PDF of this tutorialDefinition
This tutorial discusses the testing of a next-generation media gateway network element by using test equipment designed to stimulate the gateway from signaling and media interfaces. The applied stimulus is designed to validate the conformance of the media gateway to published standards and to verify its performance in carrying revenue-generating voice traffic.
Tutorial Overview
Media gateways are one of the many new network elements that will be deployed in voice-over-packet (VoP) networks in the coming years. Since these elements require new protocols for control as well as circuit-to-packet conversion hardware/software, new methods are required to adequately test them, both at the vendor developing these products and at the carrier deploying this technology in its network.
This testing is required to validate the gateway's conformance to published standards, both for device control and for circuit-to-packet conversion techniques. Additional testing is also required to verify the gateway's ability to interface with other equipment (interoperability testing) and how it will act when subjected to a typical busy-hour call load. Finally, testing is required whenever new software or hardware is developed to ensure that issues that might affect a gateway's performance or cause it to fail under load have been introduced.
