STRESS TEST

for
NETWORK CAPACITY

Mehmet TANIS
NPO Expert
01.08.2016
Overview

Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network (UTRAN) is a group term for network and equipment that connects mobile to the public telephone
network/Internet. It contains the base stations (Node B’s) and Radio Network Controllers (RNCs) and this communications network, commonly referred to as
3G can carry many traffic types from real-time Circuit Switched to IP based Packet Switched. The UTRAN also allows connectivity between the UE and the core
network.

In UMTS, the interface between RAN and CN is the Iu. For uniformity, 3GPP specifies a single protocol at Radio Network Layer for the Iu-CS and Iu-PS interfaces
both i.e., RANAP for the control plane and Iu for the user plane.

The Radio Access Network Application Protocol (RANAP) is the Radio Network Layer protocol for the Iu interface. The peer entities of RANAP reside in 3G
MSC/SGSN and the SRNC. All the RANAP functions are elaborated in 3GPP TS 25.413. The Control Plane includes the application protocols and the signaling
bearers which transport the control information.

The application protocols used at different UTRAN interfaces are:

 Iu-CS: Radio access network application protocol (RANAP)

 Iu-PS: Radio access network application protocol (RANAP)
 Iub: Node B application protocol (NBAP)
 Iur: Radio network system application protocol (RNSAP)
 IuPS interface works between the UMTS RNC (Radio Network Controller) and the SGSN (Serving GPRS Support Node) supporting UMTS integrated services
such as multimedia and global roaming to mobile users. IuCS interface in UMTS links the RNC (Radio Network Controller) with a 3G MSC (3G Mobile
Switching Centre).
Load and stress testing is the only way to identify some sorts of device level bugs, as it is only under load that certain parts of the system, such as the queuing
mechanism, get tested. Many edge events, such as race conditions, are exacerbated under load and happen more frequently.

In the same way, stressing an entire network or part of a network helps to identify the scalability of the solution and to determine its behavior under sub-
optimal conditions. Only by overloading a network is it possible to verify that critical services are maintained and that service degradation under overload is
graceful and equitable. In particular, stress testing allows Vendors to demonstrate that prioritisation and fairness algorithms in adjacent pieces of equipment
work synergistically and do not end up countering each other.

In addition, stress testing may help identify the optimal network architecture for a particular service model. Different architectures show different modes of
degradation under stress and what may work well for one service model may be unacceptable for another. It is critical to determine the practical maximum for
numbers of subscribers, subscriber range and so on for the particular services offered and to determine the effect of proprietary Vendor features, such as
packet classification and prioritisation.

Stress tests simulate worst case conditions, assuring that the network will continue to function under such conditions. Also, stress testing allows Manufacturers
to assist Service Providers to correctly size their networks, so as to provide a consistent Customer experience as the number of subscribers increases and to
verify that the introduction of new services will not affect the existing ones.

Without the ability to simulate a large network, it is impossible to reproduce an actual Customer’s network. This means that there is no way to validate a
Customer’s network without trying it live, and no way to troubleshoot it except by flying support staff onsite.

PRISMA RAN testing systems, supporting technologies ranging from 2G to pre-5G, fully scalable, can create different levels of traffic load across multiple cells
by enabling Manufacturers to stress test their networks by replicating both real world conditions (including fading) and mobility, and also by recreating traffic
surges closely similar to those generated by a variety of real smartphones and apps.
Although smartphone sales are booming, so too are smartphone returns. With an unsustainable smartphone return rate of 15-20% (of which some reports say over
40% are “No Fault Found”) (1), wireless operators are turning their attention to new approaches to pre-commercial testing. Stress testing (also known as call
reliability) is the much-needed test methodology that will ensure pre-commercial devices are rigorously tested in the lab in the same demanding manner that
consumers use the devices in the field.

