Tektronix Application Manual

Application Manual
Network and Service Analyzer 071-1759-05
This document supports software version 1.8 and above. Revised: March 2007
Copyright Tektronix, Inc. All rights reserved. Licensed software products are owned by Tektronix or its suppliers and are protected by United States copyright laws and international treaty provisions. Use, duplication, or disclosure by the Government is subject to restrictions as set forth in subparagraph (c)(1)(ii) of the Rights in Technical Data and Computer Software clause at DFARS 252.227-7013, or subparagraphs (c)(1) and (2) of the Commercial Computer Software Restricted Rights clause at FAR 52.227-19, as applicable. Tektronix products are covered by U.S. and foreign patents, issued and pending. Information in this publication supercedes that in all previously published material. Specifications and price change privileges reserved. TEKTRONIX and TEK are registered trademarks of Tektronix, Inc.
Contacting Tektronix
Tektronix, Inc. 14200 SW Karl Braun Drive or P.O. Box 500 Beaverton, OR 97077 USA For product information, sales, service, and technical support: H H In North America, call 1-800-833-9200. Worldwide, visit www.tektronix.com to find contacts in your area.
Table of Contents
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Product Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Features and Benefits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . System Overview . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Software Concept . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hardware Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working With One External PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Working With Multiple External PCs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Basic Steps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Software Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Global and User Preferences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Probe Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Network Configuration Topology Map . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Capturing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Online Capturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Offline Capturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Visualizing Captured Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Analyzing Data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Open a Captured Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View Analysis Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View Cell Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View KPI Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View Call Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . View Frame Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Other Activities Related to Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Import Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Export Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . vii 1 2 5 6 11 12 13 15 17 18 22 29 33 34 41 43 51 52 54 60 61 65 66 67 67 68
Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual
Table of Contents
Frequently Asked Questions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Reference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . User Interface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Keyboard Shortcuts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
69 73 73 77 G-1
Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Index-1
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List of Figures
Figure 18: Working with one external PC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 19: Working with multiple external PCs . . . . . . . . . . Figure 20: Global Preferences toolbar button . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 21: Global Preferences dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 22: User Preferences dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 23: Probe Configuration main view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 24: Probe Management Control Area . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 25: Port Configuration Area . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 26: Probe Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 27: Network Configuration main view . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 28: Online Capturing Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 29: Manual Capture Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 30: New Manual Capture Session dialog box . . . . . . Figure 31: Scheduled Capture Button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 32: New Scheduled Capture Session dialog box . . . . Figure 33: Application Configuration dialog box . . . . . . . . . Figure 34: Stop Capturing button . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 35: Offline Capturing Workflow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 36: Re-Run Monitoring Session dialog box . . . . . . . . Figure 37: Visualizing captured data . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 38: Recorder Information Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 39: Frame Monitor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 40: Call Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 41: Call Sequence Diagram . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 42: Modules to analyze captured data . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 43: Open Session dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 13 19 19 21 22 24 25 28 29 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 47 49 51 52
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List of Figures
Figure 44: Analysis Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 45: Analysis Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 46: Analysis Summary left side Dimensions . . . . . Figure 47: Analysis Summary related to the above picture Figure 48: Drill Down Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 49: Network Configuration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 50: Cell Matrix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 51: KPI Analysis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 52: Analysis Content . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 53: View Call Table . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 54: Import Session dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 55: Export Session dialog box . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 56: Menu Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 57: Toolbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 58: Record Bar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 59: Tab Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 60: Content View and Main View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Figure 61: Online Help . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
53 54 55 56 57 59 60 61 62 65 67 68 73 73 74 74 75 76
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Preface
This manual gives you a basic overview about the functionality of the Network and Service Analyzer. Its purpose is to be a quick guide through the application and should help you to become familiar with basic tasks and workflows. To work with the Network and Service Analyzer, you should have the following qualifications: H Knowledge of the measurement application field as well as experience with communications test applications H Familiarity with signaling protocols H Knowledge of PC and Windows XP H Familiarity with the safety requirements for electrical equipment for measurement, control and laboratory use H Completion of a K15 training course NOTE. The participation in a K15 training course is recommended. Information on training courses is available from your local sales partner, via the support unit, or from www.tektronix.com/signaling/nd-academy .
Preface
About This Manual

This manual is divided into the following sections: H Preface contains a brief introduction of the manual. H Product Description provides an overview of features, components and concepts of the Network and Service Analyzer. H Hardware Configuration describes common types of configuration and basic steps to configure the hardware. H Software Configuration describes the basic steps to configure the software. H Data Capturing describes the difference between online and offline capturing. It provides an overview of all available modules to visualize captured data. H Data Analyzing provides an overview of all available modules to analyze captured data. H Other Activities related to Sessions describes how to import RF5 or CAP files into new sessions and how to export data. H This chapter discusses some general aspects of the NSA which are essential for the understanding of the product. H Reference comprises an encyclopedia of topics that describe the user interface. H Abbreviations provides explanations of unique or uncommon abbreviations related to the measurements. H Index provides page number references to topics in alphabetical order. NOTE. More detailed information about each of the sections contained in these chapters can be found in the Online Help.
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Preface
Conventions
The following text styles and markings have specific meaning in this manual:
Text style in italics
<Key>
Description Italics fonts indicate menus and menu functions as well as commands, parameters and examples. Keys or key sequences are in angle brackets. Bold fonts indicate buttons of the Graphical User Interface.
Bold
Additionally, this manual uses the following conventions: H The names of panel connectors and LEDs appear in the manual in the same format as found on the panel-label. H In reference to the instrument, the following conventions apply: H When referring to the Network and Service Analyzer application software, Network and Service Analyzer is used. H When referring to the protocol tester (unit of hardware and software), K15 is used. H When referring to a measurement board (probe), the individual module name is used.
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Preface
Related Manuals and Online Documentation

This manual is part of a document set of standard-accessory manuals and online documentation. See the following list for other documents supporting the Network and Service Analyzer: H The K15 Protocol Tester User Manual provides all user-relevant product information. It assists you when setting up and starting the protocol tester for the first time. This user manual is available as printed version and as a PDF online manual. The PDF online manual is located in the \hlp\ subdirectory of the installation directory. H A context-sensitive online help system is the reference documentation for the graphical user interface. To open the Help window, press <F1> from within an application window of the Network and Service Analyzer. Press <F2> to open the protocol help. H The Release Notes are delivered separately and contain the latest information on the current software version (readme.txt). H Microsoft Windows XPe is described in the Windows XPe online help: Click in the taskbar on Start: Help and Support. Help and Support is your comprehensive resource for information and tools. Use Search, Index , or the Table of Contents to gain access to the extensive Online Help system. NOTE. Microsoft Support Services cannot be used for the Windows XPe installation. The K15 Protocol Tester is supported by Tektronix only.
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Product Description
The Network and Service Analyzer is a suite of software applications for troubleshooting and optimization of 3G networks and services based on the K15 platform. The Network and Service Analyzer enables 3G Mobile Network Operators and Equipment Manufacturers to identify the root cause of poor quality of 3G services, by mapping 3G service problems into the underlying network problems. The Network and Service Analyzer offers real time and offline software applications running on the K15 platform and on a Microsoft Windows XP based PC: H The K15 platform performs real time capture under heavy load from STM-1/OC-3 optical interfaces, hardware filtering (such as control plane/user plane or VPI/VCI) and first level hardware processing (such as RLC/MAC reassembling). H The PC performs application measurements and acts as a data archive server. Several clients can be connected to the PC for multi-user operation. Communication between the K15 platform and the PC is achieved through a 100BaseT Fast Ethernet standard infrastructure.
Product Description
Features and Benefits

