This is a live demo of GL's Net Surveyor system. Using this demo, you can watch (in real-time) how the SS7 / ISDN / GSM / GPRS
data is probed and captured. You can also see in real-time the Call Detail Records (CDR) and Frame Level Message Data (Message
Trace) captured between two SS7 or ISDN links.
Click the image to view Live Demo of Net Surveyor  |
 |
Lab System Setup
Components of GL's Net Surveyor Demo System
GL's Net Surveyor demo system has a three tier architecture. The first layer consists of GL's T1/E1 Probes which are capable of
tapping into live call traffic and non-intrusively capture the CDR and Message Trace. The second layer is the Data Layer where the
captured data is stored. The last layer is the Data Access Layer (Application Server) where the data presentation logic is contained.
Each of these components are briefly explained below.
T1/E1 Probes
The traffic generated between switches is probed by the use of GL's T1/E1 hardware probes (T1/E1 Cards running SS7 Analyzer
Application).
A single probe can be configured to have up to four Dual T1/E1 cards capable of handling eight T1/E1 lines in one direction. In
this demo, to handle eight T1/E1 lines in duplex mode, we are using two probes; each consisting of four Dual T1/E1 cards. More
information about the probe interface characteristics can be found here.
The probes non-intrusively monitor the network, and send packets of information containing CDRs and Message Trace data to
GL's Listener application.
These probes could be controlled locally using the SS7 Analyzer application or remotely using GL's Client-Server application.
Data Layer
An Oracle 9i database is used to store the CDRs and Message Trace data. This provides a very flexible and expandable
architecture for data storage and data access. The database could be accessed in real-time over the web using an application
server or queried by customer applications such as a billing system or accessed by a reporting tool such as Crystal Reports, for
aggregation and analysis of historic data.
A listener application is co-hosted with the database server running on the Data Layer. It collects the data posted by the
probes and then updates the database using the collected data.
Application Server
For accessing the CDR and Message Trace data over the internet using any browser-capable-device such as desktops, tablet
PCs or PDAs, the Net Surveyor provides an application server which runs on ASP.NET technology. This server is capable of serving
the data in real-time or, providing historic data based on customer selected filters.
Using the Application Server
Using any browser-capable-device, you can access the CDR or Message Trace data from anywhere in the world. When you
point your browser to the Application Server URL, you will be presented with a page similar to the following.
Table and Record Selection Options
Using the pull down combo box controls available at the top of the page, you will be able to select the different tables available
in the database for viewing. Currently (1) SS7 Call Detail Records (2) SS7 Message Trace (3) ISDN Call Detail Records and (4) ISDN
Message Trace tables are available on the demo system. You can also customize how many records you want to view per query
and per page.
Fewer number of records per query will result in faster system response.
Data View Options
Currently the following data views are supported by the Application Server.
- Real-time Data View
- Record Navigation View
- Filtered Data View
Real-time Data view
In this view you can display the Call Records or Message Trace data for SS7 or ISDN in real-time (the latest set of records will be
displayed). You can select the refresh interval of your choice and the system will continuously refresh until you close the browser or
select the "No Refresh" option or navigate to another page.
Record Navigation View
In this view you can navigate to any set of records in the database using the record index. The first and last index of the
records available in the database will be displayed for your information. You can enter any record number between the first and last
index on the text box provided. Once you press the "Apply" button, a table beginning with the record you specified will be presented
to you.
Filtered Data View
Filtered Data view will provide different filters by which the data records could be viewed. Currently a Date-Time filter is provided
by default. Various customized filters could be developed based on customer requirements.
When this view is selected for any database table, the date and time of the first and last records in the database will be
displayed to you. You can customize this filter by selecting the date and time of interest and the filter could be applied using the
"Apply" button. A table beginning with the first record you specified, will be presented to you when the filter is applied.
Call Generation
To simulate call generation, we use GL's own popular Digital Central Office Switch Simulation System
(DCOSS) to act as a pair of switches. These switches generate calls between each other in real-time. To simulate the higher
call volume which GL's probes are capable of handling, repeaters are used to duplicate the eastbound and westbound lines to
eight lines each (one original and seven duplicates).
This setup is not part of the GL's Net Surveyor package. It is used merely for the purpose of
creating the live call traffic necessary for this real-time demonstration.
Click here to see the live demo
Back to Network Surveillance System Main Page
