Wireless 3G Core Network

IP Network Simulation

MAPS™ UMTS for IuPS Interface Emulator

Simulation of UMTS protocol for IuPS interface, a Gateway to the World Wide Web connecting RNC (Radio Network Controller) and the SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) elements handling data traffic.

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MAPS™ UMTS for IuPS Interface Emulator Architecture

Background

UMTS, or Universal Mobile Telecommunications System is a 3rd generation mobile technology evolved from GSM technology. It uses W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) as radio access. With increased spectral efficiency and high bandwidth, UMTS can support broadband data, voice and video. The underlying transport for UMTS in the core network can be Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), or IP.

UMTS supports integrated services such as multimedia and global roaming to mobile users. In essence, UMTS IuPs interface is the Gateway to the World Wide Web. More precisely, IuPs, as shown in the figure, is the interface between the RNC (Radio Network Controller) and the SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node). 

SGSN manages mobile location whether within the carrier's network or roaming outside.  Once a user turns on her mobile, a new IP address gets assigned and IP connectivity is available with quality of service (bit rate allocation) based on subscription, and tunnels are created for mobile flows to/from that mobile.  These data tunnels carry encapsulated traffic such as http, ftp, email, etc.  SMS may also be carried by the signaling plane to/from the mobile.  IuPs emulation and analysis can be very important in the design, verification, and troubleshooting of a carrier's mobile data network.

The IP based UMTS network consists of the following components -

  • Radio Network Controller (RNC)
  • Mobile Switching Center (MSC)
  • Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN)
  • Gateway GPRS Support Node (GGSN)
  • NodeB
  • Femto Home NodeB (Femto Cell) and Femto Home Node Gateway (HNB-GW)

Overview

GL's Message Automation & Protocol Simulation (MAPS™), is a protocol simulation and conformance test tool that supports a variety of protocols such as SIP, MEGACO, ISDN, SS7, GSM, LTE, and many other TDM, IP, and Wireless protocols.  MAPS™ has been enhanced for testing UMTS IuPs interface. It can simulate RNC (Radio Network Controller), and 3G SGSN (3G Serving GPRS Support Node) by generating RANAP and DTAP signaling messages over SCTP as Transport layer in an IP network as defined by 3GPP standards.

The product also supports Mobile traffic core – GTP (ETH101) simulation for user-plane packet transmission and reception services between any two nodes in LTE and UMTS networks. Mobile Traffic Core – Gateway (ETH102) module allows simulation of Gateway Traffic to test media gateway telephony interfaces over IP. These modules also support generation and verification of data traffic such as Email, FTP, Web (HTTP), Video, and more.

The application gives the users the unlimited ability to edit messages and control scenarios (message sequence). “Message sequences” are generated through scripts. “Messages” are created using message templates.

The application is available as

  • MAPS™ - IuPS (Item # PKS164)

In addition, GL also supports the following UMTS analyzers and simulators:

GL has enhanced the MAPS™ protocol emulation tool to simulate multi-protocol and multi-interface offering a complete range of test solutions, covering the entire 2G, 3G, and 4G network.

By mimicking real-world customer behavior in lab environments, our solutions allow mobile operators and equipment manufacturers to verify their wireless networks before deployment. In other words, one can setup a virtual real-time network simulating all the network elements using “MAPS 3G Wireless Lab Suite”. The test suite supports simulation of IuH, IuCS, IuPS, C/D/Gr/Gd, and GnGp interfaces.


Main Features

  • Setup a virtual real-time network simulating 3G-UMTS network element using ‘MAPS™ 3G Wireless Lab Suite
  • Supports PS network web browsing data traffic simulation along with generation of real-world traffic in the lab
  • Simulates RNC, and SGSN network entities.
  • Generates and supports all GPRS Mobility Management, Session Management, RANAP and DTAP messages.
  • Supports GPRS Attach, Detach procedures, RUA, Paging, and Handover (Relocation) procedures.
  • Ready scripts for handling SCTP, M3UA, and SCMG (SCCP Management) procedures
  • Supports M3UA termination type as a signaling gateway process (SGP), an application server process (ASP), or an IP server process (IPSP).
  • Supports Packet Traffic, Mobile Traffic, Gateway Traffic, External Gateway simulation with additional licenses
  • Automation, Remote access, and Schedulers to run tests 24/7

