01-09-2014, 03:45 PM
PacketCable is a CableLabs-led initiative aimed at developing interoperable interface specifications for delivering advanced, real-time multimedia services over a two-way cable plant." Its charter is to enable multimedia services by building upon the cable modem infrastructure using IP technology. As you will learn throughout this book, PacketCable leverages existing technologies, such as DOCSIS and existing VoIP protocols, to achieve its goal. Cable providers or Multiple Systems Operators (MSOs) are expanding their competitive offerings in an effort to better serve their customers and increase revenue. High-speed data, video-on-demand, interactive gaming, videoconferencing, and telephony are some examples of these value-added services. PacketCable provides a framework MSOs can use to ensure the successful deployment of these services over a broadband cable network.
Automation Framework Overview
a. It requires TCL SIM Package and Abacus Package installed on a PC1
b. Main TCL Script is executed with the help of TCLSim Tool.
c. This main automation script Invokes TCLSIM commands to control PACT which directly controls eMTA.
d. Main Script also invokes Abacus commands/APIs to control Abacus devices (which acts as a telephone/FAX machine)
e. eMTA are controlled through the telnet session to start, stop and transfer the logs.
f. Results of the test along with all wireshark captures /emta logs are stored in a specific folder
g. Logs captured on eMTAs, Call Agent Server and Abacus are analyzed to make the test case as Pass/Fail.
Functionality Following steps are performed in the automated environment when the main script is executed
1) Initialize the Provisioning Module of TCLSim.
2) Modify the devices entries on PACT with proper TLV file
3) Reset the eCM/eMTA and check for the Provisioning complete status,admin status and Operator status on each endpoint.
4) Read the file1 (loadfile.txt based on whether BTS or Asterisk is available ) to execute different Environments/Test cases in a loop.
5) Make a directory on localhost (ie host TCLSim Machine) in “result “2 folder with the environment name so that all the logs related to that particular Testcase are saved there.
6) Remotely logging onto BTS (in PC1.5) to change the profile3 or change the corresponding MIB value in PC2.0 and activate the vsc code for the test plan .
7) Telnet to the VPN client to start capture of wireshark logs for analyzing Signalling messages( to be used by developer if something goes wrong)
8) Telnet to the boards to start capturing of logs.
9) Check if any processes like tcpdump, tftp or defunct process are already running on the board , if yes, then they are killed .
10) The tcpdump capture are started on all the boards.
11) For each environment in the test file , the connection to Abacus machine is established, environment is loaded, test is started for specified duration1 and then the test is stopped.
12) Check for events other than START and STOP. If any other event comes then the test is stopped in between and test case is marked as FAIL.
13) The abacus logs are taken for each environment and saved on a file on remote machine where other logs are saved eg MOS, Round Trip Delay, Fax pages received (incase of FAX related Tests),etc
14) Telnet to the VPN client to stop wireshark logs and transfer them on host machine.
15) Telnet on the board again to stop the tcpdump captures.
16) Transferring all the tcpdump ,and emta logs on the remote machine.
17) Checking of any core formation and if yes, transferring the same to Host machine for further analysis.
18) Monitoring the overall health of all the boards through SNMP GET after successful execution of the testcase.