Automatic Topology Discovery. This real time expert software application
provides a graphical map of the network topology being monitored by the instrument. Network elements (such as cell, NodeB, RNC, SGSN, and MSC), logical interfaces (such as Iub, Iur, Iu-PS, and Iu-CS) and logical links (such as control plane channels and user plane channels) are displayed in a graphical environment that represents the starting point for an analysis session. The application enables network operators to navigate through the network topology under examination. The application focuses on the analysis of specific network elements, logical interfaces, and/or logical links with a simple mouse-click operation.
Automatic Instrument Configuration. This expert software application
provides automatic configuration of all the necessary parameters to monitor the UTRAN Iub, Iur, Iu-PS, and Iu-CS interfaces by listening to live or simulated traffic. This reduces the equipment setup time to a few minutes. Both control plane and user plane channels are automatically detected and configured, enabling the user to focus on measurements activities rather than spend time on instrument configuration.
Multi Interface Call Trace. This software application for Iub, Iu-PS, and Iu-CS
interfaces allows you to trace subscribers calls both in real time and offline, as they travel across the network over multiple interfaces, over several network elements, including both control plane and user plane analysis. This enables fast and easy identification of network problems and 3G service quality degradation from the symptom down to the root cause. The GUI allows drill-down troubleshooting from the problem symptom to the root cause with just a mouse-click featuring four windows: the Analysis Table, the Call Table, the Call Sequence Diagram and the detailed Frame Monitor. The Analysis Table displays all events that have occurred within a session on a very high level. It provides insight into problems that have occurred to find some associations of problems. In the Call Table each line represents a call with its most important attributes.
Product Description
The Call Sequence Diagram graphically shows the call message flow (arrows) and the involved network elements (vertical lines). Deep protocol knowledge is not required. For in-depth troubleshooting of the problems root cause, all details about the protocol messages and their parameters are shown in the Frame Monitor.
Key Performance Indicators. This software application provides a comprehensive set of UTRAN and 3G Services Key Performance Indicators (KPI). This allows domain area identification of service problems, mapping of service problems into network problems and time reduction for network optimization and troubleshooting activities.
The application enables you to correlate radio measurements (such as BER, BLER, SIR, Transmitted Code Power or Received Total Wideband Power) with control plane KPI (e.g. RRC/GMM/MM/SM/CC procedure success/failure rate with distribution per cause) and user plane KPI (such as throughput) to understand the influence of the radio link quality and of the handovers on the network behavior. The application enables you to look at the same set of KPI from different perspectives by enabling KPI calculation and analysis: H per service (voice, video, packet), H per network element (cell, NodeB, RNC, SGSN), H per subscriber (IMSI) and H per handset type (IMEI). The interface supports one-click troubleshooting from the problem symptom down to the root cause. Color codes can be set to indicate when measurements exceed predefined thresholds. It is possible to navigate from any KPI measurement to the detailed list of calls that contributed to the generation of that KPI and to the detailed decoding of each single call. The application provides a graphical environment to define custom KPI to allow technicians to carry out ad hoc benchmarking activities. The KPI measurements are stored in an open MySQL database and can be accessed by third-party tools to allow easy integration of the solution into already existing measurement systems. Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual
Product Description
Cell Matrix. A software application generates the RNC Cell Overlapped
Matrix by collecting radio interface measurements that are constantly flowing from the handsets (RRC measurement reports) and from the NodeB (NBAP measurement reports). This enables reduction of drive test activities and RNC reconfiguration tasks for performance optimization. The application calculates a matrix that shows the best neighbor cells for any given cell and can therefore be used for optimizing the scrambling code plan and as the checklist for the neighbors plan.
Multi User Operation. The distributed software architecture of the Network
and Service Analyzer enables several technicians to work in parallel and share the same information collected by the measurement device. This increases work productivity by reducing wait time to access test and measurement equipment.
Product Description
System Overview
The K15 Protocol Tester consists of the following components: H K15 platform (K15 unit or a rack of K15 probes) H Local or external file server The file server allows you to import and export RF5 files. If the file server acts on your local machine, it is an invisible part of the software. To save hardware resources, you can outsource the file server to another PC in the network (external file server). File sharing or direct user access is not necessary, the communication and the access is provided by the NSA Server software. H SQL database The SQL database stores local preferences linked to the client software (like additional external files or databases) and captured data. All information captured during the session is stored in the MySQL database. For database access you need a MySQL database server version 4.1. You need also a MySQL user account who has write access to the MySQL database to perform SQL specific database updates and create statements. The connection to the databases is provided by the Network and Service Analyzer. H Network and Service Analyzer software The Network and Service Analyzer software is needed to perform measurements. It can be installed directly on a K15 platform or on any high performance external PC. It is connected to all other network components via a TCP/IP connection. The Network and Service Analyzer software is Java-based which requires a Java Runtime Environment version 1.5 or higher.
Product Description
Software Concept
After configuring essential information such as the available probes, the vendor release and protocol types the client will automatically start receiving incoming traffic. During the capture process the client calculates and displays the network topology. The topology is drawn as a realistic image of the available network. It is possible to navigate through the topology display, view or change the logical links, view or change the names of the network elements and filter specific elements. Furthermore it is possible to reconfigure your protocol settings and force the application to redetect the topology with the new probe settings.
Product Description
Data Capturing and Visualizing. After configuration, the online capturing process can be started. The K15 will receive all incoming calls (depending on the license model) and save them in a local database.
After the online capture it is possible to repeat the capturing process offline to filter essential information (rerun capture sessions) or visualize the captured data in different analyzing tables. Modules to visualize captured data are: H Recorder The Recorder is a control table which gives a quick overview of all received traffic. The control table informs about open or completed calls during the capturing process. This can help detect possible bottlenecks during the capture process. The control table is an information module that works like the Windows task manager. It reports hard disk usage (to prevent loss of capture information due to disk space limitations), the number of frames that are detected by the probe per second and the buffered data during the capture process. H Online Call Table with Call Details The Call Table is an analyzing table. The Call Table is available during the capture process, during the analysis of offline sessions or during previously captured sessions. The information provided is different for the Online Call Table (displayed during the capture process) and for the Offline Call Table (displayed during offline sessions). The Online Call Table shows all incoming, completed, failed and not completed calls in a data grid. The data grid indicates which calls pass the captured network. The data grid will show also the call status; for example Timed out, Forced or Missing status will be indicated. The Call Details form another analyzing module, linked to the Call Table. There you can see which network elements the call has already passed through; for example a call passed from RNC1 to Node-B3 to Cell 4. You can also get detailed information about the message sequence of each call. Please note, that currently only the last network
Product Description
element is displayed, if the call passes several network elements of the same type. H Online Network Configuration The Online Network Configuration is a feature which allows you to visualize a logical representation of a given UMTS network. Physical elements like RNCs and Node-Bs are displayed. The Network and Service Analyzer automatically detects and creates the Network Configuration using the captured signaling. If some probes were activated during the configuration, the Network Configuration will be automatically drawn in the background. Furthermore it is possible to show cells (represent the UMTS reception of a Node-B) and topology links. These links represent the connection between RNCs and Node-Bs and are a collection of logical links. It is possible to navigate through this map, which means you can zoom in and out and navigate through the map, add or delete elements, customize element names and change the topology links between the elements. All manipulated data will be manifested in the subsequent capture sessions. H Frame Monitor The Frame Monitor presents the analyzing table with a high level of detail. It shows all received traffic during the capture session. In this table all possible network information elements related to calls are displayed in real time (the table refreshes immediately). The Frame Monitor real time display is only available during the capturing process. During the capturing process all captured information is saved in a local database. It is possible to review, analyze, and rerun saved capture sessions.
Product Description
Data Analyzing. The following modules can be used to analyze the captured
session: H Analysis Table The Analysis Table is a matrix, which allows multiple filter settings and navigation through different views. There are several possibilities to filter and view different parts of the recorded errors during the session. Within the Analysis Table different events of different network elements can be filtered. For example, it is possible to analyze typical errors appearing for specific Node-Bs. Specific values from the Analysis Table can be forwarded to other analyzing modules. Furthermore it is possible to take specific entries and export them as RF5. The Analysis Table is also the main entry point for accessing KPI values. H Offline Call Table and Topology The Offline Call Table has the same design as the Online Call Table, but has no dynamic content: the values listed are static. They will not be refreshed, because no data is actually captured. This table serves offline analyzing purposes only. In this Call Table you can display only completed calls with the attribute Error and Completed . The status Incomplete is not available (no calls are incomplete or active during an offline session, because no calls are started or received there). The other capabilities of this Offline Call Table are similar to the Online Call Table. Within this table you can filter or drill down the entries to get more detailed information about the call itself. So it is possible, for example, to view the sequence of a specific call by double-clicking the table item (to explore the Call Details) or filter specific errors. Furthermore it is also possible to review the whole Call Table, Topology and Call Details here, similar to the capture session.
Product Description
H Offline Network Configuration The Offline Network Configuration is similar to the Online Topology Map, except that also all values shown here are static. Thus, the topology display of the map cannot be changed.
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Hardware Configuration
For optimal performance, the Network and Service Analyzer should be run on an external PC that is part of a dedicated gigabit Ethernet network, together with a K15-2 Protocol Tester for example. With this configuration, it is possible to share the required resources over the network. The resource sharing optimizes hardware performance. It is also possible to run the Network and Service Analyzer directly on a Protocol Tester. The Protocol Tester runs the installed probes, acts as client PC, as SQL database and as file server. However, the performance of such a configuration may not match the measurement requirements.
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Working With One External PC