Supported Protocol Standards

IuPS Interface
Supported Protocols Specification Used
SCTP RFC 4960
SCCP Q.713, CCITT (ITU-T) Blue Book
M3UA RFC 3332
RANAP 3GPP TS 25.413 V9.1.0
GMM / SM 3GPP TS 24.008 V5.16.0 (2006-06)
SMS 3GPP TS 03.40 V7.5.0 & 3GPP TS 04.11 V7.1.0 GSM 03.38 version 7.2.0 Release 1998
UMTS IuPS Protocol Stack

UMTS IuPS Protocol Stack

GPRS Attach Procedure

In IuPS interface, MAPS™ acts as either RNC to test SGSN (DUT) or SGSN to test RNC (DUT) simulating the Attach Request, Attach Accept, Attach Complete, Activate PDP Context Request, Activate PDP Context Accept, Deactivate PDP Contest Request, Deactivate PDP Contest Accept, Detach Request, Detach Accept, Iu-Release Command, Iu-Release Complete, and Routing Area Updating (RAU) procedures:

Typical Call Flow between the UMTS IuPS network entities

Typical Call Flow between the UMTS IuPS network entities

Attach Procedure at RNC Node over IuPS (Call Generation)

Attach Procedure at RNC Node over IuPS
(Call Generation)

Attach procedure at SGSN Node over IuPS (Call Reception)

Attach procedure at SGSN Node over IuPS
(Call Reception)

Paging Procedure

Paging is used by the network (SGSN) to request RNC that the establishment of PS signaling connection or to prompt the mobile to re-attach if necessary, as a result of network failure. If the MS receives the paging indication in the same access network, as when it last sent user data or signaling information, the MS (RNC) shall send the SERVICE REQUEST procedure indicating service type "paging response".

The network (SGSN) shall initiate the paging procedure using P-TMSI when user data is pending to be sent to the MS (RNC). The network may page only MSs (RNC's) which are GMM-REGISTERED and identified by a local P-TMSI.

Typical Paging Call Flow

Typical Paging Call Flow

Mobile Terminating Call GenerationMobile Terminating Call Generation
Mobile Terminating Call Reception

Mobile Terminating Call Reception

Relocation Procedure

This procedure is only performed for a UE in CONNECTED state where the Iur interface carries both the control signaling and the user data. The Serving SRNS Relocation procedure is used to move the connection between the RAN and the CN for the source SRNC to the RAN for the target RNC, from a "standing still position". In the procedure, the Iu links are relocated. If the target RNC is connected to the same SGSN as the source SRNC, an Intra-SGSN SRNS Relocation procedure is performed.

The procedure can be simulated in lab using MAPS™ IuPS configured as both Source RNC and Target RNC interconnected via SGSN.

Relocation procedure

The typical Relocation Procedure between Serving RNC, SGSN, and Target RNC is as depicted in the call flow below:

Relocation callflow

RNC1 Call Generation

RNC1 Call Generation

SGSN  Call Reception

SGSN Call Reception

RNC2 Call Reception

RNC2 Call Reception

features

Resources

Please Note: The XX in the Item No. refers to the hardware platform, listed at the bottom of the Buyer's Guide, which the software will be running on. Therefore, XX can either be ETA or EEA (Octal/Quad Boards), PTA or PEA (tProbe Units), UTA or UEA (USB Units), HUT or HUE (Universal Cards), and HDT or HDE (HD cards) depending upon the hardware.

  MAPS™ for Wireless Network

PKS164

MAPS™ UMTS IuPS Emulator

PKS160

MAPS™ UMTS IuCS IP Emulator
MAPS™ UMTS IuH IP Emulator

PKS166

MAPS™ UMTS Gn Gp Emulator

PKS140

MAPS™ LTE S1 Emulator

PKS142

MAPS™ LTE eGTP (S3, S4, S5, S8, S10, S11 & S16) Emulator

PKS141

MAPS™ LTE X2 AP Emulator

LTS220

MAPS UMTS IuCS ATM Emulator over OC-3 / STM-1
requires LTS214 + LightSpeed1000™ Hardware; optional LTS217

