Operators have a complex hybrid of legacy and new technologies and protocols. Testing and validating them is complex – particularly when existing solutions are retired by their developers.

Find out how Emblasoft helped a Tier 1 pan-European MNO cope with the transition from NetScout’s Spectra2 to an all-in-one testing and validation solution from Emblasoft – gaining both legacy compatibility and also support for current and future 3GPP interfaces.

Today’s networks are a complex hybrid of legacy systems and solutions, and newer generation technologies such as 5G Standalone (SA). This complexity continues to grow with the advent of network slicing, edge computing, and more. Of course, all these systems and protocols must work seamlessly together so testing, validating, and actively monitoring is essential. How can operators do this?

While almost every operator would like to start with a greenfield site, that is simply a pipe dream, unfortunately. Legacy protocols, such as SS7, run alongside Diameter, HTPP/2, and others, simultaneously in today’s networks. It means that seamless interconnection between networks and technologies has never been more important. The problem is maintaining QoS and QoE, universally and continually, given this mishmash of networks, technologies, and protocols.

At the same time, 5G Standalone requires the dynamic orchestration of services and network slices, brings large volumes of high-speed data, and demands an iterative DevOps approach to ensure service differentiation and innovation.

In addition, legacy solutions are constantly reaching end of service life, despite the need for operators to maintain services that rely on earlier generations of protocols and interfaces.

So too are the proprietary systems used for testing and validating them. It’s becoming increasingly common as legacy solutions, and the test/validation systems that assure them, are becoming ‘unfit-for-purpose’ in today’s dynamically orchestrated 5G environment.

While SS7 still remains an essential legacy inter-operating roaming and interconnect solution – entities such as Signal Transfer Points (STPs), firewalls, Short Message Service Centres (SMSCs), and more depend on the SS7 family of protocols – it was developed in a time when many telecoms networks were closed and often state-owned, meaning that security threats were minimal (or non-existent).

Today, however, there are more threats that seek to target networks based on these interfaces. However, SS7, of course, remains of fundamental importance for roaming, interconnection with peer operators (including others in the same operating group).

As a result, most operators have an extensive SS7 footprint, as well as adopting modern interfaces, such as Diameter and HTTP/2. They must ensure their integrity and performance.

Of course, interworking – of legacy solutions such as SS7 and newer protocols – is also a key consideration for the smooth operation of the network and for delivering consistent experiences to users. It means that testing, validating, and actively monitoring all these protocols within the network is an obvious challenge.

On top of all this complexity, many operators have used third-party solutions for their test and validation requirements, including SS7. However, many vendors of legacy solutions are retiring them. For example, NetScout’s end-of-life (EOL) date for maintaining Spectra2 – a legacy test and validation solution for SS7 – has already passed (30 August 2024), with an obsolescence date set for 2026.

This leaves operators needing to transition to modern solutions, and time is ticking to make this migration.

Emblasoft Evolver offers the perfect solution. It enables operators to gracefully migrate to an advanced, industry-leading test and validation platform built for the 5G era while embracing legacy interfaces.

Just some of the use cases and test scenarios that can be modelled by Evolver, include:

• 5G Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP)

• Roaming 5G Core Nodes 5G SBA / SBI Messaging: RCS, RBM and SMS 

• IMS, VoLTE and VoWiFi 
  
  
• 5G Network Slicing 

Evolver supports legacy protocols, such as SS7 MAP and Diameter, as well as SIP for voice and video. For a full list of protocols and interfaces Evolver supports, click here.

You can learn how we can help you with this transition in a new case study we’ve recently released. In this case, a leading pan-European MNO runs a complex network environment across multiple countries, backed by international and inter-operator connectivity.

Until recently, the MNO had been using NetScout’s Spectra2, to ensure the continued performance and security of its SS7 network. It had created a library of scripts that were used to test specific SS7 entities, at different points in the network. However, as noted, NetScout Spectra2 will reach obsolescence in 2026.

The paper walks through a number of testing domains, including STPs, SS7 firewalls, the Diameter routing agent and Diameter firewall, Security Edge Protection Proxy (SEPP), and more.

To find out more about how Emblasoft enabled our Tier 1 MNO customer to gracefully migrate to an advanced, industry leading test and validation platform built for the 5G era while also supporting those crucial legacy protocols, click here.

Of course, Evolver supports all of this within a CI/CD/CT environment enabling functional and performance testing pre-launch with active monitoring capabilities.

To find out how to transition specifically from Spectra2 to Emblasoft Evolver, check out our video here, while the case study of our Tier 1 MNO can be found here.

Evolver offers rich support for SS7 protocols, including ISUP and TCAP-based signalling, Diameter, and HTTP/2, combining functional and performance test capabilities with the scale to match the needs of any operator.