The following section describes how to operate the Network and Service Analyzer on an external client PC.
Switch
Client PC + Backend Server
K15 with 2 Probes
Figure 1: Working with one external PC This is the recommended scenario for working with the K15 Protocol Tester. This scenario requires the following: H A K15 Protocol Tester and a high performance client PC must be connected via gigabit Ethernet. A PC with a 3 GHz CPU, 2 GB of RAM and a 80 GB hard disk will do. H All components must be part of a working network, which includes correct IP addresses and unfirewalled UDP/TCP unicast and broadcast communication between all components. H Each probe must be connected with its external Ethernet port to the measurement network. Because more than one Ethernet connection is needed between the PC and the probes, a Hub or (better) a fast layer 2 gigabit Ethernet switch is required also. H The file server and the SQL database should be installed or executed on the client PC.
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Working With Multiple External PCs

The following section describes how to further distribute the workload when operating the K15 in with several external PCs in a network.
Switch
Backend Server
Client PC
SQL Database
K15 with 3 Probes
Figure 2: Working with multiple external PCs This is a very common scenario for the use of the K15 Protocol Tester. This scenario requires the following four network components: H A properly connected K15 Protocol Tester with at least one probe connected. H A file server PC and an SQL database server PC These two servers could also be one machine. The external file server requires also a correct installed and running the Network and Service Analyzer. H A client PC, which controls all components. This should be a fast client PC connected with the other network components via dedicated gigabit Ethernet. All four components must be part of a network, which includes correct IP addresses and unfirewalled UDP/TCP communication using unicast and broadcast datagrams between the components. Because more than one
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Ethernet connection is needed between the PCs and the probes, a Hub or (better) a fast layer 2 gigabit Ethernet switch is required also. After starting the client on the working machine, the user will setup the connection in the global preferences, described in chapter Global Preferences . The four components in the network should now start their communication. The probes mounted in the K15 Protocol Tester sends the data, the database server saves the data and the file server is used for RF5 storage. The Network and Service Analyzer software running on the client PC controls these network components and redirects the incoming and outgoing data to the correct component. The client PC is able to drop the connection to the NSA server and to stop the application as well. NOTE. The NSA server process will broadcast to 255.255.255.255 on port 5050/UDP to find the correct IP addresses of connected probes. The probes will answer these requests on their external Ethernet port only. All detected probes are offered within the Network and Service Analyzer client user interface when creating or opening sessions.
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Basic Steps
Use the following basic steps to configure your hardware: 1. Install and mount several probes on your K15 Protocol Tester and connect it with a UMTS network and a local dedicated gigabit Ethernet. 2. Connect your working PC with the dedicated gigabit Ethernet. 3. Start the Network and Service Analyzer on your workstation.
Hardware Autodetection. The Network and Service Analyzer checks your
local environment: when the software is started, the file server and the database are detected automatically. If network problems occur and some probes are not automatically detected, add them in the Global Preferences dialog box. This shows the Network and Service Analyzer, where the probe is located in the network (see the Global Preferences section). Afterwards the system will look for the probe and add it in the Probe Manager. If no data is received from a manually added probe, contact your local network administrator to solve the network problem. CAUTION. If a manually added probe is removed, any incoming network traffic from the probe will be dropped and the previously received capture information will be lost.
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Software Configuration
After you have successfully configured your hardware, you can configure the Network and Service Analyzer software. To do so, use the following basic steps: 1. Install and start the MySQL Server as well as the Network and Service Analyzer software on your local PC as described in the Installation Notes for Network and Service Analyzer available as PDF file on the installation CD. 2. Start the Network and Service Analyzer Software. The initial preferences database is automatically recognized. The system automatically detects all connected probes. The detected probes are displayed by the application in the Probe Configuration view (see figure 6). 3. Configure your file server and the SQL database server on your local machine as described in the Global Preferences section. 4. Go to the Probe Configuration main view and check whether the connected probes are automatically detected. If not, go to the Global Preferences dialog box and add them. 5. Go to the Network Configuration main view and check if your UMTS network is detected correctly. If not, modify it according to your requirements.
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Global and User Preferences

