PacketScanWeb™

Overview

PacketScanWeb™ is a centralized VoIP network monitoring system. A PacketScanWeb™ server is deployed in a central location along with an Oracle® database. A number of GL’s PacketScan™ probes and/or, PacketProbes™ are deployed in remote locations across the network to passively monitor VoIP traffic. Whenever a monitored call completes, the scan/probe calculates a variety of quality metrics (MOS, loss, delay, jitter, etc) and sends the metrics to the central Oracle database for storage.

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This data can then be accessed in real time from anywhere in the world through any standard web browser. In addition to viewing real time data, PacketScanWeb™ can also custom filter historical data and generate various reports and graphs that summarize overall network health.

The PacketScan™ is a feature-robust Windows® based software tool that captures and monitors live IP traffic. In the VoIP world, it can monitor and measure SIP, H323, Megaco, MGCP, T.38 and video calls. In addition to quality metrics PacketScan™ also captures signaling information and sends that to the PacketScanWeb™ database as well. PacketProbes™ is a lightweight Linux based tool that only operates on SIP or raw RTP and does not capture or transmit signaling information.

Click the image to view Live Demo of PacketScanWeb™

Main Features

Access real-time data remotely via browser based clients.
Multi-user support and user-friendly interface.
Interfaces with Oracle database.
Provides database query methods to gather status, statistics, events & query results.
Reports are displayed both in tabular and graphical formats; graphs provided for call volume, MOS score, calls failed failure causes, and session request delay (SRD)
Real-time data displays information such as called number, calling number, source & destination IP address, RTP packet details, call flow graph, and frame decodes.
Navigate through records, and filter the collected traffic summary
Custom Filters (Day, Time, Called/Calling Number, Probe, Payload, Duration…)

Lab System Setup

A real-time demonstration is available for clarifying the features available – see diagram below.

Components of GL's PacketScanWeb™ Demo System

GL's PacketScanWeb™ demo system has a three tier architecture. Each PacketScan™ probe in layer 1 captures and transmits measurements and statistics to a single central database located at the Data Layer. This second layer provides a means for storing the captured data. The last layer is the Data Access Layer (Application Server) where the data presentation logic is contained. Each of these components is briefly explained below.

Data Layer

An Oracle database (user specified) is used to store the measurement results along with all pertinent data associated with the packet capture (call ID, direction, duration, and so on). This provides a very flexible and expandable architecture for data storage and data access. The database is accessed in real-time over the web using an application server or queried by customer applications.

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

The PacketScanWeb™ provides an application server for accessing the call information & measurements along with the additional analytical measurements including MOS, Delay, Jitter, and so on. The results are queried over the internet using any browser-capable device such as desktops, table PCs or PDAs. The application server is capable of serving the data in real-time or providing historic data based on customer selected filters.

Using PacketScanWeb™

Using any browser-capable-device, you can access the results from anywhere in the world. When you point your browser to the Application Server URL, the following page will be displayed.

Real-time Data

The data in PacketScanWeb™ can be accessed worldwide through any browser capable device. Upon launching PacketScanWeb™ the user will see the 20 most recent calls in the database along with details about the call including Probe Name, Calling/Called Number, Start Time, Call Duration, Session Request, Delay (ms), Session Disconnect Delay (ms), Originating IP Address, and Destination IP Address.

RTP Details

Each call can be expanded to reveal per stream RTP statistics. The RTP/audio parameters such as call direction, SSRC number, payload type, total packet count, missing / duplicate / reordered / discarded packet count or %, conversational/R-Factor , listening MOS/R-Factor, cumulative packet loss, Max/Min/Average values of Gap, Min/Max/Average values of jitter, Min/Max/Average values of RTD, and average inter arrival jitter are displayed.

Calls sent to the database from a PacketScan™ (but not a PacketProbe™) also have a link which displays their signaling information (Call Ladder Diagram) and the corresponding frame decode details. The user will also have the option to see the data update in real time so that each call displays as soon as it comes in.

Screen Shot of Real-time Data

Call Detail Records

The call detail view further depicted each call by its message sequence details (ladder diagram of the call flow) between the Called and the Calling numbers. The corresponding frame decode details will be displayed in the right-hand pane of the window.

The Frame Summary detail of any calling number is provided in the following columns - TIMESTAMP, SCRIPADDR (Source IP Address), DSTIPADDR (Destination IP Address), SCRUDPPORT (Source UDP Port), DSTUDPPORT (Destination UDP Port), SCRTCPPORT (Source TCP Port), DSTTCPPORT (Destination TCP Port), SIPMETHOD, SIPFROM, SIPTO, & SIPCALLID.

Screen Shot of Call Detail Records

Navigation of Records

Records per page

Users can customize the required number of records to be viewed per page. Less number of records per query will result in faster system response. The results can be automatically refreshed in intervals of 5, 8, 10, and 20 seconds .

Record Navigation using Index

Users 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. A table beginning with the record index specified will be presented.

Screen Shot of Record Navigation

Filtered Data

The call records can be filtered using Date/Time Filter criteria or any Custom Filter criteria. By default, the Filtered Data view displays all data.

Calendar Date option allows filtering call records based on the selected date, month, and year.

User-Defined Date/Time filter displays the call records based on 1 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min, 1 hr, 24 hrs, Today, Yesterday, and User-Defined Date/Time. The Display All option displays all the available call records.

Custom Date/Time filter option allows users to specify the Start Date/Time and the End Date/Time. The PacketScanWeb™ will query the database based on the user-specified time period. A table beginning with the first record with specified date-time will be presented.

Screen Shot of Filtered Data

Custom Filter

The User-Defined Filter tab provides options to

filter call records based on filter parameters such as Probe name, Calling/Called Number, IP Address, MOS score, and so on
filter call records based on RTP statistics
save, load / delete filter profiles
edit & update already existing custom filter profiles

Screen Shot of Custom Filter View

It allows creating groups and filter sets combined with logical AND, OR operations.

Various Filter selection parameters supported are - Probe Name, Calling Number, Origination IP Address, Called Number, Destination IP Address, Call Success, Start Time, Duration, Failure Cause, Session Request Delay, Session Disconnect Delay, Payload, Missing Packet Percentage, Duplicate Packet Percentage, Reordered Packet Percentage, Packets Discarded Percentage, MOS, R-Factor, & Average Jitter.

Graphs & Reports

Reports view provides an overall summary of the captured packet traffic over the entire network with the help of useful graphs such as Call Volume Display, Average Mean Opinion Score (MOS) Display, Call Failure Cause, and Session Request Delay (SRD. Reports are also available in a tabular format for each of the plotted graph. The reports can be displayed for filtered data by using the Date/Time Filter options as discussed in the Filtered Data feature.

Screen Shot of Graphs and Reports

Related Screen Shots

Screen Shot of Call Volumes Display

Screen Shot of Average MOS Display

Screen Shot of Call Failure Cause

Screen Shot of Session Request Delay

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