Abstract:
The invention relates to a method, measurement arrangement, analyser and analyser program for debugging transmission failures in a telecommunication network. In the method, the analyser utilizes both internal events of a telecommunication component and signalling messages transmitted in the telecommunication network. Internal events and external signalling messages are combined or correlated for speeding de-bugging.

Description:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
       [0001]    The invention relates to a method for debugging telecommunication connections utilizing signalling messages and primitive messages. The invention also relates to an apparatus that is utilized in the method. The invention relates also to a computer program product implementing the method. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Monitoring of internal interfaces of a device gives important information about behaviour of the device. Overall picture of the behaviour of the device can be created by monitoring also external communication interfaces of the same device. When huge amount of data is collected by monitoring, the analysis and correlation of the data is laborious and is usually done only by post processing. 
         [0003]    Patent application US 2005/0183066 discloses a correlating debugger for an electronic device. The correlator disclosed in the application collects data from a software analyser and hardware analyser which are connected to the device and creates from them time ordered set of data. The disclosure of the application is concentrated to depict how to correlate data of the hardware analyser and software analyser. 
         [0004]    U.S. Pat. No. 6,856,942 discloses a method, system and computer program for management of enterprise wide applications. In the depicted method, data is collected from network, hardware and software components belonging to the enterprise application. The patent depicts sensors configured to collect data from different components of the application. It focuses on analysing computer programs and computer network. The document does not teach how to analyse traffic in a telecommunication network or calls in said telecommunication network. 
         [0005]    The analyser contains a set of tools for analysing messages transmitted between the network elements. The analyser can create from the retrieved messages for example a call and session trace. One example of such an analyser is disclosed in a patent application 
         [0006]    Usually a failure in an internal interface of an element of a telecommunication network leads to a failure, which can be detected from an external interface of said network element for example by a protocol analyser known in the art. Usually the observable failure appears in an interface leading from the internally failed element to another network element. The external failure can be detected for example from protocol signalling of calls and sessions. When such a failure happens, it appears as a failed call or session in a call and session trace window of the protocol analyser. After that, the collected data from all external interfaces can be presented in a protocol monitor window. A cause for the failure can be found by studying the collected data. It is possible to open and study the failure related data in the protocol monitor window for finding an actual cause of the network failure. 
         [0007]    It is also possible that an internal failure of a telecommunication element effects to key performance indicators of the telecommunication system like call setup times etc. Those are also collected and shown in so-called Key Performance Indicator (KPI) window utilized in the protocol analyser. It is also possible that the internal failure effects to Quality of Service (QoS) parameters of the telecommunication system. The failure can for example increase jitter or decrease data rate. QoS parameters are usually analysed and shown in so-called QoS window in the protocol analyser. 
         [0008]    Debugging could be easier if all of the failure data could be combined into a single view of the protocol analyser. However, in the prior art debugging systems log files providing feedback of telecommunication device behaviour and protocol analyser results are studied separately using separate programs and views. Therefore, a trouble-shooter must by himself combine or correlate data of the separate analyser programs during debugging. 
         [0009]    Therefore, there exist a need for a method, apparatus and system for efficiently retrieving data from internal and external interfaces of an element of a telecommunication network which data can be used for speeding debugging work in a failure analysis. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0010]    The aspect of the present invention is to provide a method, analyser, load tester, load test system and computer program product for debugging a failure in a telecommunication network caused by an internal failure of a telecommunication element. The debugging can be made either in real time or in post processing. 
         [0011]    Monitoring of internal interfaces of a telecommunication network element gives important information about behaviour of said element. However, overall picture of behaviour of the telecommunication network element is got only by monitoring also external telecommunication interfaces of said element. According to one embodiment of the present invention, a device retrieves information from internal and external interfaces of the telecommunication network element and combines or correlates them. The correlated information concerning behaviour of the element can be directly utilized in debugging work that decreases a lot of the debugging time. It also makes it possible to do debugging in real time if needed. 
         [0012]    In another advantageous embodiment of the invention, the method and device are utilized in a load test system. In a load test system both internal interfaces of the load test tester and utilized telecommunication interfaces between load tester and network element under test are monitored. Utilizing the invention a certain experiment belonging to a load test can be stopped immediately when a failure is detected by expert system during the experiment. The collected data can be studied to find the problem in test load test experiment. The test can directly go ahead to another experiment belonging to the same load test procedure without wasting time to continue the failed experiment. 