To configure your software you must define the correct Global and User Preferences. H Global Preferences are mainly responsible for the correct database connection to manage the list of already captured sessions for your environment. Global Preferences can be used to change the database where the actual capture data is stored and to edit all external references to file server or probes. H The User Preferences include the basic configuration settings. The central database is used for the local application properties and the fileserver is used for the instant capture process. The User Preferences allow you to edit the local settings, which are only necessary if basic preferences changes on the local system; for example if the user of the MySQL database changes. Global Preferences To connect all of the components in the network (file server, probes and workstation) a TCP/IP connection is used. In Global Preferences , you can classify the probes, the file server and the database server either via IP address or DNS name. Both classification communicate according to TCP/IP standards. If automatic detection of the probes failed, the Global Preferences can be used to add probes to the Network and Service Analyzer software. After probes are entered in the Global Preferences dialog box, the system will look for the probe and add it in the Probe Manager. The Global Preferences option is available through a toolbar button in every main view, the Option menu bar or the <CTRL+G> keyboard shortcut.
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Figure 3: Global Preferences toolbar button Press this button to open the Global Preferences dialog box.
Figure 4: Global Preferences dialog box To configure the software, modify the following settings within the Global Preferences dialog box: H Probe Settings In this area, you can add, modify or delete probes. Add the probes that will be needed for the capturing session, but were not automatically recognized by the client software (this can happen during network errors).
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Enter a name for each probe to differentiate between manually added and automatically detected probes. The name of the probe is only important to you. This name denotes the physical probe within the the Network and Service Analyzer session. Push the Test button to test your settings. If the probe is not available for example because of a wrong IP address the application will report an error. H Database Server In this area you can add, modify or delete database settings. Before you start a capture session, select the external or internal database server where captured information will be stored. You can connect the Network and Service Analyzer to external or local databases by adding the full host name, the server type, a database user name and the mandatory SQL-user-password. Push the Test button to test your settings. If the database is not available, the application will report an error. H File Storage In this area you can add, delete, modify and test the internal or external file server. The file server provides the possibility to store RF5 files as well as import and export Network and Service Analyzer sessions. Set up the correct name, address and path of the file server to ensure the correct function. If the client PC is used as the file server, use localhost as Address and enter the Path to a local directory. To use an external file server (described in the Working in a Heterogeneous Network section), enter the IP address or the correct DNS name and ensure that the Network and Service Analyzer software is installed and running on the external server also.
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User Preferences In the User Preferences dialog box, you can specify the local database settings and the file server. You can also specify whether the Welcome Screen appears on startup. Open the User Preferences dialog box by using the Option menu bar or the <CTRL+U> shortcut.
Figure 5: User Preferences dialog box The Central Database stores the common Global Preferences, which may be shared during different sessions and on different Client PCs. In the User Preference dialog box, you can specify Server Type, Hostname, Port number, Databasename , Username and the Password of the Central Database . Also enter the Server Name or IP address of the NSA Server, which is necessary for correct connection.
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Probe Configuration
As soon as the probes are correctly connected and the Network and Service Analyzer client software is started, the probe configuration begins. If some probes are not available or are not detected correctly, change the Global Preferences and reset the probe configuration. If you want to use a probe you must activate it using the specific check box at the left.
Click to activate expanded view Port Configuration Area Probe Configuration Toolbar
Checkbox to activate probe
Probe Content Area
Figure 6: Probe Configuration main view
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NOTE. If a probe is activated (in use) by one user, it is locked and cannot be used by others. The probes indicate their status and show you if data is running through the client. The probe window itself is divided into two parts. The main view shows all available and properly initialized probes. The Control Area shows a small window which allows you to configure the protocol used for each probe and the Probe Management. In the Control Area, a tree view of all available probes allows you to activate and deactivate probes.
Probe Configuration Toolbar. Using the buttons in the Probe Configuration
toolbar you can expand or collapse all probe information.
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Probe Management The Probe Management feature provides a tree view overview of all probes available on the network. All probes are grouped and displayed under the K15 unit icon or K15 rack icon the probes belong to. In this area you can add probes or remove autodetected probes from your measurement setup. Depending on the chosen probes, other UMTS network elements will be detected and the network topology display will change.
Figure 7: Probe Management Control Area You can select or deselect the probes to use for capturing signaling data. By default, the K15 probes that were detected during the Network and Service Analyzer server startup are selected. Probes in use by other capture sessions are grayed out.
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Port Configuration Area Using the Port Configuration Area, you can change the various protocol settings. It is necessary to adapt these settings to the network under investigation. Otherwise the Network and Service Analyzer may fail to analyze the network traffic correctly.
Figure 8: Port Configuration Area H Radio Mode: Defines the radio mode in use within your network: FDD, TDD-128 or TDD-384. This setting is a global setting valid once per capture session, not per single port. H Release: The major UMTS release in use within your network (for example Release 99). One Release setting per port is allowed. H Version: The minor release version for the UMTS network you are monitoring, for example Version 2004-06. The list of available settings is limited by the major release that is selected. One Version setting per port is allowed. H Vendor: The vendor of the network equipment (for example RNCs) you are monitoring. One Vendor setting per port is allowed. After changing these settings, it is possible to customize some more advanced settings depending on the release and version (using the
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Advanced button). These settings include the associated protocol stacks, where you modify the stacks for all supported protocols. After you change these values, you must assign these settings to all probes or to specific probes. After completing the customization, check in the Connection Status tab of the single probes whether data is received or configuration errors occur. A configuration error will occur if the configuration is incorrect; often the error involves the assignment of vendors or stacks. If many errors occur, you should check whether the vendor releases are set up correctly for the given UMTS network.
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Probe Content Area In the Probe Content Area an element is displayed for each activated probe. For more details about probe configuration, refer to the Global Preferences section. Each of these elements has five menus which can be expanded or collapsed. These menus are: H Probe <name> The <name> indicates the name of the probe. This tab shows the front view of the specific hardware probe, indicating which ports of the probe are connected, which ports are in use and which port is used for uplink and downlink. H Port Configuration Allows you to customize the exact Protocol and Stack settings for each single port. To see how to change the settings, refer to the Probe Control Area section. H Configuration Information Displays how much incoming and outgoing traffic is streaming through the K15 probe. Available ports are shown, unavailable or unused ports are grayed out. H Configuration Errors Displays a complete list of all incoming error messages. These error messages will show up, when the protocol or stack configuration does not match the network under investigation.
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H Logical Links This tab allows to you to add, delete or modify the logical links related to the specific probe. These links are needed for the correct capture session and will be manifested in the metrics of the capture session and in the topology map. Port, VPI, VCI, and Protocol Type must be defined correctly. The links are normally detected automatically. You should only need this view to verify the settings and make corrections if necessary.
Figure 9: Probe Configuration
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Network Configuration Topology Map

Like the Probe Configuration, the Network Configuration, also referred to as the Topology Map, starts working when the probes are plugged in and the Global Preferences are set up correctly. The application interprets every incoming message and renders an accurate topology of the present mobile network.
Configuration Information Tab Network Configuration Toolbar
Network Overview
Unassigned Logical Links Area
Network Configuration Content Area
Figure 10: Network Configuration main view
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In this view you can navigate through the whole topology map using the small Network Overview in the upper right corner. Below the small Network Overview displayed on the right the Network Navigation is shown. The Network Navigation shows all available network elements in a tree view. On the left side of the window, the Configuration Information area shows information of the element selected in the network configuration content area. Also a summary of ignored logical links is shown in the Unassigned Logical Links area. Unassigned logical links can be assigned manually. Add unassigned logical links to a network element by marking the network element in the network configuration content area. Select the desired links in the Unassigned Logicial Links area. Click the Add to Topology button. You can edit the displayed and recorded information for a network element shown in the Configuration Information area also. The colors of the topology links represent different characteristics: H Blue means that the link contains Control Plane only. H Black means that the link contains both Control Plane and User Plane. Network Configuration Toolbar. Using the buttons in the Network Configuration toolbar, you can zoom in and out the topology map, display detailed information about all elements, apply filters and add or remove elements.
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Manual Changes of the Topology In addition to automatic configuration, you can manually change the setup for the following capture session. You can design the entire communication model. H In the topology map you can change all of the displayed elements, allowing you to design the entire communication model, including logical and topological links. H You can disable elements either in a map or in the content view (right click). This is not limited to Node-Bs. H You can add new elements to the map by using the Add Element toolbar button. Filter Using the Filter button in the Network Configuration toolbar, you can apply filters to all elements in the topology map. This allows you to control whether an element is ignored during the capture session. The filter settings apply to specified elements or topological links. For example, the filter allows you to exclude specific network elements like Node-Bs or change the displayed control planes. In addition, you can set filter criteria for links which are displayed as black lines within the Topology Map. You can click each topology link and set it to capture all traffic (including the user plane), control-traffic only, or no traffic at all. The selected value is indicated by the color. Path ID Tables When you mark a Node-B element, the Configuration Information area shows the Show PathID Table button which allows you to view or change the Path ID Table. This could be useful if a single Node-B is mismatched in the map.
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Capturing Data
Data capturing is one of the main functions of the Network and Service Analyzer. There are two types of data capturing: H Online Capturing: Collects all incoming calls (depending on your license model) and saves them in a local database. H Offline Capturing: Reruns online capture sessions offline to filter essential information. This chapter provides a short overview of online and offline capture sessions.
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Capturing Data
Online Capturing
In this section describes how to start timed and manual capture sessions, which elements are shown in the current capture session and how to verify the capture session.
Starting the Client
Set Global and User Preferences
Probe Configuration
Network Configuration
Starting a Manual Capture Session
Starting a Scheduled Capture Session
Configuring Applications
Configuring Applications
Starting the Capture Session
Figure 11: Online Capturing Workflow To start an online capture session start the client, configure the correct Global and User Preferences and check if the probes and network are correctly configured as described in the preceding sections.
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Capturing Data
Starting a Manual Capture Session Using the manual record function, you can quickly initialize a capture session. To start and stop this capture session, press the Manual Capture button in the main toolbar.
Figure 12: Manual Capture Button Press this button to open the New Manual Capture Session dialog box.
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Capturing Data
Figure 13: New Manual Capture Session dialog box This dialog box allows you to change the default name of the session and some advanced settings. The advanced settings allow you to change the file server and the database server where the data will be saved.
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Capturing Data
Starting a Scheduled Capture Session For Scheduled Capture sessions you can define a time index which controls the automatic start and stop of the capture session without anyone being present. To start a Scheduled Capture session, press the Scheduled Capture button in the main toolbar.
Figure 14: Scheduled Capture Button Press this button to open the New Scheduled Capture Session dialog box.
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Capturing Data
Figure 15: New Scheduled Capture Session dialog box In this dialog box you can define either a start and a stop time or a capture time which for example allows you to capture for five hours straight.
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Capturing Data
Configuring Applications If you press the Configure Applications... button in the New ScheduledCapture Session dialog box, the Application Configuration dialog box opens.
Figure 16: Application Configuration dialog box In this dialog box you can enable or disable the applications that should run within the capture. These are: H Call Tracer H KPI H Frame Monitor Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual 39
Capturing Data
Depending on the licenses that were purchased some of these applications may not be available. Additionally, you may want to disable these applications for performance reasons. Starting and Stopping the Capture Session To start the configured capture session, press the OK button in the New Scheduled Capture Session / New Manual Capture Session dialog box. Depending on the enabled applications, specific tasks (such as the Call Tracer View) will start working. A Manual Record session will start immediately, a Scheduled Record session will start at the designated time To stop a session, press the Stop button in the main toolbar at any time.
Figure 17: Stop Capturing button
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Capturing Data
Offline Capturing
Offline capturing repeats an online capturing process in offline mode. Rerunning a capture session offline enables you to apply different configurations and/or different product versions.
Starting NSA
Selecting a Stored Capture Session
Starting the Offline Capture Session
Figure 18: Offline Capturing Workflow To rerun a capture session offline, the software must to be started. At least one stored capture session must be available.
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Capturing Data
Selecting a Stored Capture Session To select a stored capture session, select Re-Run Monitoring Session in the Session main menu. The Re-Run Session dialog box opens.
Figure 19: Re-Run Monitoring Session dialog box Starting the Offline Capture Session To start the offline capture session, press the Select button in the Re-Run Session dialog box.
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Capturing Data
Visualizing Captured Data

