlate said signaling data for said first data communications session and said measurement data; and

output a result of said correlating to provide said performance information.

11. Performance monitoring code as claimed in claim 10 further comprising code to input data for a plurality of communication sessions and to identify said signalling data for said first data communications session.

12. Performance monitoring code as claimed in claim 10 further comprising code to identify said measurement data by identifying a characteristic pattern associated with said measurement data.

13. Performance monitoring code as claimed in claim 10 wherein said first and second interfaces comprise the same interface within the network infrastructure.

14. Performance monitoring code as claimed in claims 10 wherein said first and second data communications sessions comprise concurrent sessions.

15. Performance monitoring code as claimed in claim 10 further comprising code to process said correlated data to associate measurement data from said mobile device for a time period with signalling data for said mobile device for said time period.

16. Performance monitoring code as claimed in claim 10 further comprising code to categorise said measurement data for analysis.

17. A machine readable media carrying the performance monitoring code of claims 10.

18. Performance monitoring apparatus for providing performance information for a digital mobile communications network, the network comprising:

a communications network infrastructure, the infrastructure having a plurality of elements, including a plurality of radio communications base stations, and having interfaces between said elements; and

a plurality of mobile communications devices for radio communications with said base stations;

communications between a said mobile communications devices and said base stations, and signals on interfaces within the network infrastructure, comprising traffic and signalling data, the apparatus comprising;

means to input at least signalling data for a first data communications session of a said mobile communications device from a first of said network infrastructure interfaces;

means to input measurement data from a second data communications session of said mobile communications device from a second of said network infrastructure interfaces;

means to correlate said signaling data for said first data communications session and said measurement data; and

means to output a result of said correlating to provide said performance information.

19. Performance monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 18 wherein said first and second interfaces comprise the same interface within the network infrastructure.

20. Performance monitoring apparatus as claimed in claim 18 including means to provide a graphical output of said result.