Mobile Signaling Analyzer

Technical Overview

J7326A Signaling Analyzer Real-Time Edition J5486B Signaling Analyzer Offline Software Edition

In today's highly competitive telecommunications arena, customer demands for increased network reliability and performance must be balanced against the cost of operating and maintaining this higher level of service. Agilent Technologies' Signaling Analyzer family of products provides a distributed testing and analysis solution that maximizes the time and resources devoted to planning, troubleshooting, installing, and maintaining modern day networks. The modular design and flexibility of Signaling Analyzer solutions allows technology teams to identify potential problems and resolve faults quickly and effectively. Operating in both real-time and off-line modes, the Signaling Analyzer enables key personnel to see network problems as they occur and turns what can be an overwhelming amount of diagnostic data into usable information. Signaling Analyzer is the easiest-to-use and most powerful network analysis software in the industry. Its intuitive user interface has set the standard for troubleshooting problems in telecommunications networks worldwide. Underlying the power of the Signaling Analyzer's capabilities is the modular data acquisition platform provided by Agilent Technologies' Network Analyzer family of products. The Network Analyzer family is a state-of-the-art LAN/WAN monitoring platform whose flexibility allows optimum performance to be achieved across multiple interface technologies and protocols, even if the acquisition systems are remote from each other. This modular software/hardware combination makes it easy for you to keep up with changing technologies, minimizing cost of ownership over time and maximizing productivity.

Signaling Analyzer Key Features The Signaling Analyzer is a software application that provides fast and comprehensive signaling analysis of wireless, wireline and data communications networks. Key features such as hardware filtering, automatic configuration, multiple interface graphical call/data session tracing, and built-in statistics help to identify and pinpoint problems and detect trends that affect customer satisfaction. The Signaling Analyzer has an intuitive graphical interface that makes it popular with both new and experienced network engineers. Its design makes it ideal for use in distributed as well as centralized test environments.

Analysis software for 2G, 2.5G and 3G wireless networks including GSM, GPRS, UMTS, CDMAOne and cdma2000 Automatic UMTS Configuration for the Iub and Iur interfaces Use of hardware capture filters to minimize unnecessary data capture and maximize performance Capture and playback of voice calls Export of voice call PCM data for voice quality analysis stics, call trace and fully automatic deciphering Real-time multi-tasking protocol analysis, stati User-configurable graphical call trace across multiple simultaneous interfaces. e.g. Iub, Iur, Iu, Gn, Abis, A, Gb, Gr, etc. interfaces Multimedia Message Service (MMS) call trace Graphical (or tabular) time-based statistics with thresholds Advanced RF Quality Statistics Post capture analysis on any standard Windows PC Streaming of captured data to storage devices On-line and context sensitive user help Built-in protocol help User-configurable color coded traffic overview, protocol decodes Export of call control data to CSV and ASCII files for analysis by other applications Periodic time logging

Traffic Overview

Traffic and Message View The main traffic overview display shows (chronologically) every captured message for each signaling link. This overview display shows one line of essential information for each message. The type and format of information is displayed in columns and is controlled by the user. Each message can be decoded further to show a one-line description per octet or field. Decode View In the decode view, each protocol level is shown in a different color to make troubleshooting simpler. The protocol names are also shown as a text header for each protocol in the stack. Users can customize colors to suit personal preference. Message Validation The software can highlight message-encoding errors found in received messages. In the traffic overview display, a message with an error is highlighted. When the message is decoded the section with the error is also shown in the same color to aid troubleshooting. Message Sequence Validation The "message sequence validation" function advises the user of errors in message sequences (e.g., messages which do not fit into a normal call pattern). The messages that contain error messages are highlighted.

Graphical Statistics

Line graph shown below. The Signaling Analyzer also supports histograms (shown on the screen shot on the previous page).

Call Trace

Call Trace Overview The call trace application is a powerful, flexible tool to aid troubleshooting. It helps by grouping together all signaling messages that relate to a single call or data session. A large number of calls/sessions can be displayed in this way and errors are easily identified as they are highlighted graphically. The application produces a user-configurable window that contains a single line for each call discovered. The call identification variables and statistics that can be shown in the call trace view are user configurable and can also show variables such as IMSI, setup time, clear down time. Call Trace Example The example shown below shows the Call Trace view of Signaling Analyzer and demonstrates our newly added MMS support.

Message Sequence Diagrams The Call Trace Application allows display of message sequences in easy to follow multi-segment message flow diagrams. These diagrams allow users to follow control messaging as it flows across multiple network elements. Messaging sequence and discontinuity errors are rapidly identifiable.

UMTS Call/Session Traces The application provides UMTS call traces with embedded KPIs including the Iub, Iur and Iu interfaces. Advanced call traces to deal with soft handover behavior and multiple interfaces in real time is also supported. Multi-interface call traces include Iub-Iu, Iub-Iur-Iu, Iub-Iu-Gn and more. The example under demonstrates the Signaling Analyzer Multi Interface Call Trace:

Network Analyzer Key Features

The Signaling Analyzer is designed to utilize a variety of data acquisition and telemetry systems. The primary system is Agilent Technologies' Network Analyzer family of products. The Agilent Network Analyzer product family members that are used for data acquisition include the Distributed Network Analyzer (DNA), the Distributed Network Analyzer MX (DNA-MX), and the Network Analyzer mainframe (NA). They all utilize removable Line Interface Modules (LIMs) that provide a wide range of electrical and optical connectivity. Physical interfaces include T1, E1, 10/100 Base-T, Gigabit Ethernet, OC-3 and allow analysis of all major LAN/WAN networks including ATM, Ethernet and Frame Relay. These acquisition systems can be daisy-chained together to form a multi-interface, multi-technology test system, where all measurements are automatically synchronized to within 100ns. Embedded LIM processors dedicated to line rate data acquisition and filtering are designed to handle the unique demands of high-speed data acquisition. The Network Analyzer platforms provide a full range of capabilities for analyzing data acquisition from the physical layer through the session layer, including statistics and expert analysis.

The DNA is an ultra-portable test platform operated and controlled from an external PC. It is available in both rack-mount and portable configurations. The DNA-MX is a full rack-width test platform that contains an embedded PC and supports one LIM. It is designed for distributed monitoring applications where moderate performance PC support is required. The NA mainframe is a portable, PC-based test platform that supports two LIMs. With a built-in keyboard and display, it is suitable for dispatched or fixed applications. LIMs can be hot-swapped Operates with the following link layer technologies: ATM CiscoSLE Ethernet Frame Relay HDLC/SDLC LAPB LAPD Packet over SONET/SDH (IETF RFC 2615/1662, 1619/1662, Cisco HDLC) PPP (RFC 1662, 1663) Capture rate: Full line rate per port on any installed LIM up to 1 Gb/s Buffer memory size: user adjustable up to 256 MB Network and GPS timestamp/synchronization with up to100 ns resolution Hardware real-time capture filters 100% line rate filtering

Signaling Analyzer Configurations

Offline Operation (J5486B) The Signaling Analyzer Software may be run in an offline mode with no acquisition systems attached. All Signaling Analyzer features including call trace, message flow analysis, statistics, voice playback and protocol decode are available for analysis of previously captured data files. Real-Time Operation (J7326A) The Signaling Analyzer can also be used to analyze data in real time by deploying Distributed Network Analyzers (DNAs) locally or remotely to capture and continuously stream data to storage devices. Real-time configurations support use of multiple DNAs daisy chained together for fully time synchronized data capture between DNAs. Because of the modularity and flexibility of the Signaling Analyzer software and the Network Analyzer hardware, there are many possible configurations. Several common configurations are illustrated below. Direct Connect - Single Acquisition System This following scenario is the most straightforward means of using the Signaling Analyzer Real-time Software (J7326A) with a Distributed Network Analyzer. In this us model a single DNA is connected directly to a controlling PC using a standard Ethernet cable (as shown below). Use of a laptop with the DNA would make this suitable for dispatched troubleshooting of an individual interface. In this case data storage and the Signaling Analyzer application all reside on the PC.

Direct Connect - Multiple Acquisition Systems In this use model multiple DNAs are connected directly to a controlling PC using a standard Ethernet cable (as shown below). The DNAs are daisy chained together by connecting a cable from one DNA to the next as shown below. In this case data storage and the Signaling Analyzer application all reside on the PC. The actual number of DNAs capturing data real-time is dependent on the capture filters and data throughput.

Network Connect - Multiple Real-time Acquisition Systems In this use model the DNA is directly connected to a high performance PC running Signaling Analyzer and providing local data storage. The Signaling Analyzer user interface is accessed over a local area network via any standard remote client software. The actual number of DNAs capturing data real-time is dependent on the capture filters and data throughput.

Network Connect - Multiple Real-time Acquisition Systems with Dedicated Processors IFor the most demanding applications this use model utilizes DNA daisy chains directly connected to high performance PCs running Signaling Analyzer applications and providing local data storage. The Signaling Analyzer user interfaces are accessed over a local area network via any standard remote client software. The actual number of DNAs capturing data real-time is dependent on the capture filters and data throughput.

3G Wireless Applications The complex combinations of network protocols and physical transports make 3rd generation wireless networks well suited for analysis by the modular Signaling Analyzer solution. The Signaling Analyzer Captures traffic on all key interfaces, including control messaging, packet data, and voice traffic. A full range of UMTS and cdma2000 analysis features, including vendor variants, voice payload quality analysis, deciphering and user level data session performance statistics make Signaling Analyzer the most complete solution in the industry. Shown below are sample configurations for both UMTS and cdma2000.

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Signaling Analyzer Software Products Additional software products for the Signaling Analyzer must be purchased separately and require license keys. The following software products can be licensed in Signaling Analyzer Offline or RealTime editions: J6846A J7320A J7323A J7324A J7328A High Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA) Nortel UMTS Iub Vendor Decodes Erricsson UMTS Iub Venfor Decodes Nokia UMTS Iub Vendor Decodes 3GPP Deciphering License

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Related Mobile Products J6800A Network Analyzer (NA) J6801A Distributed Network Analyzer (DNA) J6802B Distributed Network Analyzer MX (DNA-MX) J6810A STM-4/OC-12/STM-1/OC-3 LIM J6811A STM-1o/OC-3 LIM(SC-PC optical connectors - includes a pair of 10dB attenuators) J6816B E1/T1 LIM (balanced 100 ohm RJ-45 and WECO Bantam connectors) J6817B E1 BNC LIM (unbalanced 75 ohm BNC connectors) J6824A Eight-port E1/T1 LIM J6830A 10Base-T and 10/100BaseTx Ethernet LIM J6832A 1000Base-X Ethernet LIM (includes pair of SX GBICs) Related Literature Network Analyzer Family Technical Overview (5988-4231EN) Network Analyzer Family Data Sheet (5988-4176EN) Warranty 90-day media replacement warranty Ordering Information J7326A J5486B Signaling Analyzer Real-Time Edition (SART) Signaling Analyzer Software Edition (SASE)

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Product specifications and descriptions in this document are subject to change without notice. Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2004 Printed in U.S.A. September 2004 5988-0347EN

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