         [0013]    The invention speeds up debugging by collecting all analysis results to a same system and combining or correlating the results. The analyser can make combination or correlation in real time and therefore results can be followed instantly. The results can be saved into a trace file where they can be reanalysed any time and studied in more or less details. The analyser provides also means for filtering the events and messages to be collected so the amount of data to be studied can be reduced effectively. 
         [0014]    The aspects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a method for combining or correlating messages with internal events retrieved from an internal interface of an element of a telecommunication network, the method comprising:
       retrieving messages from an interface of a telecommunication network;   retrieving internal events from an internal interface of a   telecommunication network element;   saving them into a trace file;   decoding the retrieved messages and internal events, and;   processing them for debugging.       
 
         [0021]    In addition, the aspects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a telecommunication analyser comprising:
       a data transfer unit for retrieving   messages from an interface of a telecommunication network;   internal events from an internal interface of a telecommunication network element;   a trace file for saving the messages and internal events;   a decoder for decoding the messages and internal events, and;   an expert system to process them for debugging.       
 
         [0028]    In addition, the aspects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a load tester for an element of a telecommunication network comprising a connection to an input of a protocol analyser for conveying test sequence data to the protocol analyser for debugging the element under test. 
         [0029]    In addition, the aspects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a load test system of a telecommunication network element comprising:
       a load tester connected to a telecommunication network element for testing the telecommunication network element, and;   a protocol analyser connected to:   an interface of the telecommunication network element for retrieving messages due to a load test, and;   a test sequence output of the load tester for retrieving utilized test sequence data.       
 
         [0034]    In addition, the aspects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing a computer program comprising:
       computer readable code means for retrieving messages from an interface of a telecommunication network;   computer readable code means for retrieving internal events from an internal interface of a telecommunication network element;   computer readable code means for saving them into a trace file;   computer readable code means for decoding the retrieved messages and internal events, and;   computer readable code means for processing them in debugging.       
 
         [0040]    In addition, the aspects of the present invention are fulfilled by providing an apparatus comprising:
       means for retrieving messages from an interface of a telecommunication network;   means for retrieving events from an internal interface of a telecommunication network element;   means for saving them into a trace file;   means for decoding the retrieved signalling messages and events; and,   means for processing them for debugging.       
 
         [0046]    Further scope of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description. 
     
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0047]    The present invention will become more fully understood from the detailed description given herein below and accompanying drawings which are given by way of illustration only, and thus are not limitative of the present invention and wherein 
           [0048]      FIG. 1  shows a schematical representation of the invention; 
           [0049]      FIG. 2   a  shows as example main functional parts of a protocol analyser according to the invention; 
           [0050]      FIG. 2   b  shows as example main internals of a protocol analyser according to the invention; 
           [0051]      FIG. 3   a  shows an example of an analyser arrangement in a radio access network environment; 
           [0052]      FIG. 3   b  shows another example of an analyser arrangement in a radio access network environment; 
           [0053]      FIG. 4  shows an example of arrangement in a load testing system; and 
           [0054]      FIG. 5  shows as an exemplary flowchart main steps of the correlation method according to the invention. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0055]      FIG. 1  depicts schematically an exemplary telecommunication environment where the invention can be advantageously utilized. References  11  and  12  depict examples of two separate elements of a telecommunication system. Reference  10  depicts an analyser according to one exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         [0056]    Both telecommunication elements  11  and  12  of  FIG. 1  comprise several interconnected functional layers or devices. In the example of  Fig.1 , the telecommunication system elements  11  and  12  comprise several exemplary layers: layer one... layer n-1 and layer n. The layers can comprise distinct devices, software programs or combination of those. Two interconnected layers can change so-called primitives between each other. Internal events utilized in analysis contain these primitives and other useful data for instance debug logging data. Vertical double arrow lines between adjacent layers depict said primitive transmissions. An interconnection between two adjacent layers creates an internal interface of the telecommunication element, which is either a device interface or software interface. 
         [0057]    The depicted exemplary telecommunication system elements  11  and  12  can change messages between each other. Horizontal double arrow lines  101 ,  102  and  103  depict said message transfer. Any depicted layer in one or the other telecommunication element, for example element  11 , can create a message, which is transmitted for example to a corresponding layer of the other telecommunication element  12 . As an example, reference  101  depicts an example of a message transmitted between layers  1  of the telecommunication elements  11  and  12 . References  102  and  103  depict other examples of messages transmitted between higher-level layers in the exemplary telecommunication system. The transfer of said messages happens through so-called external interfaces between depicted telecommunication system elements  11  and  12 . An external interface between the elements  11  and  12  can be either fixed or wireless. 
