Patent PT-94507-A (PT)
Title: Traffic Generation and Detection System for evaluating the performance of telecommunications networks with integrated services
IPC: G06F/
Filed: 1990-06-27
Abstract: The present invention consists of a Traffic Generation and Detection System, characterizing the performance and quality of services offered by telecommunications networks with integrated services 1. It consists of a variable number of processing units 2, which are the entities responsible for generating and detecting traffic, via a workstation 3, offering the user a centralized point of access to the system, and via a local computer network based on the access protocol defined in the International Standards Organization (ISO) standard No. 8802.3, called an "Ethernet" network, connecting the remaining units. The traffic generated and detected by the invention can be of two types: data packets and signalling messages. Packet traffic generation consists of the insertion, by the invention, into the network described above, of packets of information at variable rates defined by the system user. By retrieving this same traffic the invention succeeds in evaluating the network, through measuring significant parameters, such as end-to-end delay, variability of delay and probability of loss of packets and occurrence of errors. The parameters relating to delays are characterized statistically through the mean, variance and histograms. Signalling traffic consists of the transmission of signalling messages, from the system and to the network, so as to establish and terminate calls. In this type of traffic the system acts simultaneously as calling terminal and called terminal. Through this type of messages the invention is able to establish a large number of simultaneous calls. By measuring significant parameters, such as delay in establishing and concluding a call and failure probability in these operations, [it is able] to evaluate the network. The parameters related to delays are characterized statistically by the mean, variance and histograms, [which] also enables the state of the network to be evaluated. The invention further enables the definition of test environments of sub-components of the network being characterized. This invention belongs to the scientific field of Electrotechnics, the area of Telecommunications, being a measuring instrument for communications networks. The most significant figure is figure 1. Traffic Detection and Generation System The present invention consists of a Traffic Generation and Detection System, for characterizing the performance and quality of services offered by Telecommunications networks with integrated services 1. It consists of a variable number of processing units 2, which are the entities responsible for via a workstation 3, offering the user a centralized point of access to the system, and via an Ethernet network 4, connecting the remaining units. The traffic generated and detected by the invention can be of two types: data packets and signalling messages. Packet traffic generation consists of the insertion, by the invention, into the network described above, of packets of information at variable rates defined by the system user. By retrieving this same traffic the invention succeeds in evaluating the network, through measuring significant parameters. Signalling traffic consists of the transmission of signalling messages, from the system and to the network, so as to establish and terminate calls. In this type of traffic the system acts simultaneously as calling terminal and called terminal. Through this type of messages the invention is able to establish a large number of simultaneous calls. By measuring significant parameters it is also able to evaluate the state of the network. The invention further enables the definition of test environments of sub-components of the network being characterized. <IMAGE>