LTS214

OC-3 / STM-1 SSCOP Server

LTS320

MAPS UMTS IuCS ATM Emulator over OC-12 / STM-4
requires LTS314 + LightSpeed1000™ Hardware; optional LTS317

LTS314

OC-12 / STM-4 SSCOP Server

PKS131

MAPS™ Gb Emulator over IP for BSC & SGSN

  Related Hardware

LTS100

Lightspeed1000™ - Dual OC-3/12 STM-1/4 PCIe Card

   
 Item No. MAPS™ for IP Network

PKS122
PKS123

MAPS™ MEGACO Emulator
MAPS™ MEGACO Conformance Test Suite (Test Scripts)

PKS124
PKS125

MAPS™ MGCP Emulator
MAPS™ MGCP Conformance Test Suite (Test Scripts)

PKS120
PKS121

MAPS™ SIP Emulator
SIP Conformance Test Suite (Test Scripts)

PKS109

MAPS™ SIP HD

PKS126

MAPS™ SIP I Emulator

PKS130

MAPS™ SIGTRAN Emulator

PKS132

MAPS™ MAP IP Emulator

PKS151

MAPS™ CAMEL IP Emulator

PKS135

MAPS™ ISDN SIGTRAN (ISDN IP)

PKS137

MAPS™ GSM A IP Emulator

PKS149

MAPS™ Skinny Emulator

PKS155

MAPS™ BICC IP Emulator

PKS136

MAPS™ INAP Emulator (ANSI, ITU)

PKS139

MAPS™ Diameter Emulator

   
Item No. MAPS™ for TDM Network
(requires T1 or E1 Hardware and Basic Software)

XX642

MAPS™ ISDN & LAPD Conformance Emulator

XX648

MAPS™ ISDN Emulator

XX649

MAPS™ SS7 Emulator

XX647

MAPS™ SS7 Conformance

XX692

MAPS™ GSM A Emulator

XX693

MAPS™ GSM Abis Emulator

XX651

MAPS™ CAS Emulator

XX652

MAPS™ MC-MLPPP Conformance

XX694

MAPS™ MAP Emulator

XX696

MAPS™ CAP Emulator

XX656

MAPS™ INAP Emulator

XX624

MAPS™ FXO FXS Emulator

  Related Hardware

FTE001

ETE001

QuadXpress T1E1 Main Board (Quad Port– requires additional licenses) 

OctalXpress T1E1 Main Board plus Daughter Board (Octal Port– requires additional licenses)

PTE001

tProbe™ Dual T1 E1 Laptop Analyzer with Basic Analyzer Software

HTE001

Universal T1 E1 PCI Card with Basic Analyzer Software

UTE001

Portable USB based Dual T1 or E1 Laptop Analyzer with Basic Analyzer Software

   
Item No. Traffic Options

XX610
XX620
XX646

File based Record/Playback
Transmit/Detect digits (Place Call/ Answer Call)
Multi-Channel TRAU Tx/Rx Emulation and Analysis

PKS102

RTP Soft Core for RTP Traffic Generation

ETH100

ETH101

ETH102

ETH103

PacketCheck™ - Packet GTP Traffic Simulation

Mobile Traffic Core-GTP


Mobile Traffic Core-Gateway

Mobile Traffic Core - GPRS Gb

LTS217

OC-3 / STM-1 AAL2 Traffic Core

LTS317

OC-12 / STM-4 AAL2 Traffic Core

Item No. Related Software

XX120

SS7 Analyzer Software

OLV120

Offline/ Remote SS7 Analyzer Software

XX100

ISDN Analyzer Software

OLV100

Offline/ Remote ISDN Analyzer Software

XX150

T1 or E1 Real-time GSM Protocol Analyzer

OLV150

Offline T1 or E1 GSM Protocol Analyzer

XX165

T1 or E1 Real-time UMTS Protocol Analyzer

PKS120 MAPS™ SIP Emulator

PKV100

PacketScan™ (Online and Offline)

PKV120

PacketScan™ HD

PKV121

PacketScan™ FB

PKB100
PKB105

RTP Toolbox™
G.168 Echo Canceller Test Compliance Suite

PKV105

SIGTRAN Analyzer (requires PKV100)

PKV107

LTE Analyzer

PKS110

Packet H.323