         [0058]    The depicted telecommunication system can be analysed by an analyser  10  according one exemplary embodiment of the invention. The analyser  10  comprises advantageously a data transfer unit  21 . In the example of  FIG. 1 , the analyser  10  is connected through the data transfer unit  21  to proper internal interfaces, which are located between functional layers in the telecommunication element  11 . Dotted lines  111 ,  112  and  113  depict the connections from some internal interfaces of the telecommunication element  11  to the data transfer unit  21 . Any proper primitive transmitted between two adjacent layers or other useful data can be fetched to the analyser  10  through these connections. Retrieved internal events are decoded in an internal event decoding block  240 A of the analyser according to this exemplary embodiment of the invention. 
         [0059]    The data transfer unit  21  of the analyser  10  comprises also means for connecting the analyser  10  to external interfaces located between the elements  11  and  12  of the exemplary telecommunication system. The connection to the external interface can be fixed or wireless or combination of those. References  121 ,  122  and  123  in the  FIG. 1  show examples of these connections between the data transfer unit and external interfaces between telecommunication elements  11  and  12 . Any proper message including both signalling messages and user data can be fetched to the analyser  10  using said connections  121 ,  122  or  123 . The retrieved messages are advantageously decoded in a message decoding block  240 B of the analyser  10 . 
         [0060]    In the analyser  10  according to one embodiment of the invention, internal event decoding results and message decoding results can advantageously be combined or correlated in a combination and correlation analysis block  290 A. The invention speeds up debugging by collecting both internal events and messages to one system, decoding and correlating them. The combination and correlation analysis block  290 A of the analyser  10  can correlate internal events and messages in real time. The results are advantageously saved into a trace file (not shown in  FIG. 1 ). This makes it possible to post process them later on any time in more or less details if needed. The analyser  10  advantageously provides also means for filtering retrieved internal events and messages. By doing that, the amount of data, which has to be studied, can be reduced effectively. 
         [0061]      FIG. 2   a  illustrates an example of main functional components belonging to an analyser  20  according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. The analyser  20  corresponds to the analyser  10  depicted in  FIG. 1 . The analyser  20  shown in  FIG. 2   a  can be for instance a so-called protocol analyser used for measuring the operation of a data transmission system. It can also be a simulator or an interface card. The analyser  20  may also be a personal computer provided with for instance Windows® or some other operating system and dedicated protocol analysis software. 
         [0062]    The analyser  20  comprises a processing unit  22 . The processing unit  20  is a block controlling operation of the analyser  20 . The block can be implemented as a processor including software, but different hardware implementations are also possible. For instance a circuit constructed of separate logic components or one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASIC). A combination of the different implementations is also possible. 
         [0063]    The analyser  10  comprises advantageously also a data transfer unit  21 , which may include a transceiver and an antenna by which the analyser  20  receives and transmits signals. The data transfer unit  21  is configured to be connected to external interfaces of a telecommunication system, reference  211 , for capturing messages from the telecommunication transmission system. The captured messages include both user data and signalling messages. Further, the data transfer unit  21  is configured to provide an interface for receiving internal events from an element of the telecommunication system or tester, reference  212 . The data transfer unit  21  advantageously comprises further a time stamping unit (not shown in  FIG. 2   a ) that adds time stamps to the captured data including messages and internal events. The time stamp system can be advantageously synchronized to a high accuracy clock, for example to a GPS time received from a GPS receiver (Global Positioning System) that is connected to the data transfer unit  21  (not shown in  FIG. 2   a ). 
         [0064]    The processing unit  22  handles processing of the captured data. The processing unit  22  comprises advantageously actual analyser software consisting of an input, decoding, and analysis and UI subsystem software components, for example. 
         [0065]    The analyser  20  may also comprise a user interface  24  that allows controlling the operations of the analyser  20  and monitoring the operations carried out by the analyser  20 . The user interface  24  can comprise for example a display and a keyboard. Depending on the analyser the user interface  24  may comprise various other user interface parts. 
         [0066]    The analyser  20  can also comprise a memory block  24  for saving captured data and analysis results. 
         [0067]      FIG. 2   b  illustrates an example of an analyser internals, which are depicted for example in a Finnish patent application FI20055239 of the present applicant. Captured and time stamped data is passed from data transfer unit (not shown in  FIG. 2   b ) to related input source  220 . From the input source  220  data is delivered to a History Buffer  230  that handles buffering and saving received data to a trace file  235 . The History Buffer  230  delivers also data to a decoding stack  240  containing requisite decode layers for decoding the data. 
