extract from tems investigation 17.0 help

Chapter 12. Service Control

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12. Service Control

12.1. Introduction to Service Control

The Service Control tool is used to compose scripts that automate service testing – PS as well as CS. Scripting guarantees consistency of measurements, with tests being executed in a uniform and rigorously controlled manner. Scripts also allow you to create advanced testing setups that would be awkward or impossible to manage by operating devices manually.

The range of application of Service Control scripts is as follows:

• Circuit-switched voice and video calls are supported.

• Data service testing encompasses the following services and protocols: ABM (available bandwidth measurement), email, FTP, HTTP, MMS, Ping, SIP, SMS, TCP, Traceroute, UDP, video streaming, VoIP, WAP, and Weibo. Which of these are testable for particular cellular technologies is tabulated in section 12.3. With multiple devices activated, multiple data connections can be maintained concurrently.1

• Scanning can be scripted for all devices indicated in the introduction of chapter 18.

Special activities are available:

• for recording data collected while executing the scripts. The recordings will be regular logfiles (extension .trp).

• for applying various control functions to devices, such as RAT lock and band lock

• for AT commands.

1. Exception: See the Device Configuration Guide, section 12.3 regarding Ericsson Fixed Wireless Terminals.

TEMS Investigation 17.0 User’s Manual

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12.2. Capabilities of Devices

Apart from technology-related restrictions as noted in section 12.3, phone devices sold with TEMS Investigation 17.0 (listed in the Device Configuration Guide, section 2.2.1.1) normally support all types of script activities.

12.3. Supported Services by Cellular Technology

For scanning, there are no technology-related restrictions. What scanning devices can have their actions scripted is stated in chapter 18 (introduction).

Service/Technology

CS voice calls N/A CS video calls N/A ABM Email FTP HTTP MMS Ping SMS1

1. CDMA: Qualcomm chipset based devices only.

TCP UDP Video streaming VoIP WAP


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12.4. The Service Control Designer

The Service Control Designer window is where you compose service control workflows (scripts):

• The Activity pane is a palette holding all script building blocks: for running services, for controlling devices, and for execution flow control.

• The Workflow pane is the area where you assemble your script graphically in the form of a flowchart.

• The Properties pane contains properties of the activity that you are currently working with (the one currently selected in the Workflow pane).

• In the Configuration Sets pane you define various entities that can be reused in any script, for example all the details of accessing a particular FTP server.

In the Properties and Configuration Sets panes, items can either be grouped into categories or be listed in alphabetical order; use the buttons at the top to toggle between the two display modes. At the bottom of each pane is a box showing an explanation for the item currently selected.


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The rest of this chapter is organized as follows. First comes a hands-on tutorial on how to build and run scripts, with numerous screenshots and examples (sections 12.5–12.15). Next, some additional features of the Service Control tool are covered (sections 12.16–12.19). Finally, there follows a reference part cataloging all script activity types with their properties and associated configuration sets (section 12.20).

12.5. Basics of Creating Scripts (with Voice)

This section covers the fundamentals of creating a complete and valid script that is ready to be run. For purposes of illustration we will build a very simple script that dials single voice calls. Video calls are handled in similar fashion.

• Add a voice dial activity to the script. To this end, expand the Voice node in the Activity pane and drag the Dial item to the empty workflow. (The cross-reference here, just like others that follow, points to the reference section 12.20.)

• The Dial box is tagged by an exclamation mark. This means that the activity is not yet properly configured. A similar exclamation mark in the Properties pane indicates the property that is undefined: “Configuration”.


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• What we need to do is to define a configuration set for the Dial activity. This is done in the Configuration Sets pane. For a voice dial, the configuration consists simply of the phone number to call. (In other cases it can be more complex, as will be seen later.)

• Give the configuration a suitable name, such as one identifying the subscription having this number. The example below uses a neutral designation “Voice Call Recipient 1”, for which you will probably want to substitute something more specific.

• Finish by clicking the Apply button.

• The Properties and Workflow panes are now updated with the configuration data.


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When just dialing a call like this, it will not have a duration. The call will be established and then immediately hung up (since the script has run to completion). To give duration to a call, use the Wait activity: compare section 12.10.5.

• Drag the Wait activity to a position just below the voice dial box. The graphical user interface helps you position the Wait box correctly by means of guiding symbols and text.

