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SS7 TRAFFIC MANAGER | Switchblade
Overview
A carrier class platform for real-time network surveillance enabling carriers to increase their revenues and improve quality by immediately identifying and correcting income shortfalls and service operational issues.
The Switchblade’s high-impedance E1 inputs probe and extract the SS7 Call Detail Records (CDRs) from the network and deliver it to a secure database where they are stored and accessible to a client PC with a web browser.
- Red Hat Enterprise Linux server reliability for 24/7 operation.
- MySQL 5.0 database.
- SS7 CDRs generated.
- ISUP / NUP International and National signaling standards supported.
- SS7 Monitor probes with 16, 32, 48 or 64 E1 pairs capacity.
- Real-time display of calls-in-progress.
- SQL scripts for Fraud Analysis, Statistics, Billing and Channel Usage.
- SS7 Traffic Manager web application for analyzing CDRs.
Key system Functionality
SS7 Network Surveillance
- Fraud Monitoring Services including the screening of SS7 Messages.
- Trouble Shooting.
- Real-Time Call Tracing.
- Billing Verification: Collection and Reconciliation /Verification of CDRs.
- Billing for SS7 use, e.g. Roaming services for other Carriers.
Performance & Maintenance Management
- Performance Statistics ASR (Answer/Seize Ratio), BSR (Busy/Seize Ratio)
and PDD (Post Dialing Delay). - Identification of Faulty Circuits.
- Identification of Switching Congestion.
- Identification of Congested Routes.
- Identification of Subscriber Line Faults.
- Identification of Incorrect Dialing from Overseas (no Codes).
- Observation of ISDN Traffic.
- Historical Troubleshooting.
Leading to Reduced Losses and Increased Revenue.
- Stopping Fraud.
- Checking the accuracy of international settlements.
- Optimization of circuit and route planning.
- Customer Care : Preventing Churn.
- Identification of calling patterns for major customers
E1 Probe Monitor
The E1 Probe connects to E1 links via a high-impedance interface to ensure a fully non-intrusive monitoring capability with 16, 32, 48 or 64 E1 pairs capacity.
The raw SS7 data is streamed directly to the Switchblade server, where the CDRs are generated.
The E1 Probe Monitor is provided standalone as a 1U unit. The E1 links are connected via a high-impedance patch panel. Each patch panel supports 16 E1 pairs and is 1U high.
Switchblade Data Server
The Switchblade server hosts a MySQL database server and additionally functions as a web-server running the SS7 Traffic Manager application. The database stores the CDRs and executes SQL queries from the web browser on the client PCs.
The Switchblade server typically is a rack mounted Dual CPU Server with a 500 to 1000 GByte Hard Disk running Enterprise Linux and uses DDR2 ECC memory for reliability. The Enterprise Linux operating system and MySQL database server are multi-user.
Switchblade PC’s
The Client PCs run Windows XP and connect to the SS7 Traffic Manager application on an Ethernet LAN. The intranet web-server is used for accessing the CDR database and the real-time display of calls-in-progress.
A comprehensive set of queries can be executed from the web-server via the client PC, the queries extract and display call statistics matching user selectable criteria.
Useful examples include:
- Carrier - Calling Party - Category - Release
- Code - Answer / Seize Ratio - Hold Time
- Call Time of the call.
Switch Management
The performance figures allow the exchange manager to respond quickly to requests for reports on customer access difficulty where the problems are network related. The database can also provide a measure of the efficiency of the maintenance effort and an identification of resource requirements.
Network Planners
The displays provide snap-shots of the usage of the international network and identify under and over provisioning of international capacity. The post processing of the collected data allows the network planner to identify traffic peak demand and to specify the most effective methods for transit, overflow and alternative traffic routings in conjunction with international accounting rate managers.
The provision of fax/data call analysis may be used to gain accurate average call holding time assessments for each class of traffic and identify the market potential for international ISDN demand.
Comparison of monthly total incoming route traffic against declared traffic may be used to ensure correct proportionate return traffic in multi-carrier situations.
International Account Managers
The international account managers may be provided with processed reports on paid time for incoming and outgoing traffic to identify discrepancies in the international settlement data. Although not being able to identify the point of origin for incoming transit traffic via an external carrier, over time the correlation of declared minutes via each route carrier should be within close margins to the total measured route traffic.
The detection and summation of SS7 message use of the signaling link, especially by cellular operators offering international roaming (i.e. GSM) provides a basis for charging against use by kilosegment.
Investigations Manager
The investigation of network misuse varies from call-back services through to fraudulent operation. The Switchblade offers the carrier detection facilities for a wide range of network misuse and access to data to identify the parties involved. Applying action trees identify the patterns used for these calls and responds appropriately.
The information provided is detailed and not only includes the time of call, the duration and status, i.e. answered, the called number and where available, the calling number, but a whole lot of extra information including Calling Party Category (CPC), Post Dialing Delay (PDD), Release Code (RC), etc.
Remote Monitoring via Web Browser
The Switchblade is unique in that only authorized persons can gain access to the CDR data using the SS7 Traffic Manager application using a web browser.
