Wireless network virtual station address translation with external data source

• US 7,327,687 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Issued: 02/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Keysight Technologies Singapore Sales Pte Ltd (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Ixia (Keysight Technologies, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bechdol, Jeff A, Miller, Douglas M., Balmy, Ken
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho; Duc
• Application Number:
  US11/021,890
• Publication Number:
  US 20060234636A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,139 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 370/241
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/50 Testing arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/25 of the same type

Abstract

A method and system for the capture of data files transmitted over a wired network by a data traffic generator. The mapping and/or translation of network addressing data contained within the captured data frames is such that the frames, when transferred over the wireless medium, appear to have originated from one of a population of emulated wireless stations. The mapping and/or translation of network addressing data contained in data frames received over the wireless medium directed to a specific emulated wireless station is such that the frames, when transmitted over the wired network, appear to be destined for the data traffic generator. The mapping and/or translation function is applied as frames traverse the boundary between the external data source network interface and the wireless network interface.

Claims

1. A method of testing a wireless system or device, comprising:

defining a population of emulated virtual wireless stations configured to capture and forward data traffic generated by or addressed to an external data traffic generator; and

performing address translation between the emulated virtual wireless stations and counterpart data streams to and from the external data traffic generator;

performing address translation to map external data traffic addressed to the virtual wireless stations;

establishing wireless communication sessions between the virtual wireless stations and a wireless system under test; and

passing data frames between an external load generator and the wireless system, under test.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the virtual wireless stations are further configured to capture data traffic at either layer 2 or layer 3 of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) model.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

translating the address of an incoming frame originating from the external data traffic generator to the address of one of the virtual wireless stations; and

transmitting the incoming frame as a wireless data frame over a wireless medium to a wireless device under test.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving a frame from a wireless device under test

translating the virtual wireless station address of the frame received from the wireless device under test to an address recognizable by the external data traffic generator; and

transmitting the received frame as an ethernet frame to the external data traffic generator.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

searching an address translation table for a MAC source address of an incoming frame, the searching including

locating a matching table entry in the address translation table,

confirming that the emulated virtual wireless station is configured for layer 2 data, capture and is in a state that allows for data flow,

preparing the incoming frame for transmission over a wireless medium, and passing the prepared incoming frame to a wireless network interface.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the incoming frame is prepared for translation as a wireless data frame.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

searching an address translation table for a MAC source address of an incoming frame, the searching including

checking whether there is a matching table entry in the address translation table;

if no matching table entry is found in the address translation table

examining a header field of the incoming frame for an encapsulated IP packet,

if a matching IP packet is found,

searching the address translation table for an IP destination address of the incoming frame

if a matching table entry is found in the address translation table and the matching table entry indicates that the corresponding emulated virtual wireless station is configured for layer 3 data capture and is in a state that allows for data flow,

rewriting a MAC destination address of the incoming frame to an external host'"'"'s MAC address for the emulated virtual wireless station,

preparing the incoming frame for transmission, and

passing the incoming frame to the external data network interface for transmission.

8. A system comprising:

a data traffic generator configured to generate frames for transmission over an ethernet link and receive data frames transmitted to it over the ethernet link;

a load generator including

a collection of emulated wireless stations, each wireless station configured to prepare data for transmission to a wireless device over a wireless medium; and

an address translator configured to

translate a source address of an ethernet frame originated by the data traffic generator to the address of one of the emulated wireless stations; and

translate a destination address of a wireless data frame addressed to a virtual wireless station corresponding to a data stream originated by the data traffic generator to the address established for use by the data stream.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein:

each emulated wireless station is further configured to receive wireless data frames from the wireless device; and

the address translator is further configured to translate a first address of the wireless data frame received from the wireless device to a second address of the load generator.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the load generator further includes an address translation table to store the addresses of the emulated wireless stations.