• Set the duration of the wait in the Properties pane:

• Finally, add a Hang Up activity after the wait.


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If you want the script to control both caller and receiver, turn to section 12.10.4 for guidance.

12.6. Setting Up a Network Connection

This section shows how to set up a network connection, which is a necessary preparation for running data services.

• Expand the IP node in the Activity pane and add a Network Connect activity to the script.

• Again you will be notified that a matching configuration is missing:


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• A configuration for a data connection is created in the same way as one for voice, only it contains many more parameters. In particular, you need to specify what connection mode to use (NDIS, RAS, or Wi-Fi). See section 12.23.2 for full details.

• Once you have the configuration down, point to it from the Configuration field in the activity properties. Later on, if you have multiple network connect configurations defined, you can pick and choose among them.

12.7. Setting Up a Data Service Activity

In this section, we will set up an FTP download as an example of a data service activity. We will use the data connection configuration created in section 12.6.

• First add a Network Connect activity. Associate it with the “Test Config 1” configuration set created in section 12.6.

• Then add a Network Disconnect activity at the bottom of the workflow. The disconnect operation will take down the network connection. This activity needs no particular configuration, so you do not need to associate it with a configuration set.


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• The FTP session itself is handled by the FTP Download activity. Insert an activity of this type between network connect and disconnect:

• For the FTP Download activity, you need to create a configuration set representing the FTP server and how to access it. Again this is done in similar fashion as for previously created configurations.


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• After completing the definition of the FTP server configuration, reference it from the FTP Download activity in the same manner as before.

12.8. Stand-alone PS Attach and Detach

In this section we will perform explicit PS attach and detach operations in isolation. One reason for doing this could be to measure the time taken by these operations, particularly for the purpose of computing KPIs. We will reuse the configuration sets and activities from sections 12.6 and 12.7.

• We begin with the FTP download workflow from section 12.7.

• At the start of this workflow, add a PS Detach and a PS Attach activity, in that order (they are found in the IP category). This will detach the device from the PS network and then reattach the device.


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See also section 12.9.

12.9. Snippets

A snippet is a fixed sequence of activities that is defined as a building block and can be reused as such, saving time and effort when creating new scripts.

Predefined snippets for all supported services are provided in the Activity pane. For an example of such a predefined snippet in use, see section 12.10.4.

The predefined snippets are also tailored to produce all data required to compute KPIs. (The KPI computation itself is done in TEMS Discovery Device.) Compare chapter 39.

You can also save an arbitrary activity sequence as a user-defined snippet:

• Select all of the activities by dragging the mouse pointer, then enter the File menu and select Save as Snippet. You are prompted to name and describe the snippet.

12.10. Workflow Control Structures

The Control Flow node in the Activity pane contains a number of logical constructs and timers for controlling the script execution flow.


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12.10.1. Sequences

You can formally define a group of activities in a script as a sequence. This is handy if you want to apply some operation to all of these activities – for example, to enable or disable them.

• Suppose your script includes PS detach followed by PS attach as described in section 12.8. Suppose further that you want a convenient means of turning the detach/attach activities on and off. You can then encapsulate the PS Detach and PS Attach activities within a sequence.

• Expand the Control Flow node and from it drag a Sequence activity to a position immediately above the PS Detach activity:

• Select the PS Detach and PS Attach activities by holding Ctrl and clicking each activity, then drag them both (using the PS Detach box as handle) into the sequenceActivity1 box. You can now enable and disable the detach–attach sequence as a whole:


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Compare section 12.15.5. For full details on the Sequence activity, see section 12.22.5.

12.10.2. If–Else Constructs

An if–else construct is used to split the execution flow into several branches based on the outcome of a previous activity.

Here is an example. Suppose the device is on a WCDMA network and is instructed to do an FTP download. Now if the device is handed over to GSM, so that the throughput is sharply reduced, then we want to abandon the download, i.e. the activity should terminate. (This is accomplished by imposing a “terminate on event” condition on the activity; see section 12.12.) After a handover to GSM has occurred, we want to proceed with a voice call (which does not require a large bandwidth). If on the other hand the device remains on WCDMA, then after the FTP download has completed we want to continue with a video streaming session.

