The PCRF Emulator provides policy and charging control services for PDN Gateway testing in LTE networks, GGSN testing in UMTS networks, and CSCF testing in the IMS. Use the PCRF Emulator to validate Policy Control Enforcement Function (PCEF) and Application Function (AF) performance and policy compliance in a realistic network environment with a mix of subscriber profiles and services, replicating a deployed configuration. Setup realistic network testing scenarios, such as VoLTE testing.
Network Interface Support
The PCRF Emulator executes procedures based on configurable subscriber profiles and service profiles, responding to requests and reports from PCEFs and AFs and eliminating the need to dedicate a production server to lab activities. The following procedures are supported:
- Provisioning of PCC rules (Gx pull and push procedures, S9, Sd);
- Provisioning of event triggers (Gx, S9);
- Provisioning of charging related information (Gx, Rx);
- Provisioning of authorized Quality of Service (Gx);
- Initial provisioning of session information (Rx);
- Modification of session information (Rx);
- AF session termination (Rx);
- Subscription to notification of signalling path status (Rx);
- IP-CAN type change notification (Rx);
- Indication of IP-CAN session termination (Gx);
- Request of IP-CAN bearer termination (Gx);
- Service flow deactivation (Rx);
- Request of IP-CAN session termination (Gx, Rx);
- Bearer control mode selection (Gx);
- Time of day (Gx);
- Policy counter status request (Sy);
- Policy counter change cancellation (Sy);
- V-PCRF Indication of IP-CAN Service Establishment or Resource Addition (S9);
- V-PCRF Indication of IP-CAN Service or Resource Modification (S9);
- V-PCRF Indication of IP-CAN Service Termination or Resource Deletion (S9);
- Initiate an Initial Request message from an idle transaction (S9, Sd, Sy).
Execute a test event chain with a run-time command or during an automated test to request IP-CAN session terminations for specified subscribers, to simulate changing network conditions, or to simulate interaction with the IMS:
- Install, modify, or remove dynamic PCC rules in the PCEF;
- Activate or deactivate predefined PCC rules in the PCEF;
- Request session terminations in the PCEF and the AF;
- Request service flow deactivations in the AF;
- Notify the AF of charging information and IP-CAN type changes.
Read more about Policy Management Testing.
Emulator Configurations
One PCRF Emulator can support any mixture of the interfaces shown in the diagram above, up to a maximum of 1000 client connections. Multiple PCRF 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 PCRF nodes are fully independent and their subscriber configurations may also be independent, overlap, or be duplicated.
Read more about the following interfaces available from Developing Solutions®:
CC, Ga, Ge, Gx, Gxx, Rf/Gz, Ro/Gy, Rx, S9, Sd, Sh, Sy
Read more about all of our Interface products.
Read more about our Capacity and Performance.
Read more about our Advanced Diameter Testing Features.
Read more about Testing Diameter Routing.
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