         [0068]    From decode layers the decoded data can be delivered to several applications. They can include for example Protocol Monitoring (PM)  250  and Quality of Service application (QoS)  260  where QoS parameters can be calculated. The applications can include also Call Trace application (CT)  270  where call and session follow up and correlation with calls and sessions in other interfaces is accomplished. It can include also Key Performance Indicator application (KPI)  280  and an Expert System application (ES)  290  for analysing correlated data. KPI application is used to calculate for instance call setup time, call release times and call success rate. 
         [0069]    The Expert System  290  can subscribe results from other analysis applications, for example QoS  260 , CT  270  and KPI  280  for more complete analysis. The Expert System  290  advantageously comprises an application, which functions as a combiner. It can further comprise an application, which functions as a correlator. The expert system uses combined or correlated data to make further decisions about ongoing traffic or test experiment. It may for instance use call setup time received from KPI application and data throughput rate received from QoS application to make decisions. 
         [0070]    The internal events received from internal interfaces are advantageously formatted to a generic format allowing it to be handled by a generic decoder. This allows the analyser  10  easily to be connected to different kind of systems under test. Events can be formatted for example to a special XML format. Also a TLV (tag, length, value) format can be used for data. 
         [0071]    In one advantageous embodiment of the invention an analysis system may contain multiple of above-depicted analysers  20  connected together utilizing resources and data from each other. One possible implementation of said system is disclosed in European patent application EP 06110186 of the present applicants 
         [0072]      FIG. 3   a  depicts an example of a data transmission system  300   a  where an embodiment of the invention can be applied. The exemplary data transmission system  300   a  can be based for instance on GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), WCDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) or CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) technology. The data transmission system  300   a  in  FIG. 3   a  can correspond for instance to a radio access network (RAN) of a 3G WCDMA system. 
         [0073]    The exemplary radio access network  300   a  of  FIG. 3   a  comprises one radio network controller  32  which controls one base station  31 . 
         [0074]    An exemplary protocol analyser  30  can communicate with the data transmission system  300   a  using either fixed cable connections, GSAVGPRS/EDGE connections or for example short-range wireless connections such as Bluetooth, infrared or WLAN (Wireless Local Area Network) connections. A connection  302  between the protocol analyser  30  and the data transmission system  300   a  can be connected for instance to one or more fixed lines between data transmission system elements  31  and  32 . 
         [0075]    In an exemplary arrangement of  FIG. 3   a,  the protocol analyser  30  is connected to a so-called Iub interface  305   a  between the base station  31  and radio network controller  32 . The protocol analyser  30  is also connected to an exemplary internal interface point  315  between internal components  310  and  320  of the base station  31 . Therefrom the protocol analyser  30  can retrieve internal events from the interface  315 . 
         [0076]    Internal events from the interface  315  can be captured by a program running in the base station  31 . Captured data can be retrieved for example via a TCP/IP connection  301  to the protocol analyser  30 . 
         [0077]    In the exemplary arrangement of  FIG. 3   a  the protocol analyser  30  can receive signalling messages and user data from the external telecom interface  305   a  and also internal events from the internal interface  315 . Therefore, the protocol analyser  30  can show messages originating from both interfaces. If needed they can be shown in one and same monitoring window so that effects of external telecommunication between telecommunication elements  31  and  32  and internal events of one telecommunication element  31  can be seen and analysed easily. 
         [0078]      FIG. 3   b  depicts a second example of the invention which depicts a data transmission system  300   b  where an embodiment of the invention can be applied. In the exemplary arrangement of  FIG. 3   b  a protocol monitor  30  is utilized to monitor internal electrical or optical interfaces  355  and  365  of a device  35  and an external telecom interface  305   b  of the same device. 
         [0079]    In the example of  FIG. 3   b  the analyser  30  is connected to an internal test point  355  of the device under test and to external telecom interface  305   b  of the same device. In the example of  FIG. 3   b  the device under test is a base station  35  conforming obsai (open bts initiative) base station architecture. The exemplary base station  35  is connected to an exemplary radio network controller  32 . The base station  35  of  FIG. 3   b  comprises an RF module  370 , baseband module  360  and transport module  350 . An internal test point  365  exists between RF module  370  and baseband module  360 . Another test point  355  exists between baseband module  360  and transport module  350 . 
         [0080]    Between the base station  35  and radio network controller  32  exist an Iub interface  305   b.  In the example of  FIG. 3   b  the protocol analyser  30  provides data transfer unit suitable for connecting for example to the internal test point  355 . The protocol analyser  30  can decode data captured from the internal interface  355 . 
