The SEGRON Automated Testing Framework
SEGRON’s Automated Testing Framework
ATF is a product of SEGRONs Business Solutions product platform, designed to offer feature-rich and high-performance verification.
It meets the demands of the latest technologies by providing expert testing solutions that facilitate rapid service verification while ensuring the highest quality and efficiency.
Why SEGRON's ATF?
As recently as 2004, networks were structured simply enough that software and configuration changes could be tested manually by engineers.
The average engineer could execute was about 10 test cases per day.
Since then, both diversity and volume of testing required to ensure quality have increased dramatically. Why?
1. More Complex Networks
First and foremost, networks have become more complex. Today, in addition to core network technologies, every telecom operator has to maintain and test at least 3 radio access networks in parallel (2G/3G/LTE), which are often multi-vendor implementations. 5G and network virtualization are on the horizon, meaning that this complexity is only going to increase.
2. Development Methodologies
Just as networks are getting more complex, agile development methodologies, which are widely adopted by network and software vendors, are radically compressing version cycles. The result? Software updates and upgrades are being released more rapidly and under considerably more time pressure.
3. Telecommunications Expansion
At the same time, the telco service portfolio is quickly expanding. Widespread LTE adoption, for instance, introduced another network layer without “cleaning up” old legacy services. As a result, services like mobile fax and circuit-switched data remain in use and thus continue to require continuous maintenance. We can expect 5G to bring similar challenges.
4. Higher Stakes
As if this weren’t enough, extensive mobile data usage has made not only businesses, but also consumers and even society itself, completely dependent on telco service quality. Transparency and ease-of-use continue to drive up usage, but this puts pressure on telcos to offer services that are more and more complex to produce.
5. Greater Quality Impact
Continuously evolving telco services have become mission critical for both individuals and businesses in the last 15 years. Thousands of services (voice, messaging, data browsing, mobile internet access, gaming, etc.) have been built up on top of the “always on” telco infrastructure. For this reason, small service interruptions can have a massive business impact. Meanwhile, new regulations have made it easier than ever for users to switch providers. The only way to ensure a high quality of service and retain subscribers is continuous network testing.
The Consequences
- Industry-leading operators continue to struggle with their manual testing approach.
- Expensive experts and armies of engineers are brought on board for test execution and
analysis. - Test campaigns are routinely shortened to meet the project timelines, increasing the risk of failure, leading
to lost customers and revenue.
SEGRON’s solution
After several years of development, SEGRON has an automated testing solution to help you address all of these challenges.
All of our expertise in IT and testing has been brought together in a unique tool. SEGRON ATF is a framework-based end-to-end testing solution that empowers engineers to perform several hundred test cases per day. The increased testing capacity results in network quality improvements and shortened time-to-market.
Key Benefits of SEGRON's ATF
Just as testing is becoming more complex, its value is becoming more pronounced. By improving test coverage and speeding up time-to-market, the SEGRON ATF can reduce not only testing costs, but also network quality issues and operational bottlenecks. Our system is designed to be easy-to-use and integrate into your current processes, so that you can focus on delighting and retaining your customers.
Quality Improvements & Cost Reduction
By using SEGRON’s ATF, network operators can achieve higher test quality in record time. The result is a significant reduction in costs and improved resource utilization.
Shortened Time-to-Market & Improved Testing Processes
By running the SEGRON ATF in an existing testing environment, operators can optimize processes and shorten time-to-market for all types of product deployments. If desired, the solution can be used in conjunction with manual testing to ensure optimal quality assurance in any network environment.
Keyword Driven Testing
Our product is designed with easy-to-read, technology-independent test case design. Users can quickly and easily write test cases on their own.
Powerful Reporting & Analysis
SEGRON’s ATF generates test reports that add value for both reporting management and troubleshooting. E-mail alerts can be configured to send notifications when network issues are detected (applicable for 24/7 testing).
Latest Newly Released Devices
Our end-to-end testing approach utilizes the latest out-of-the-box Android and iOS smartphones without rooting or jailbreaking. This means that tests are performed with the exact devices and firmware versions that end-customers will be using.
Integration with Major Network Equipment
SEGRON’s ATF is designed to integrate with the MML (Man-Machine Learning) and GUI (Graphical User Interface) configuration interface for all major IT and telco equipment suppliers. This enables flexible configuration and log file analysis to ensure the highest possible test quality.
Test-ready Out-of-the-Box (OTB)
We have already automated >10,000 test cases for all possible telco test scenarios. Areas like VoLTE, VoWiFi, CS, PS, VPN, emergency calls and many others are covered and available out-of-the-box.
End-to-End Product Characteristics
Deliver your services with speed and quality. Based on numerous years of IoT, field trial, and commercial deployment experience on both the operator and the vendor side, SEGRON’s testing solutions are tailored to improve quality, shorten project duration and reduce project costs. Our testing framework is designed to meet your most demanding technical needs without sacrificing ease-of-use or readable reporting to help you maintain a positive ROI.
GUI Automation
WebUI (HTML, java), applications (java, Windows executables), command prompt (SOAP, LDAP interface).
Smartphone Automation
We automate testing on the latest iOS and Android smartphones without adding specialized software onto the phone and without jailbreaking or rooting. The phones are exactly as end-customers are using them. We can also automate customer specific firmware and applications.
Application Testing
Built-in app (e.g. iPhone app) testing, user app (e.g. WhatsApp) testing, custom app testing.
SIP Phone Automation
We support a large portfolio of SIP phones and SIP apps to verify interworking between mobile and land-line services.
Legacy Telephony Testing
Analogue POTS lines, ISDN BR/PRI, analogue fax, data and voice service verification, including audio analysis (tones, path and announcements)
Beyond End2End® Product Characteristics
Testing providers place a lot of value on end-to-end frameworks, but simply tracking success or failure, even for end-to-end processes, can still leave a lot to be desired. The SEGRON ATF is designed to go deeper, offering users test data that covers the space between your endpoints, such as signalling patterns. This can help you uncover errors and potential service issues that would otherwise remain hidden, even in cases where all relevant tests seem to pass.
Signalling Protocol Analysis
Signal tracing and analysis are essential for high quality testing. The ATF Signalling Protocol Analysis feature is the direct result of decades of proven field experience in software development and signalling network design. It enable users to analyse and verify the entire 3GPP and IETF protocol stack on a bit level. The ATF easily analyses all protocols decoded by Wireshark.
Audio Verification
The ATF can easily analyse tones, speech path, and announcements on all automated end devices including, but not limited to, smartphones, SIP phones, and legacy phones. Tones can be analyzed in connection and in a pre-connection state (e.g. ring-back tones, dial-tones, etc.). Voice path verification is performed with ITU (International Telecommunications Union) compliant voice samples.
Machine Interface Automation
The ATF integrates with the MML syntax of all major network equipment manufacturers, and is designed to integrate with the MML and GUI configuration interface for all major IT and telco equipment manufacturers. This feature enables flexible configuration and internal log analysis to ensure the highest possible test quality.
Protocol Analyser
Protocol Analyzer / Centralized Monitoring System Automation like Wireshark, or any other monitoring system offering API.
Automated Document Analysis
The ATF is capable of verifying PDF documents, such as customer invoices and orders.
Charging Verification
Automated collection and analysis of CDR/EDR (Call Data Records/Event Data Records) enables the ATF to verify accurate customer billing.
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