During capturing you can watch and interact with several monitors and detailed information. The following flow chart shows the possibilities to display or process captured data:
Starting Capturing Set Filters View Session Status View Frame Monitor (Overview) View Call Table Set Colors Set Columns
View Call Sequence Diagram (Call Details)
View Frame Monitor (Details)
Figure 20: Visualizing captured data
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Capturing Data
View Session Status To view the current session status, open the Recorder view. The Recorder view is available on the Recorder tab in each main view. It shows detailed information about the running capture session. This view is for monitoring purposes only; you cannot change information.
Figure 21: Recorder Information Content This view gives you information about: H Hard Disc for Capture and RF5 Files(MB) Indicates the hard disk utilization of the chosen file server. H Loaded Frames (per second) Indicates the signaling utilization of the probes. H Capture Buffer Usage (MB) Indicates the memory utilization of the probes.
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Capturing Data
View Frame Monitor To open the Frame Monitor select the Frames tab in the Recorder view. A welcome screen presents informative text and the Open Frame Monitor button. Press this button to activate the Frame Monitor. The Frame Monitor shows you detailed information about all incoming and outgoing data which the K15 Protocol Tester transmits to the Network and Service Analyzer client.
Figure 22: Frame Monitor

Monitor Panes. The monitor features three panes that display measurement
data at three different levels of detail. The Short View window pane lists the data packets (frames) recorded by the Network and Service Analyzer, displaying signaling data in single rows and short form. The preset columns display the time stamps, logical links, protocol names, and messages of levels 2 to 4.
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Capturing Data
The Frame View window pane shows the frame selected in the Short View. The displayed frame is decoded down to the bit level. The first column shows the selected octet, the second column shows the name / meaning of the octet and the third column shows the comment or value of the parameter. The protocol stacks loaded with the scenario determine which protocol parameters are shown. The Packet View window pane displays the frame selected in Short View in HEX or ASCII, HEX plus ASCII, Binary or EBCDIC. If you select an individual protocol parameter in the Frame View, the corresponding values are highlighted in the Packet View matrix (refer to the Online Help for further details).
Monitor Status Bar. The status bar is located at the bottom edge of the Frame
Monitor. It shows information about the selected frame, the evaluation of time differences and the current effective zoom or filter settings. NOTE. You can find details on all menus, buttons and functions in the appropriate help topics.
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Capturing Data
View Call Table The Call Table is available on the Calls tab in the Recorder view. It is a detailed view of all calls. The table is separated into active and completed calls.
Figure 23: Call Table In the Call Table you can apply filters to view only the details of specific links and network elements under investigation. This could be necessary to find detailed information about specific elements in the network. Furthermore, you can apply colors to specific elements in the table to improve the readability of the displayed information.
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Capturing Data
To set filter and view settings, proceed as follows: H Set Filter Press the Filter button in the Call Table toolbar to define filters for the displayed table. This is a mandatory task to get detailed values out of a huge amount of data. H Set Colors Press the Colors button in the Call Table toolbar to define specific colors to values in the displayed table. This helps you analyze the different information tables. H Set Columns Press the Columns button in the Call Table toolbar to customize the columns being displayed within the Call Table. By default, a standard set of columns is displayed, containing IMEI, IMSI, TMSI, PTMSI, Start-Time, End-Time and duration of the call. Additionally, the following columns can be selected: H Release cause columns: These columns will display release causes. Only the activated protocol types are shown. H Network element columns: These columns will display the network element names related to a call. Only the activated network element types are shown.
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Capturing Data
View Call Sequence Diagram You can also double-click a single call in the Call Table to open a new tab that shows detailed information about the chosen call, known as Call Sequence Diagram (CSD) or Call Details. The Call Sequence Diagram H identifies network elements involved in a call, H identifies messages exchanged between network elements, H indicates the message direction, H shows message content and H correlates all call related interfaces.
Figure 24: Call Sequence Diagram
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Capturing Data
The window is separated into two views. The first view shows the message flow, information about the elements used in the network and information about the transferred messages. The second view (the bottom part of the window) shows detailed information about the transfer time and other details of the selected frame in the form of a tree view. This is static information which you cannot be changed. It is supplied for analyzing and monitoring purposes. View Frame Monitor (Detail) Double-click a protocol in the Call Details view to open the Frame Monitor. In this case, the Frame Monitor displays information only about the selected protocol.
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Analyzing Data
There are several ways to analyze a session after capturing. This section describes all available analyzing modules and how to use them. The following figure shows the five main modules to analyze captured data.
Open a Captured Session
View Analysis Summary
View Cell Matris
View Network with KPI Analysis
View Call Table
View Frame Monitor
Figure 25: Modules to analyze captured data
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Analyzing Data
Open a Captured Session

To analyze captured data, use the following basic steps: 1. Select Session Open Session from the main menu of the Network and Service Analyzer. The Open Session dialog box opens.
Figure 26: Open Session dialog box 2. Select a session and press the Open button. The selected session is immediately loaded.
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Analyzing Data
Figure 27: Analysis Summary 3. Select one of the displayed modules to analyze the data of the selected session. Modules are: Cell Matrix, Network, Call Table and KPI.
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Analyzing Data

The Analysis Summary is a matrix which allows multiple filter settings and navigation through different views. There are many possibilities to filter and view different parts of the recorded errors during the session. Within the Analysis Summary you can filter different events of different network elements. It is possible to analyze typical errors appearing on specific network elements. The Analysis Summary is only available if the KPI module was selected at the start of the Capture Session (see figure 16 on page 39).
Set Filters View Analysis Summary
Drill Down Analysis
Export to RF5 Format
Figure 28: Analysis Summary
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Analyzing Data
The content area of the Analysis Summary displays two areas: H The left side lets you select different Dimensions for analysis. The dimensions are displayed within a categorized tree view in the content area. This tree view represents the dimensions selected in their correct order. At the very beginning, when no dimension is selected, the tree view contains only one node: the Complete Session. As an example, select the dimension Date/Time, which means that you want to analyze on a chronological basis. From that moment on, the data will be categorized by time.
Figure 29: Analysis Summary left side Dimensions You can continue to select other dimensions for analysis. From that moment on, the tree view will change to another layout (depending on the data captured):
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Analyzing Data
Figure 30: Analysis Summary related to the above picture Of course, you can change the order of dimensions. This will force a refresh of the tree view and the appended data to reflect the changes. For each Key Performance Indicator (KPI), a separate column is displayed within the data table. Within the column header, the KPI is described. A KPI is a measured indicator containing both the event and the event value, for example RRC Release Cause Unspecified. For details refer to the View KPI Analysis section below. The rows of the table are defined by the tree view for all dimension combinations. When you collapse one node in the tree, the appropriate table rows are hidden. The chosen filter criteria are applied for all data displayed. For each table cell, when you click on the cell, you can either analyze the values or look at the appropriate calls either within an existing Analyze window/Call table or within a new one.
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Analyzing Data
Analysis Summary Toolbar To understand how to apply filters and colors, read the following section. These buttons are available during the work with the Analysis Summary (refer to the section concerning the Analysis Summary). H Set Filter Allows you to apply filters to the table. This is an optional task to get detailed values out of a huge amount of data. H Set Trouble Criteria By default, a common set of trouble criteria, including its thresholds, is provided for display. You can customize the trouble criteria (add, delete, reorder and edit trouble criteria and their thresholds). H Export to RF5 When this button is pressed, correlated frames are exported to an RF5 file. Note that the RF5 export is independent from license module, so the export can also be started with, for example, no available KPI module. Drill Down Analysis The GUI allows drill down troubleshooting from the problem symptom to the root cause with just a mouse-click featuring four windows: the Analysis Summary, the Call Table, the Call Sequence Diagram and the detailed Frame Monitor.
View Call Table
View Call Sequence Diagram
View Frame Monitor
Figure 31: Drill Down Windows