         [0081]    In the arrangement of  FIG. 3   b  the protocol analyser  30  can receive data from both the external telecommunication interface  305   b  and the internal interface  355 ; references  352  and  351  in  FIG. 3   b.  Therefore, it can show messages from both interfaces in a monitoring window. In the protocol analyser internal events of the base station  35  can be correlated with messages transmitted between base station  35  and radio network controller  32 . Correlation between them can be further analysed in a monitoring window. 
         [0082]      FIG. 4  depicts an embodiment of the invention where it is advantageously utilized in a testing environment  400  for testing of a telecommunication device  32 . In this embodiment of the invention, a load tester  41  works together with a protocol analyser  30 . This embodiment is suitable for example in so-called load testing where lot of data is handled. 
         [0083]    In the prior art it has been difficult to study errors for example in test scripts because the log files, where the internal events of the device under test are printed, are huge in load testing situations. When the internal events are send to the protocol analyser  30  and correlated automatically with corresponding telecom signalling, it is much easier to pin point errors in test scripts. 
         [0084]    For example, failed calls can be easily found by the call trace function of the protocol analyser. After that, combined messages from both internal and external interfaces are shown in monitoring window of the protocol analyser  30 . The correlation of internal events to external signalling messages can be done by comparing signalling messages and internal events, which have same or near the same time stamps. The protocol analyser  30  can also follow up internal test event sequences of the telecommunication element and correlate said sequences with external telecom signalling using internal event and telecom signalling contents analysis. 
         [0085]    In an exemplary arrangement  400  shown in  FIG. 4  the protocol analyser  30  is connected to a load tester  41  and an interface  405  between the load tester  41  and a device under test. The device under test is an exemplary radio network controller  32 . Internal events from the load tester  41  are delivered for example via a TCP/IP connection  401  to the protocol analyser  30 . Data from an external interface, for example an Iub interface  405 , is captured to the protocol analyser  30  advantageously by using a wire tap  402 . 
         [0086]    Therefore, in the arrangement of  FIG. 4  the protocol analyser  30  can receive data from the external telecommunication interface  405  and from the load tester  41 . The protocol analyser  30  can for instance show messages from both sources in a monitoring window. Influences of internal events of the load tester  41  can be correlated with telecommunication signalling and further be analysed in a monitoring window of the protocol analyser  30 . 
         [0087]    The protocol analyser  30  can also provide control and feedback through an optional interface  403  to the load tester  41 . Via the feedback interface  403 , the load tester  41  can for example get information concerning call success rate from the protocol analyser  30 . Based on that information the load tester  41  can tune testing according to the feedback data. It can for example increase or decrease call rate. 
         [0088]    Via the control interface  403  it is also possible for the load tester  41  to command the protocol analyser  30  to start or stop recording, for example. 
         [0089]    The main steps of the method according to the invention are shown as an exemplary flow chart in  FIG. 5 . The debugging process starts in phase  51 . In phase  52  the analyzer retrieves data at least from two different data sources. Signaling messages and user data can be captured from an external interface which is located between two network elements belonging to telecommunication system. The other data source lies inside one distinct telecommunication element. Internal events, which relates to a certain service primitive or debug logging data, can be captured from said internal interface to the protocol analyzer. Advantageously all retrieved data can be saved in so-called Trace File. 
         [0090]    Before analyzing the captured data it is decoded in phase  54 . 
         [0091]    The decoded data can be delivered for specific analysis to several applications in phase  55 . The analysis can comprise for example a Protocol Monitoring application where captured telecommunication data is utilized for finding calls and sessions and internal events. The analysis can also comprise a Quality of Service application (QoS) for calculating QoS parameters. Further, it can comprise a Call Trace application where call and session follow up and correlation with calls and sessions in other interfaces is accomplished. It can include also Key Performance Indicator application for calculating key performance parameters. 
         [0092]    In phase  56  an Expert System application can be utilized for processing data, which has been earlier analysed by other applications, more detailed in phase  55 . The Expert System application advantageously subscribes analysis results from other applications for example from QoS application, CT application and KPI  280  to complete analysis. The processing of data can comprise combination or correlation of retrieved messages or signals. Combination and correlation can be done for example by utilizing time stamps attached to retrieved data. 
         [0093]    In phase  57  combined and/or correlated data can be displayed in time order. Data to be displayed can comprise for example calls and session in a call trace window, QoS metrics in a QoS window and KPI parameters in a KPI window. This can be accomplished either in real time or in post processing. Correlation results of the Expert System can boost debugging work. The debugging process ends in phase  58 . 
         [0094]    The invention being thus described, it will be obvious that the same may be varied in many ways. Such variations are not to be regarded as a departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, and all such modifications as would be obvious to one skilled in the art are intended to be included within the scope of the following claims.