MAPS™ INAP Emulator

Overview

GL’s Message Automation & Protocol Simulation (MAPS™) is an advanced protocol simulator/tester for INAP (Intelligent Network Application Part) services. The tester supports testing network elements gsmSCF and gsmSSF, error tracking, regression testing, conformance testing, and load testing/call generation. It is able to run pre-defined test scenarios against INAP test objects in a controlled & deterministic manner.

MAPS™ INAP functionality covers the ITU and ANSI variants of SS7 implementing M3UA, M2PA, M2UA, MTP3 and ISUP protocols over TDM and IP transport protocols. INAP can be transported using ‘traditional’ SS7 protocols carried by Message Transfer Protocol (MTP) in TDM (T1 and E1) or over IP using SIGTRAN. With the popularity of the internet and IP, a special IP protocol called SIGTRAN is rapidly gaining acceptance to transport SS7 signaling over IP.
MAPS™ INAP scripts are suitable for testing objects reliably and accurately validated for compliance with ANSI, and ITU-T specifications.

As per ANSI specifications, the supported services are CNAM (Calling Name Delivery), LNP (Local Number Portability), and Toll-free 800 Number over TCAP layer as per ANSI. There are few other procedures supported such as Prepaid Voice Call Service, Toll Free Voice Call Service, Low Balance Voice Call Service, and Initiate Call Attempt (ICA) Service over IP as per ITU-T specifications.

The application gives the users the unlimited ability to edit INAP messages and to create IN service scenarios (message sequences). “Message sequences” are generated through scripts. “Messages” are created using message templates.

GL also provides an independent GUI based SS7 protocol analyzers (optional application – XX120) and SIGTRAN Analyzer for online capture and decode of the signaling in real-time both during tests and as a stand-alone tracer for live systems.

Possible applications include:

Multi-protocol, Multi-interface Simulation
Provides fault insertion, and erroneous call flows testing capability
Performance testing, Load Testing, Functional testing, Regression testing and Conformance testing of network elements
Ready scripts make testing procedure simpler, less time consuming and hence time to market products
Test response of network against protocol message modification, or corruption
Inter-operability testing of networks