Analysis Summary. The Analysis Summary displays all events that have
occurred within a session on a very high level. It provides an insight about problems that have occurred and will help to find problem causes (e.g. the same problem on all Node-Bs of a certain RNC).
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Analyzing Data
Call Table. In the Call Table each line represents a call with its most
important attributes. The Call Detail Record (CDR) contains summary information about the call (start and stop time, call status, call type, NBAP, RRC, NAS, RNSAP release cause, IMSI, TMSI, P-TMSI, IMEI, IMEI-SV, MSISDN, Calling Party Number, Called Party Number, Radio link ID, Cell ID, NodeB ID, RNC ID, SGSN ID, and MSC ID). Different color codes can be attributed to calls, depending on the content of the fields in the CDR, to highlight specific calls characteristics under analysis (for example all video calls can be highlighted in red). Filtering can be applied to the content of the fields in the CDR, to focus on a specific subset of calls (for example all calls placed by a specific subscriber can be isolated). The summary information of the call contained in the CDR and the detailed decoding of the protocol messages contained in the call can be exported to the standard CSV file format to create reports about network problems. The user plane of each call can also be exported to allow a subsequent offline analysis of voice/video quality.
Call Sequence Diagram. The Call Sequence Diagram graphically shows the
message flow (arrows) of the call and the involved network elements (vertical lines). A deep understanding of protocols is not required.
Frame Monitor. The detailed Frame Frame Monitor shows all details about
the protocol messages and their parameters. This allows in-depth troubleshooting and getting at a problems root cause.
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Analyzing Data
Network Configuration The offline Network Configuration offered is similar to the one described in the Network Configuration section. The only difference is that you cannot change the topology display here. The Network Configurationshows the setup used during the capture session.
Figure 32: Network Configuration
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Analyzing Data
View Cell Matrix

The Cell Matrix displays detected cells in a cross reference table. It is possible to analyze and optimize the cell overlap area with this view.
Figure 33: Cell Matrix Change the Cell Matrix display by selecting different settings in the Cell Matrix Parameters control area displayed to the left. It is possible to select a specific set of cells. Cell area traffic may be displayed using absolute or relative (percentage) values.
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Analyzing Data
View KPI Analysis

The analysis of events and measurements allows you to compare values from different network elements and different time intervals. This will help to find associations and possible problem sources. The KPI Analysis module is available only if the KPI application was activated during capturing (see figure 16 on page 39).
View KPI Analysis
Set Filters
Network Element Comparison
Open Call Table
Figure 34: KPI Analysis
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Analyzing Data
To open the KPI Analysis table, select the appropriate command in the context menu of the Analysis entry window (see figure 27).
Figure 35: Analysis Content
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Analyzing Data
The main content area of the KPI Analysis table is separated horizontally into two sub-areas: H Network Element Comparison On the Network Element Comparison, you can select the events and/or measurements you want to compare. For each event, you can see the number of occurrences within the tree view, and for each measurement the statistical values average, standard deviation, minimum and maximum. In addition, you can select the type of network element you want to compare (for example all Node-Bs or all cells). For each network element, the values are displayed within a diagram on the right side of the window. The values for each network element are grouped together and each event/measurement being compared is displayed in its own color. For each event/measurement, the scale is adjusted automatically for best display values. For specific events (for example Release Comp Cause User Busy) the count of occurrence is displayed as a simple bar. For a measurement value, a bar representing the average value, standard deviation and minimum/maximum is displayed (for example, for Transmitted Carrier Power). Clicking on the bar shows the appropriate value (e.g. Release Comp Cause User Busy for Node-B 53) displayed within the time-based view. H Time-Based View The Time-Based View also has a tree view, representing the topology. For each network element, you can look at the events and measurements that have occurred, containing the number of occurrence or statistical values for each specific network element. When clicking on one of those values, it is displayed to the right within the Histogram. The Histogram, displays the appropriate value (count for events, average for measurements) for each dot on the diagram, where each dot represents a time-slice. The whole area fits to the time-interval as specified within the filter criteria.
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Analyzing Data
Using mouse Click-and-Drag operations, you can zoom in to the graph, which narrows the filter criteria (for example to look at a certain time). Analysis Toolbar The following elements are available when you use the analysis model: H Apply Filter Edits the filter that is applied during this analysis session. This involves the basic time-from-to-filter for the range to be analyzed. No further filter is available (further filtering is done implicitly within the Content Area). H New Call Table At any time while working with Analysis, you can select Call Table actions to open the currently analyzed data within the Call Table. H Add to Call Table This action fulfills the same purpose, except that the values are added to an existing Call Table. A dialog box is also provided to allow you to select the desired Call Table tab in case more than one exists.
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Analyzing Data
View Call Table

The Call Table provides detailed information about all captured calls. Using this table, you can see which calls pass through the captured network and their status. You can customize the Call Table view according to your individual requirements by setting filters, colors and columns. The Call Table is directly linked to further analyzing modules, such as the Call Sequences Diagram and the Frame Monitor. Using these modules, you can analyze each individual call in more detail. Furthermore, you can save all calls in an RF5 file within the Call Table.
Set Filters View Call Table Set Colors Set Columns
View Call Sequence Diagram (Call Details)
View Frame Monitor (Details)
Save Call as RF5
Figure 36: View Call Table To open the Call Table, select the Call Table entry in the Analysis Summary (see figure 27). The Call Table that opens is the same as the one described on page 47 except that active calls are not displayed. Only released calls are shown.
View Call Sequence Diagram. To view detailed information about a selected
call you can double-click a single call in the Call Table. The Call Sequence Diagram (see figure 24) opens and shows all information about the message flow of the selected call.
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Analyzing Data
View Frame Monitor (Detail). To view protocols of a selected call within the Frame Monitor, select the desired protocol in the Call Sequence Diagram. In the Actions menu select the Frame Monitor command. Alternatively press <CTRL+4>. Export as RF5. To save a call as an RF5 file, open the Actions menu and
select the Export RF5 command. Alternatively press <CTRL+3>. The Target RF5 Directory dialog opens. The process of exporting is explained in detail in the Export Data section. NOTE. The Export - RF5 feature is available only in offline mode.
View Frame Monitor

The Frame Monitor shows detailed information of all signaling data captured during one session. To open this window, select Frame Monitor in the Analysis Summary (see figure 27). For further information about the Frame Monitor, refer to the appropriate Online Help topics.
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Other Activities Related to Sessions

In this section, you will learn more about how to import and export capture session data from/to RF5 files.
Import Session
Importing data into the Network and Service Analyzer is useful for analyzing stored data.
Figure 37: Import Session dialog box To import data, click the Session Import Session menu bar. A small menu will ask you for the session name and the destination folder where the import data is located. Using advanced options, you can also change the database and file server. If not selected, the program will search for the import data on the specified servers indicated in the Global Preferences (refer to the Global Preferences section).
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Other Activities Related to Sessions
When the import process is finished, you can work with the data the same as analyzing after the capture process (see the Analyzing Data section for more information about analyzing).
Export Session
You can also export data capture sessions into RF5 files to transport them to other work stations or to store them in another location and make them available for later analyzing purposes.
Figure 38: Export Session dialog box To do this, open the session either by import or perform this task after a complete capture session. Next, use the Session > Export Session menu bar to open the export menu. Enter a session name and a folder name which will be located at the assigned file server in the Global Preferences (refer to the Global Preferences section).
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Frequently Asked Questions

