US 5,027,343 A · Remote test access system for ISDN testing

Abstract

Conformance with established standards and interoperability between products in an integrated services digital network (ISDN) system defined by a layered hierarchy of interrelated protocols is ascertained by remotely testing the protocols between a tester in a local testing centre and a system under test located at a geographically removed site. The protocols tested relate to the first three layers of the system which are concerned mainly with the establishment, holding and release of a telecommunications path. Cost effectiveness in product testing is achieved by accessing both the tester and the system under test and communicating test procedures between the local and remote sites over a packet switching network to support testing at the remote site. Communications over a virtual circuit in the network are established between a pair of remote ISDN test access interfaces, one located at each site. A communications path from a test access interface and its corresponding local tester or system under test is provided by an ISDN interface. Under software control by a computer at each site, the test access interfaces function individually to split the corresponding ISDN interface so that the network may be inserted therebetween to link the tester with the system under test.

Claims17

Dependent claims

In a communications system having a local terminal defined by a multilayered assembly of interrelated protocols, a corresponding remote terminal, and means for generating at the local terminal a test suite comprising protocol test messages of normal and erroneous behavior for the layers under test, an improved method for protocol testing between predetermined corresponding pairs of layers in the terminals, comprising the steps of:

(a) splitting a network interface disposed at each terminal;
(b) inserting at each split interface a configurable interface for matching predetermined apparatus connectable to each terminal as an element thereof;
(c) communicating the configurable interfaces with a ubiquitous transport network for establishing at least one protocol testing path between the corresponding pairs of layers through at least one virtual circuit of the network adapted to pass transversely protocol test messages of normal behavior and to reject protocol test messages of erroneous behavior;
and
(d) identifiably encoding protocol test messages corresponding to erroneous behavior of the layers under test and further encoding such test messages as protocol test messages of normal behavior acceptable for transparent transmission over the at least one virtual circuit.

2 more elements

In a communication system having a local terminal defined by a multilayered assembly of interrelated protocols, a corresponding remote terminal, and means for generating at the local terminal a test suite comprising protocol test messages of normal and erroneous behavior for the layers under test, apparatus for protocol testing between predetermined corresponding pairs of layers in the terminals, comprising:

(a) means for splitting a network interface disposed at each terminal;
(b) means for inserting at each split interface a configurable interface for matching predetermined apparatus connectable to each terminal as an element thereof;
(c) means for communicating the configurable interfaces with a ubiquitous transport network for establishing at least one protocol testing path between the corresponding pairs of layers through at least one virtual circuit of the network adapted to pass transparently protocol test messages of normal behavior and to reject protocol test messages of erroneous behavior;
and
(d) means disposed at the local terminal for identifiably encoding protocol test messages corresponding to erroneous behavior of the layers under test and further encoding such test messages as protocol test messages of normal behavior acceptable for transparent transmission over the at least one virtual circuit.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Remote test access system for ISDN testing

Life of this patent

Remote test access system for ISDN testing

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims17