In this Issue:
TESTING APPLICATIONS
Fujitsu Selects
Catapult's DCT2000®
for WiMAX Testing
Catapult Enhances Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Services (MBMS)
DCT2000 Advances Toward Long Term Evolution (LTE)
WHAT'S NEW...
MGTS® and DCT2000 Operate Concurrently on Same Shelf
TECHNICAL TIPS
Catapult News is issued periodically by Catapult Communications. We hope that you find this
e-newsletter to be informative and helpful.
Fujitsu Selects Catapult's DCT2000 for WiMAX Testing
Catapult has been selected by Fujitsu Limited to provide simulation and load testing capabilities for WiMAX mobile network elements. Catapult will provide local technical expertise to assist Fujitsu.
According to Masato Koike, Representative Director of Catapult Communications KK, "Fujitsu carefully evaluated various testing tools and determined that Catapult offers the best products for testing the major components of WiMAX. Our DCT2000 test system provides more than just simple top-level traffic diagnostics, it also supports the complex lower layer analysis essential for WiMAX testing. The DCT2000 test system will help Fujitsu develop the best mobile WiMAX network equipment, validate load performance, and ensure that their customers receive the highest quality product."
Adam Fowler, Catapult Vice President for Product Management, added, "WiMAX is an exciting broadband wireless technology and we are pleased to have this opportunity to support Fujitsu's WiMAX program. Catapult's test systems which are particularly well suited for WiMAX testing, coupled with the solid expertise of our Catapult Japan office, should prove invaluable to Fujitsu in testing these advanced network elements."
Catapult's WiMAX testing is extensive including verification and load testing of the following network elements:
- Base Station (BS) through ASN Gateway simulation
- Access Service Network (ASN) through Connectivity Service Network (CSN) simulation with AAA, DHCP and MIP signaling/traffic termination
- ASN Gateway through simulation of multiple mobile subscribers behind multiple BSs, and simulation of the CSN
- Access Service Network (ASN) through CSN simulation with AAA, DHCP and MIP signaling/traffic termination
- Connectivity Service Network through ASN and other CSN (home or visiting/roaming) simulation, and simulation of IMS network for IMS services and a 3GPP network for AAA
- Core Network through simulation of WiMAX access network with many mobile subscribers with AAA, signaling and bearer traffic
In this example, the device under test is a WiMAX ASN Gateway. A single DCT2000 simulates multiple network elements such as multiple base stations (R6), another ASN Gateway (R4) for handoff situations, and the home CSN (R3).
For specific information on WiMAX systems, functionality, performance levels, supported specifications, and protocol variants, please contact your Catapult Representative.
Catapult Enhances Testing of Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Services (MBMS)
Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Services (MBMS) allow broadcasting and multicasting services to be offered in existing GSM and UMTS wireless networks. MBMS bearer service includes Broadcast and Multicast modes. Broadcast mode allows all users in the specific service area to receive messages, either voice, data or video services. Multicast mode allows wireless service providers to offer subscription type services to specific users.
Catapult began implementing MBMS in Release 6 as defined in 3GPP as a "point-to-multipoint" downlink multi-media bearer service and continues to expand testing capability to include services as defined in Release 7. Today, Catapult supports over 900 protocols and their variants and continues to update these protocols to support new services such as MBMS. Below are examples of planned Catapult MBMS testing configurations:
In example 1, the new Broadcast-Multicast Service Center (BM-SC) network element would be the device under test and the DCT2000 would simulate a GGSN over the Gi or Gmb interfaces or another BM-SC over a Mz interface.
In example 2, the DCT2000 would simulate a SGSN with video streaming and other data applications and the RNC and BSS are the devices under test. The DCT2000 provides the ability to open multiple channels to multiple RNCs and then to multiple Node Bs while supporting voice, data and video traffic generation.
For specific information on MBMS, functionality, performance levels, supported specifications, and protocol variants, please contact your Catapult Representative.
DCT2000 Advances Toward Long Term Evolution (LTE)
Catapult continues our commitment to the evolving standards of the 3rd Generation Partnership Program (3GPP). As a leader in the telecom testing industry, Catapult has implemented previous 3GPP releases from Release 1996 through Release 7. Our long-term test product strategy is based on these standards and industry direction, including Long Term Evolution (LTE) as currently being defined in Release 8.
LTE is focused on enhancing and optimizing the packet switched technology in order to cope with the rapid growth in IP traffic. An LTE solution optimizes the packet network and provides higher data rates and lower latency while simplifying the network architecture. LTE utilizes HSDPA and HSUPA links to deliver peak data rates of 100Mbits/s downlink and 50Mbits/s uplink in a 20MHz spectrum.
Load testing all new LTE network elements and their integration to the rest of the network is a crucial but challenging step due to the new high data rate and low latency requirements. Below is an example of a potential test configuration in which a Catapult DCT2000 m500 simulates a new Serving System Architecture Evolution (SAE) Gateway to test the evolved Node B (e-Node B) over an S1 interface for both the control and user planes.
For specific information about supported specifications and protocol variants, please contact your Catapult Representative.
MGTS and DCT2000 Operate Concurrently on Same Shelf
Catapult now offers the ability for both MGTS and DCT2000 test applications to run concurrently on the same platform. Concurrent Operation allows users to simultaneously execute MGTS tests on one card and DCT2000 tests on another card. It provides users:
- Access to unique features of both products within the same test bed
- Maximum value and utilization of the platform investment
- Transition from one test product to the other
Concurrent Operation is available at no additional cost. The orderable part number is D-SSODCT.
Please contact your Catapult representative for more information and to arrange a demonstration of concurrent MGTS+DCT operation.
What's New on DCT2000 Releases 12.3 through 13.1
New and updated protocols:
- MMS:
- WAP-203-WSP – Multipart data
- OMA-DRM as part of MM7
- OMA-DRM as part of MM1
- 3G UMTS:
- ROHC in PDCP State Machine (RFC 3095)
- RRC Release 6, Version Dec. 2006
- NBAP Release 6, Version Dec. 2006
- RLC Release 6, Version Dec. 2006
- MAC Release 6, Version Dec. 2006
- FP Release 6, Version Dec. 2006
- IMS:
- IPsec ISAKMP/IKE
- SIP: New Extensions (RFC 3327, RFC 3261, RFC 3262, RFC 3263, RFC 3841)
- SIP layer (phase 2)
- Common Open Policy Service (COPS) Encoder/Decoder (RFC 2748)
- G.711 and G.726 codecs
- OSA/Parlay 5.0 (phase 1)
- WiMAX:
- Mobile IPv4 (RFC 3344)
- Mobile IPv6 (RFC 3775)
- GRE (RFC 1701)
- DHCP v4 (RFC 2131, RFC 2132)
- DHCP on IPv6 (RFC 3315)
- DCT2000 QuickStart Enhancements:
- WiMAX – GRE Call Control and IP-in-IP Encapsulation
- IMS – Standard SIP Session, IMS Presence, IMS Instant Messaging, Push to talk
- Other system or utility upgrades:
- Concurrent MGTS and DCT Operation
- AMR-WB Enhancement to Wave Converter
- Concurrent Operation of PESQ application with Traffic Generation
- DTMF Generation and Detection
- VLAN on m500 Gigabit Ethernet – IP (RFC 791)/IEEE 802.1q
- Real User Plane Traffic Generator for Structured STM-1 Interface
- RTP X·Stream on mesh physical interface (mPI)
- New hardware:
- Gigabit Ethernet copper PPCI Mezzanine Interface
What's New on MGTS Releases 15.0 through 15.1
New and updated protocols:
- H.323 V5.0 protocol Set
- UMA RR Stage 3 (Release 1.0.4)
- UMTS R6 IuCS (June 2006)
- IuFP over RTP/RTCP
- IUA (ISDN User Adaption) RFC 4233
Other system and utility upgrades:
- Nb Interface User Plane over IP on m500 and p-series
- Real User Plane on A Interface supported on Structured STM-1 card
- AAL2 and AAL5 separated on m500 mCU processors
- Simultaneous, multiple users Linux Softshelf environment
- Concurrent MGTS and DCT Operation
For a complete set and details of all supported capabilities and technical specifications, please consult with your Catapult sales representative.
DCT2000 Technical Tip
Building Large DCPL Messages With a Mouse Click
While building big messages with DCPL Frame Builder (DFB), save time by using the right-click button on the mouse while in the DCPL Grammar window to perform a Super Selection. This not only adds the selected element to the frame but also causes the associated grammar to be displayed immediately, saving several mouse clicks in the process.
Identifying MGTS and DCT Drivers When Running Concurrent Operation
When running in concurrent operation mode, multiple drivers are installed on the system, a set for DCT and another set for MGTS. The system can only use one set of drivers at a time.
During system reboot or PPCI activation the drivers linked in the /usr/catt_init command are started. If there is a need to change to a different set of drivers, then the /usr/catt_init command needs to be modified to reflect the desired active drivers.
Catapult Communications is a leading supplier of advanced digital telecom test systems to global equipment manufacturers and service providers, including Ericsson, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, NEC, NTT DoCoMo, Nortel and Nokia Siemens Networks. The Catapult DCT2000® and MGTS® systems deliver superior high-end test solutions for hundreds of protocols and variants - spanning IMS, WiMAX, 4G/3G/2.5G/2G UMTS, VoIP, GPRS, SS7, Intelligent Network, ATM, ISDN and other network environments. The Company is committed to providing testing tools that are at the forefront of the telecom technology curve.
Catapult is headquartered at 160 South Whisman Road, Mountain View, CA
94041. Tel: 650-960-1025. International offices are located in the U.K., Germany,
France, Finland, Sweden, Canada, Japan, China, Australia and India.
Information about Catapult Communications can be found on the Web at http://www.catapult.com
®2007 Catapult Communications
DCT2000, MGTS are registered trademarks of Catapult Communications.
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