This chapter discusses some general aspects of the NSA which are essential for the understanding of the product. Q How can I save and retrieve a topology map? A A topology map is always linked with a session, and is saved in the database with that session. When you select New Online Session with the Use Configuration from Session option, the topology map of this saved session is loaded.
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Q Is the topology constantly learning? If there is a new network element: how long does it take to update the topology? What does it depend on? A The topology is constantly learning and dynamically updated. However, the update depends on the traffic that runs through a new network element. If there is no call going through a new network element, the network element will not be recognized. As soon as there is traffic (1 call at minimum, however, depending on the element more than 1 call and specific messages have to run through the element), the network element is recognized. To have the changes displayed in the topology map (topology rendering), click the Refresh Topology button. To talk in this context about an update rate might be misleading because it assumes fixed intervals for updates, which is not the case. Since all other measurements rely on the topology, they are directly being fed with the updates. Q If a topology element disappears (for example, a NodeB is taken off the network) does the topology map display this ? A No, the topology map does not let you know when elements are taken off the network. In this example, the NodeB will not be deleted automatically from the topology map. You must remove it manually and then click the Refresh Topology button for a changed topology rendering. Q What is the difference between online and offline topology? A The online topology is always dynamic: starting point is a live network, the network elements are automatically detected and added.
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Starting point for an offline topology is always a static source (with data that was captured, in a first step, from a live network). With ReRun Monitor Session you can then as far as the topology is concerned simulate the dynamic detection of the network elements.
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Reference
User Interface
The main screen is a graphical user interface which depending on your current task reacts with dynamic content to your interactions. The following paragraphs will give an overview of the different dynamic panel objects. Some panels are briefly mentioned here and are described in the specific chapters in more detail. Menu Bar
Figure 39: Menu Bar The menu bar gives access to overall program commands. It is possible to quickly open an old session, activate a new capture session, manipulate the global and user preferences, perform dynamic actions (depending on your active working task) and view the online help. Toolbar
Figure 40: Toolbar This object contains buttons for frequent tasks. The display depends on the task you are performing. The following elements are always available:
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Reference
H New Capture Session: Starts a new Capture Session; every session depending configuration option is set to the defaults. H View Existing Capture Session: Allows you to view existing sessions. H Preferences: Link to global and user preferences Depending on your task, the toolbar could also contain other elements. These elements are described in the linked sections. Record Bar
Figure 41: Record Bar The Record Bar is available during the capture session. It allows you to start (refer to the Manual Record section), time (refer to the Timer Record section ) or quit a capture session. Furthermore, you can activate the view of online calls and online frames if the appropriate applications have been selected for capture processing. Tab Controls
Opened Sessions
Views of Selected Session
Dynamic Toolbar
Figure 42: Tab Controls
74
Reference
The tab controls allow you to select the active view window. Depending on your task, you can view probe settings, capture details or analyze frames. The tab control is divided into two areas: The upper area contains opened sessions; you can switch between all opened offline or online sessions. In the lower area you can switch between the views of an opened session. Main View Content Area
Control Area
Content Area
Figure 43: Content View and Main View The content of the selected task will be shown in a view. This is the primary user interface and within this part of the panel most actions will be performed and visualized. Also known as the Content Area. Control Area This part of the main panel shows, depending on your active task, possible control properties and action items to change the current display or view.
75
Reference
Online Help
Figure 44: Online Help The Online Help is available via the Help main menu (see figure 39) and will be started as its own window. The JavaHelp helpset viewer provides a tree view for navigation and a comprehensive full text search feature.
76
Reference
Keyboard Shortcuts
Keyboard shortcuts are also available when working through the application. There are static shortcuts which are always available and bring you to the same task every time. These shortcuts are: H CTRL + N Starts a new online session H CTRL + L Closes the online session H CTRL + O Opens a captured session H CTRL + F Opens a RF5 capture file H CTRL + I Imports a session H CTRL + E Exports a session H CTRL + M Starts the session management task H CTRL + X Exits the application H CTRL + C Starts a manual record H CTRL + T Starts a timed record H CTRL + U Opens the User Preferences dialog H CTRL + G Opens the Global Preferences dialog H F1 Starts the context based Online Help
77
Reference
There are also dynamic shortcuts available which have different functionality depending on the Network and Service Analyzer module you are using. Basically these shortcuts are CTRL + 1, CTRL + 2 ... CTRL + 9 So if you are in the Probe Configuration panel, for example, the shortcuts will react and change the content (main view) of the probes and expand or collapse different views. This is in contrast to the Network Configuration, where the shortcuts will make various changes to the main view of the topology map or add and delete selected elements.
78
Glossary
Analysis Summary This is the main entry point for accessing KPI values (Key Performance Indicator 6). There are many possibilities to filter and view different parts of the recorded errors during the session. The Analysis Summary Table is a matrix, which allows multiple filter settings and navigation through different views. Within the Analysis Summary you can filter different events of different network elements. You can analyze typical errors appearing in specific NodeBs. Alternatively, you can take specific values from the Analysis Summary Table and forward them to other analyzing modules. You can export specific entries as RF5 data. Auto Name Network element names refer to Node B, RNC, MSC, SGSN names and are automatically assigned. Call Table The Call Table informs you about all finished or canceled offline or online calls in the network. The Call Table is an analyzing table, which is available during capturing process and during the analysis of offline sessions or previously captured sessions. The information is different between the Online Call Table and the Offline Call Table; the Online Call Table is used during capture processes while the Offline Call Table is used during off line sessions. The Online Call Table shows all incoming, completed, failed, and uncompleted calls in a huge data grid. You can see which calls are traveling during the captured network and their status. In the Offline Call Table, you can analyze the same call information as in the Online Call Table, except the uncompleted calls (this is not possible because the data is already captured). Within this table you can filter or drill down the entries to get more detailed information about the call itself. You can view the sequence of a specific call by double clicking the table item (and explore the Call Details) or filter specific errors.
G-1
Glossary
Capture Session A Capture Session, or online session is used when you start capturing data. The data which is detected by the probes and stored in the databases is the captured data of the capture session. Cell A Cell is the area where a specific NodeB can send its data to. It is the reception area of a specific NodeB. This reception area can overlap to improve the UMTS signal. Control Area The Control Area is linked with the specific module you are working with. The Control Area is always located at the left side of the application and allows you to control the module or the Main View. Depending on the actual module, you can perform specific actions or get specific task related information. Control Plane The Control Plane includes the Application Protocol and the Signaling Bearer for transporting the Application Protocol Messages between the Radio Network Layer and the Transport Network Layer in the UTRAN Protocol Model.
G-2
Glossary
Database Server This server is typically represented by a MySQL database. Two terms are important while working with the Database Server: the SQL Database and the SQL Server. H SQL Database SQL databases are needed to store captured data. SQL, the structured query language, is a relational database and is a technology that stores data in tables. H SQL Server The SQL server (type MySQL) is the required tool to provide SQL database access across the network or on a single PC. The SQL server runs as a backup process on the PC, which allows the storing, defining, and administration of SQL databases. Within the Network and Service Analyzer, a SQL server for the preferences (local) database and for the captured data is needed. This can also be installed on a different PC than your workstation. Downlink Data Transfer Data transfer from the network to the terminal equipment (mobile telephone). File Server The File Server represents a normal PC that can handle exported files, such as RF5 files. The File server acts as network client that allows the storage of data. (Windows File Sharing). KPI Key Performance Indicator. The KPI supports the possibility to analyze and compare events and measurements over analyzedimensions and timesequences. Logical Link Logical Link is the physical connection of two UMTS Network elements.
