dsTest® supports both server emulation and client simulation capabilities with the S6 Diameter application. Test MME and SGSN S6 interfaces in LTE networks with our Home Subscriber Server Emulator. Use the S6 Interface application to test the capacity and performance of an HSS. Use the HSS Emulator and S6 Interface application in tandem to test Diameter Proxies, Relay Agents, and Redirect Agents.
A rich set of operational measurements is collected at specified intervals and stored in an SQLite database on the dsTest server. Real-time measurements may be retrieved through our dsClient CLI or graphed via our dsClient GUI.
Implementation
The S6 application implements the following 3GPP procedures:
- Update Location
- Cancel Location
- Purge UE
- Insert Subscriber Data
- Delete Subscriber Data
- Authentication Information Retrieval
- Reset
- Notification
Server Emulation
The HSS Emulator provides Mobile Subscriber data repository, authentication information, and routing information services for the S6a and S6d interfaces—all of the functionality required by an MME or an SGSN plus all of the benefits of an emulator. Reconfigure your subscriber database in seconds rather than hours by simply loading a new configuration file.
Execute timed chains of test events with a run-time command or during an automated test to trigger HSS-initiated procedures:
- Cancel Location;
- Insert Subscriber Data;
- Delete Subscriber Data;
- Reset.
You can use the control interface to change the emulator’s behavior:
- Simulate a non-responsive server by pausing the emulator; simulate intermittent issues by pausing and resuming;
- Disable individual subscribers during the test run, generating unknown subscriber errors.
One HSS Emulator can support any mixture of interfaces, up to 1000 client connections. Using concurrent interfaces also enables interaction between the interfaces:
- Multiple S6a interfaces enable support for MME-MME mobility;
- S6a and S6d interfaces enable support for MME-SGSN mobility.
Add functionality to your HSS Emulator by purchasing additional interfaces, such as S13 for EIR simulation, and Gr for support for 3G/4G mobility and evolution testing.
Multiple HSS Emulators can be instantiated on a single server. In this mode each emulator can support multiple interfaces, up to an aggregate of 1000 client connections across all emulators. The emulators are fully independent and their subscriber databases may also be independent, overlap, or be duplicated.
Read more about our HSS Emulator.
Client Simulation
The S6 Interface application simulates an MME’s S6a interface or an SGSN’s S6d interface to determine the impact of new HSS features and standards before they are deployed in a network.
The S6 Interface application also allows you to validate HSS performance and capacity in a realistic network environment, replicating the deployment configuration.
Execute timed chains of test events with a run-time command or during an automated test to trigger client-initiated procedures.
- Start and stop specified subscriber sessions, simulating real-world authentication activity;
- Initiate Update Location procedures;
- Notify the server that a subscriber’s profile has been deleted or that subscription data has changed.
Multiple SGSN and MME emulators can be instantiated on a single server, each with scalable subscriber loads and transaction rates. In this mode the S6 interfaces of up to 1000 independent MME and SGSN nodes may be simultaneously running and mobility may be simulated. The nodes are fully independent and their subscriber configurations may also be independent, may overlap, or may be duplicated.
Read more about our Capacity and Performance.
Advanced Testing Features
Enhance your testing with Developing Solutions® advanced testing features:
- Insert, delete, or replace AVPs in your messages with our SmartAVP™ solution. SmartAVP enables you to define proprietary signaling or to corrupt AVPs to facilitate negative testing.
- Configure commands to define the series of actions and rates that each subscriber takes. Advanced profiles can be created using SmartEvents™ to define a mix of traffic based on probability assignments. With SmartEvents, you can specify when your SmartAVPs are used.
- Define a set of message templates against which all messages will be validated with our complete Diameter Dictionary. Every Diameter message is validated, even under load conditions.
Read more about our SmartEvents feature.
Read more about our Advanced Diameter Testing Features.
Supporting Standards
- S6 – 3GPP TS 29.272
- Diameter – RFCs 6733, 3588 and 5516
- SCTP – RFC 2960 (RFC 3309 checksum)
- TCP – RFC 793