In order to ensure guaranteed performance, capacity, scalability and QoE of its mobile core network to its customers, Radtonics needed a comprehensive testing and validation solution that supports DevOps

Radtonics is a Sweden-based 5G private wireless provider that offers dedicated local LTE and 5G networks to meet the growing connectivity demands of increasing volumes of data traffic, and the need for tighter security around IoT estates and enterprise wireless devices. As such it needs to ensure optimum levels of network performance and Quality of Service (QoS). So, Radtonics turned to Emblasoft to meet its testing and validation requirements.

Ensuring guaranteed levels of service performance

Radtonics offers a mobile core, as illustrated in the diagram below.

As a trusted provider of private wireless networks Radtonics must guarantee its customers optimum levels of service capacity wherever and whenever required, the scalability to meet fluctuations in demand, and the ability to enable new applications and IoT services quickly and easily.

It’s packet core consists of three main components:

1. An Access Gateway, which provides network services and policy enforcement using EPC’s Authorization, Authentication and Accounting (AAA), a Mobility Management Entity (MME), a Serving Gateway (SGW), and a Packet Data Network Gateway (PGW).
2. Orchestrator (orc8r), a cloud service providing a simple and consistent solution to securely deploy, configure, and monitor the core network.
3. A Federation Gateway, which integrates the Mobile Network Operator (MNO) core network with Magma using standard 3GPP interfaces. It acts as a proxy between the Magma AGW and the operator’s network and facilitates core functions.

The Radtonics core network uses the open-source platform Magma, which provides a software-centric distributed mobile packet core and tools for automating network management. Operating as a containerised network function, Magma integrates with existing back-end components and makes it easier to launch new services at the network edge.

Automated Functional and Performance testing with Emblasoft Evolver

In order to test and validate the network architecture and the QoS it provides, Radtonics chose Emblasoft Evolver, a fully virtualised solution that, in this case, was provided as VMs, with the compute host running on physical hardware. It provided the following requirements:

• 4 Core – Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X3330 – 2.66GHz
• 4THDD
• 8GRAM
• 2 x 1G Network interface

Evolver is optimised for testing IP-based and streaming applications in mobile networks and CDNs, for performance evaluation, and fully supports DevOps deployment programmes. It can test multiple protocols, including SIP, MSRP, HTTP and Diameter, simultaneously and can simulate streaming services across different networks and devices. In addition, Evolver was also used to emulate the server to perform end-to-end feature testing.

Evolved was used to emulate UEs and eNBs, and also for end-to-end feature testing. The network architecture is shown below in Figures 2a and 2b.

Figure 2a: Block diagram of NAT (Network Address Translation) setup

Figure 2b: Block diagram of non-NAT setup

Having already deployed Evolver to run a comprehensive set of automated “sanity” tests on its core network – which it passed with flying colours – Radtonics then wanted to perform a second automated set of functionality and performance tests using the same architecture and test setup.

Using Emblasoft Evolver as the testing solution in the original tests, Radtonics carried out a number of automated functionality tests on its core network, as listed below:

1. Single UE call flow test to verify the basic call flow of 5G and to verify registration, session setup, data, session release and deregistration.
2. Periodic Registration Test to verify the working of Periodic Registration, Keep the UE in connected state and run periodic Registration
3. Multi UE test to verify the basic call flow of 5G for multiple UEs together. Focussing on attach rates and connection times
4. Multi GNB test to verify the basic call flow of 5G for multiple UEs together. Apart from traffic, focus also on setup rate and time.

On collecting the results, no issues were found, and all test were passed. Radtonics also performed a number of Performance tests. The results are shown below:

1. PPS Test to check how many packets per second the AGW can handle without any loss/impact.

PPS Test Table (Bi-Di) – 64B

PPS Table (Uni-Directional traffic)

*- for downlink, send interval was 25ms with bounce internal of 5. This gave a 5ms send interval average.

2. Throughput to check how many packets per second the AGW can handle without any loss/impact.

1. The maximum throughput achieved was around 320 Mbps (in each direction)
2. In the case of Unidirectional, throughput of around 426 Mbps was achieved.
3. In the case of long run bi-directional test, for less than 2% traffic drop, throughput achieved was ~400Mbps.

How Emblasoft helps

The development and deployment of new technologies – such as 5G, IoT, and Edge and Cloud Computing – have significantly increased the demands placed on network performance, QoS and end-user QoE. Now every mobile network needs a high- performance packet core at its heart to meet the demands placed on it. As a trusted provider of 5G private networks, Radtonics needs to deliver guaranteed performance and service QoE to the enterprises and service providers it serves.

Emblasoft Evolver is a flexible platform that enables service validation and service quality assurance in mobile networks. It provides automated testing and monitoring for control and user plane applications in 5G, 4G and legacy networks.

A powerful script editor enables configuration of different scenarios, backed by a library of traffic cases and models. It allows MNOs and service providers, such as Radtonics, to simplify complex test scenarios and create powerful, automated tests without the need for time-consuming, complex scripting.

Emblasoft Evolver enables test plans to be created to first validate basic functionality and then increase load and capacity, and test different scenarios. It supports functional testing from a single user to millions of users, making it ideal for validating complex scenarios, as well as extreme load testing to model real performance.

Evolver is optimised for testing IP-based and streaming applications in mobile networks and CDNs, for performance evaluation, supporting DevOps deployment programmes. It supports testing of SIP, MSRP, HTTP and Diameter, and can simulate streaming services across different networks and devices.

To find out more about how Emblasoft can help you, get in touch today.