G-3
Glossary
Main View The Main View, or Content, is the main information element of a specific module. It is the central element in the module. In the Main View all module specific tasks can be performed or module specific information is provided. Menu Bar The Menu bar is above the toolbar and allows you to navigate to the common tasks of the application. MGW The MGW is the Media Gateway in the UTRAN Network and performs the switching of network interworking processing and the user data. Frame Monitor Call Tracer The Call Tracer is an online analyzing table. It allows you to view all online received traffic during the capture session. In this table, all possible network information related to calls is displayed in a realtime refreshing table. The detail level of this analyzing table is very high. The Frame Monitor is only available during the capture process and is not available for already captured or offline sessions. MSC The MSC communicates with the RNC in a hierarchical way. It can transfer controlling signals and perform resource management in the UMTS Network. Network Configuration, Topology The Network Configuration or Topology is a graphical image of the detected UMTS Network. Within this topology all detected UMTS Network elements are displayed and connected via Logical and Topological links.
G-4
Glossary
NodeB A NodeBs job is to identify the mobile communication within the UMTS Network. The NodeB uses the Network Layer and the Transport Network Layer in the UTRAN Protocol Model. The NodeB has to manage several Cells (typically 3) and transports the incoming data via an Iub Interface to the related RNC where the data is transferred to the receiver. It can detect the power of the radio signal and communicates this information to the RNC. NSA Server The NSA Server software is part of the Network and Service Analyzer. It provides access to required parts of the capture and measurement process. The NSA Server communicates with the probes, the SQL Databases, and the Network and Service Analyzer tasks. It provides the correct data to the Client and allows the sharing of resources across the network. Point Code Unique binary address of a signaling point (node) in the network. Probe The Probes are the heart of the Network and Service Analyzer. The probes can receive the data stream via their ports from the specific network. For the correct use and detection, each probe needs a valid TCP/IP Address. Furthermore, each probe has a unique name that cannot be changed.
G-5
Glossary
Recorder The Recorder is a control table that gives you a quick overview of all received traffic and provides information of open or uncompleted calls during the capture process. The window is a task manager that allows you to view the following items: H Hard Disk Usage Displays the available hard disk space. Sessions should be closed before hard disk space becomes critical. H Loaded (Frames) Informs you of the total number of frames per second detected by the probes used for the selected online or rerun session. H Capture Buffer Usage Shows the usage of the capture buffer, which informs you about the buffered data during capture process. This could be helpful if resource problems appear due to high data and call traffic volumes. RF5 RF5 is the file format to save captured data with analyzed protocols. RNC The Radio Network Controller is responsible for the connected Cells and the next element in the UMTS Network. The RNC provides the communication between the incoming calls and related NodeBs. The RNC is responsible for controlling the power of the radiosignal transferred to the Cells. Session The word session is linked with the capture process. If a capture process is started, it is an online session. On contrast, if you open or import an already captured data, an offline session is loaded. SGSN Serving GPRS Support Node, which covers functionality similar to the MSC for packet data.
G-6
Glossary
TCP/IP TCP/IP is the common used protocol for network connection around the world. It based on the OSI Model and provides a Layerbased Transportation Protocol. The identification between two network elements is possible by a unique IP (Internet Protocol) Addresses. Topology Link A Topology link is an abstract connection between two Topology elements. The Topology Link can consist of zero or more Logical Links. Toolbar The Toolbar is the icon bar on the top of the application window. You can either start common and available tasks, such as the Preferences. There are always dynamic buttons available that will change when you work in different modules of the application. UMTS Network UMTS Network is the third generation of mobile telecommunication. The 3G System is designed to continue the second generation mobile communication system GSM (Global System for Mobil Communication). It provides a fast 1920 kbit/s data transfer rate and allows a variety of services around telecommunication Uplink Data Transfer Data transfer from the terminal equipment (mobile telephone) to the network. User Plane The User Plane includes the Data Streams and the Data Bearers for the Data Streams that are one of the Planes in the UTRAN Protocol Model between the Radio network and the Transport Network Layer.
G-7
Glossary
G-8
Index
A
Add to Call Table, 64 Analysis Content, 62 Summary, 53 Table, 54 Toolbar, 64 Analysis Summary, 54, 56, 57 left side Dimensions, 55 Analysis Table, 9 Analyzing Data, 51 Application Configuration, 39 Apply Filter, 64 Assistance, viii Automatic Instrument Configuration, 2 Topology Discovery, 2
C
Call Details, 7 Sequence Diagram, 49, 58, 65 Table, 47, 58, 65 Capture, Session, 40, 52, 67 Captured data, Modules to analyze, 51 Capturing Data, 33 Cell Matrix, 4, 60 Configuring Applications, 39 Content View, 75 Control Area, 75
D
Data Analyzing, 9 Capturing and Visualizing, 7 Drill Down Analysis, 57 Windows, 57
B
Basic Steps, 15
E
Export as RF5, 66 Session, 68
Index-1
Index
F
Features and Benefits, 2 File server, 5 Filter, 31, 48 Frame Monitor, 8, 45, 58 Detail View, 50, 66 Monitor panes, 45 Monitor status bar, 46 Frame View, 46
M
Main View, 75 Manual Application, viii Conventions, vii Overview, vi User, viii Manual Changes of the Topology, 31 Manual Record Button, 35 Manual Record Session, 35 Markings, vii Menu Bar, 73 Multi Interface Call Trace, 2 Multi User Operation, 4 MySQL, Database, 5
G
Gigabit Ethernet, 11 Global Preferences, 18
H
Hardware Autodetection, 15 Configuration, 11
N
Network and Service Analyzer, Software, 5 Network Configuration main view, 29 Toolbar, 30 Topology Map, 29 Network Element Comparison, 63 New Call Table, 64 New Manual Capture Session, 36 New Scheduled Capture Session, 38
I
Import Session, 67
K
Key Performance Indicators (KPI), 3 KPI Analysis, 61 Application, 61
L
Logical Links, 28
Index-2
Index
O
Offline Call Table, 9 Capture Session, 42 Capturing, 41 Topology Map, 10 Online Call Table, 7 Capturing, 34 Help, 76 Manuals, viii Network Configuration, 8 Open Session, 52
R
ReRun Monitoring Session, 42 Record Bar, 74 Recorder, 7 Release notes, viii RF5 files, 67
S
Safety, v Scheduled Capture , Session, 37 set filter, 48 Short View, 45 Shortcuts, 77 Software Concept, 6 Configuration, 17 SQL database, 5 Stop Capturing button, 40 Stored Capture Session, 42 System Overview, 5
P
Packet View, 46 Path ID Tables, 31 Prerequisites, Training, v Probe Configuration, 22, 28 Content Area, 27 Control Area, 25 Management, 24 Manager, 18 Settings, 19 Product Description, 1
T
Tab Controls, 74 TCP/IP, 5 Time Based View, 63 Differences, 46 Timer Record, Button, 37 Toolbar, 73 Topology, 9 Map, 29, 59 Training, v
Q
Qualifications, v
Index-3
Index
U
User Interface, 73 User Manual, viii User Preferences, 18, 21
W
Windows XPe, viii Working With Multiple External PCs, 13 One External PC, 12
V
View Analysis Table, 54 Call Sequence Diagram, 49, 65 Call Table, 47, 65 Cell Matrix, 60 Frame Monitor, 45, 66 Frame Monitor (Detail), 66 KPI Analysis, 61 Session Status, 44 Settings, 48 Visualizing Captured Data, 43
Z
Zoom settings, 46
Index-4

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Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer 071-1759-05

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

About This Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Related Manuals and Online Documentation

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Features and Benefits

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Cell Matrix. A software application generates the RNC Cell Overlapped

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Working With One External PC

Client PC + Backend Server

K15 with 2 Probes

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Working With Multiple External PCs

K15 with 3 Probes

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Global and User Preferences

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Checkbox to activate probe

Probe Content Area

Figure 6: Probe Configuration main view

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

toolbar you can expand or collapse all probe information.

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Figure 9: Probe Configuration

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network Configuration Topology Map

Unassigned Logical Links Area

Network Configuration Content Area

Figure 10: Network Configuration main view

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Network and Service Analyzer Application Manual

Starting the Client

Set Global and User Preferences

Starting a Manual Capture Session