dsTest® supports both server emulation and client simulation capabilities with the Sh Diameter application. Test Application Server (AS) Sh interfaces in LTE networks with our Home Subscriber Server (HSS) Emulator. Use the AS simulation in the Sh Interface application to test the capacity and performance of an HSS. Use the HSS Emulator and Sh 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 a SQLite database on the dsTest server. Real-time measurements may be retrieved through our dsClient CLI or graphed via our dsClient GUI.
Implementation
The Sh application implements the following procedures:
- Data Read (Sh-Pull)
- Data Update (Sh-Update)
- Subscription to Notifications (Sh-Subs-Notify)
- Notifications (Sh-Notif) with optional Notif-Eff support
Server Emulation
The HSS Emulator provides Mobile Subscriber data repository services for the Sh interface, including transparent and non-transparent data—all of the functionality required by an AS. The HSS emulator executes procedures based on configurable subscriber profiles, responding to requests from AS servers and eliminating the need to dedicate a production server to lab activities. You can modify subscriber transparent and non-transparent data during run-time and execute a test event chain with a run-time command or during an automated test to initiate an Sh-Notif procedure.
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 Sh Interface application can be used to simulate AS functionality to determine the impact of HSS features and standards before they are deployed in a network. The Sh Interface application 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 AS-initiated procedures.
- Request user data
- Update user data
- Subscribe or unsubscribe to notifications and optionally include the send data indication in new subscription requests
Multiple AS nodes can be instantiated on a single server, each with scalable subscriber loads and transaction rates. In this mode, up to 1000 independent nodes may be simultaneously simulated. The nodes are fully independent and their subscriber configurations may also be independent, overlap, or be duplicated.
Read more about our Capacity and Performance.
Advanced Testing Features
Enhance your testing with Developing Solutions® testing assistance solutions:
- 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
- Sh – 3GPP TS 29.328 and 29.329
- Diameter – RFCs 6733, 3588 and 5516
- SCTP – RFC 2960 (RFC 3309 checksum)
- TCP – RFC 793