Current wireless industry standards require device certification or conformance testing prior to launch. This type of testing requires the device to pass a minimum
performance standard that focuses on device functionality, but it does not test the device the way the consumer will ultimately use it. Certification testing
guarantees a device meets industry standards, but it tests only one operation at a time and was never intended to establish how well that device works when left
running for many hours. A typical mobile user will turn his or her device on and use it for days (or as long as the battery lasts) in any number of different real-world
scenarios and with numerous applications. Wireless operators and device manufacturers need a way to replicate these strenuous and repetitive real-world
conditions, and the corresponding device performance, in the lab in order to ensure successful commercial deployment.

Although most mobile users tend to blame their service provider or the network, there is evidence that in some cases the device carries the blame. Some recent in-
field device performance issues that would most certainly lead to a device return include:
Commercial device doing LTE handover to 3G – device was able to complete the handover twice. After 2nd iteration, device was no longer able to complete
handovers. Result: Device remains on 3G even in good LTE coverage.
Commercial device in cell edge conditions couldn’t consistently attach. Result: No service until the device reboots – this type of problem requires repetitive testing to
detect.

The main objective of stress testing is to subject the device, for example, to varying channel conditions (varying multi-path and fading models, varying noise, and
varying signal strengths) for multiple iterations over long periods of time to ensure its performance is acceptable and consistent. To illustrate the difference between
certification/conformance testing and stress testing, examples of specific test cases are provided below:

Certification/Conformance: InterRAT use case

Test Case: Handover from LTE to E-HRPD on power up
Device Performance evaluated with this test:
1. Device powers up
2. Device attaches to LTE network
3. Device will handover to eHRPD network
Stress Testing: InterRAT use case
Test Case: Handover from LTE to E-HRPD with change in power levels with specific fading model and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR)
Device Performance evaluated with this test:
1. Device powers up
2. Device attaches to LTE network
3. While changing power levels continuously, device completes appropriate handover between LTE and eHRPD network without resetting (power cycling).

Although the larger North American operators recognized the need for stress testing in the 3G days, the deployment of LTE has added another dimension and sense of urgency to the
equation. A few years back, the situation was a little simpler, with devices only expected to support CDMA or UMTS. Now with LTE, mobile devices are expected to seamlessly cross boundaries
from one radio access network (RAN) to another, such as LTE CDMA and LTE UMTS. Unfortunately, current in-field performance is showing some devices that refuse to complete the
necessary handover when moving from one service area to another (e.g. device stays connected to CDMA even when LTE is available).
Stress testing for LTE detects these issues in the lab and includes the following key test areas:
LTE attach
Maintain attach
Handover performance
Cell reselection performance
VoLTE call performance (upcoming area)

With the dramatic increase in smartphone sales comes the recognition that the mobile device is rapidly evolving and is no longer viewed as a vehicle for just voice service. The many features
and capabilities being integrated into the mobile device require support of new technologies and additional network functionality, making enhanced pre-commercial testing a critical element
in device development and deployment. With subscribers’ quality of experience of new devices and services now a global concern, operators worldwide are acknowledging the need to drive
improved device performance through call reliability and stress testing.

Large North American operators have already set the device performance bar higher in the second half of 2012, adding requirements for stress testing of LTE devices (and many have already
been requiring this type of testing for 3G devices). The test manufacturing market is responding. For example, Spirent launched a new LTE Call Reliability test solution on its 8100 Test System in
September 2012, and this product has been validated by a leading North American wireless operator for use in its acceptance-testing of pre-launch devices.

Reference:
(1) IWPC Mobile Field Returns Survey (September 2011)

About the Author

Anil Khitolia is a Senior Product Line Manager for Spirent's Wireless business. He is responsible for Spirent's automated device testing solutions and for all areas of operator acceptance testing.
Anil has over 18 years of industry experience in the areas of Product Development, and Product Management. Anil holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Science from Delhi Institute of
Technology and a MBA (Finance) from Rutgers University.
Thanks