Patent ID: 7886350

Claim:
A method for testing a firewall implemented in a gateway device including a processor, the gateway device implementing a session signaling protocol, the method comprising: coupling said gateway device to a test device, the test device including at least a communications session traffic generator module for generating, maintaining, and terminating communications sessions; receiving at the test device a test plan, the test plan including at least one test signaling sequence, said at least one test signaling sequence including at least one of: i) an incomplete session signaling transaction; ii) a partial closing of a session; iii) interactions with an RTCP device; iv) interactions using a secure communications protocol during session signaling; v.) a mid session crash; vi) receipt of a packet missing at least some header information; vii) interaction with a network address translation (NAT) device; viii) interaction with a network address protocol translation (NAPT) device; ix) processing a packet including an encrypted payload; and x) a URL which will result in Domain Name Server (DNS) lookup failure; operating the test device to transmit a plurality of session signaling loads through said firewall; operating the test device to transmit signals associated with the at least one test signaling sequence through said firewall at a plurality of signaling rates; monitoring at least one of a processor utilization rate and a pinhole closing delay in said firewall to determine at least one of the rate of processor utilization for each of the plurality of session signaling loads and signaling rates and the pinhole closing delay for each of the plurality of different session signaling loads and signaling rates; monitoring to detect failure to maintain compliance with the session signaling protocol implemented by said gateway device for each of the plurality of session signaling loads and signaling rates; and outputting dynamic firewall loading information obtained from said monitoring.