To this end we use an if–else construct in the following manner:

• First add a Network Connect activity, and then an FTP Download activity with the Abort property set to On Event and “Handover from UTRAN” selected as event type:

• Then add an If–Else activity below the FTP download:

– For the left-hand branch (“ifElseBranchActivity1”), set Condition Type to Activity Result, and set the associated attributes as follows: Activity = the name of the FTP download activity, by default “ftpDownloadActivity1”, Operator = Equals, Result = Stopped by Event. See next screenshot.

– For the right-hand branch (“ifElseBranchActivity2”), set Condition Type to Any. This always evaluates to true, so that the right-hand branch will be executed whenever the condition in the left-hand branch is false. (Not shown in the screenshot below.)


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• Add a voice dial activity on the left (to the node “sequenceActivity1”) and a streaming activity on the right (to the node “sequenceActivity2”), as described in the introduction of this subsection. This is done just as in sections 12.5 and 12.7 and is not detailed here.

See section 12.22.1 for full details on the If–Else activity.

12.10.3. While Loops

While loops are used to repeat a sequence of activities a predetermined number of times.

• Suppose we want to execute an FTP download five times over.

• Begin by dragging While activity to the start of the workflow. (Just as with sequences – compare section 12.10.1 –, you first add the empty While construct to the workflow, then fill it with the desired contents.)

• In the Properties pane, set the number of times you want to iterate the while loop. Below, by entering the value 5, we stipulate that the loop should be run five times in total.


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• Now drag the predefined FTP download snippet into the while loop, dropping it onto “sequenceActivity1” in the indicated spot (“Drop Activities Here”):

• It may be desirable to insert a brief pause after each pass through the while loop. You can accomplish this by appending a Wait activity at the end of the FTP snippet:


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• Set the duration of the wait in the Properties pane:

For example, if you set Duration to 10 s, the script will perform five FTP downloads in succession with a 10 s idle interval between downloads.

See section 12.22.2 for full details on the While activity.

12.10.4. Parallel Activities

All scripts so far have been written for a single device engaged in one activity at a time. However, a script can also control the activities of multiple devices, or assign multiple parallel activities to the same device.

12.10.4.1. Example 1: CS Voice/Video – Caller and Receiver

For example, if one phone is to place a voice or video call to another, caller and receiver must be put in parallel, one dialing and the other answering. To create a branching structure for these concurrent tasks, we use the Parallel activity from the Control Flow category. See the screenshot below, where EQ1 calls EQ2:


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A parallel structure is also recommended for MMS send/receive.

12.10.4.2. Example 2: Concurrent Activities on Different Devices

Next is a slightly more complicated example. Suppose that we want to control three UEs in parallel, one performing downloads over FTP and the other two looping short voice calls. For this purpose we need to build a somewhat more complicated workflow, as detailed in this section.

• First add a While activity and set it to run 10 times. This will become an outer loop repeating the various activities that will be included in it.


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• Remove “sequenceActivity1” by selecting it and pressing Delete. (The Sequence activity is created automatically, but in this case we do not need it at the topmost level – compare the steps that follow.)

• Drop a Parallel activity inside the while loop.

• Since the Parallel construct by default provides only two branches, we need to add one more. To this end, right-click the “parallelActivity1” box and choose Add Branch from the context menu. The structure is now expanded with a third branch:


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It is now time to define the service-related activities. Let us begin with the voice calls:

• Add while loops to branches 2 and 3 and set each to execute 5 times.

• Add a voice call snippet (a predefined one is found in the Activity pane) to each while loop. Set the wait time to 10 seconds.

• To assign the activities to the correct devices, we need to change the equipment (EQ) parameter to EQ2 and EQ3 in branch 2 and branch 3 respectively. This is done in the Properties pane or from the context menu for each activity.

After these steps, branches 2 and 3 of the workflow should have the following structure:


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• Next, define the FTP task for device no. 1. All you need to do here is to add an FTP download snippet to branch 1 and associate it with a functional configuration.

In the screenshot that follows, the voice sequences have been collapsed to clarify the overall structure of the workflow.


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This script will conduct a total of 10 FTP downloads and 2 × 5 × 10 = 100 voice calls.

See section 12.22.3 for full details on the Parallel activity.

Note: When composing a script for multiple concurrent data service sessions using multiple devices, it is wise to make sure that these sessions are not all initiated simultaneously. It is better to let the sessions start one at a time, allowing at least a few seconds between successive initiations. Insert Wait activities as appro-priate to achieve this. (No such Waits are present in the above example, which contains only one data service session.)

extract from tems investigation 17.0 help

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