System for administering test cases from a mobile device for a telecommunications network

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11297513-B2
Application number	US-202016909941-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2020
Priority date	Jun 23, 2020
Publication date	Apr 5, 2022
Grant date	Apr 5, 2022

Abstract

The disclosed technology includes at least one method that enables a user of a wireless mobile device to remotely administer test cases that check the performance of telecommunications network nodes. The method includes authenticating a user for a limited time period in which the user can remotely administer the test cases. While being temporarily authenticated, the user can configure the test cases by associating services or operations with particular nodes. The executed test cases cause the nodes to generate data that indicate performance of the nodes in response to the services or operations. The results can be displayed at the mobile device used to remotely administer the test cases.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method performed by a server computer of a testing system to test performance of a particular node of a telecommunications network, the method comprising:
receiving an authentication request message issued by a wireless mobile device to authorize a user of the wireless mobile device to remotely administer a test protocol of the testing system from the wireless mobile device,
wherein the authentication request message is communicated to the server computer over a first type of communication channel and includes identifying information of the user,

in response to the authentication request message, authenticating the user by:
matching the identifying information with information stored at a registry of multiple registered users,
wherein the multiple registered users are pre-authorized to remotely administer test protocols on the network from wireless mobile devices;

communicating a security token to the wireless mobile device over a second type of communication channel,
wherein the second type of communication channel is different from the first type of communication channel; and

receiving a response message issued by the wireless mobile device,
wherein the response message is received over the first type of communication channel and includes a copy of the security token; and

authenticating the user by verifying authenticity of the copy of the security token;

in response to authenticating the user, temporarily authorizing the user to remotely administer the test protocol from the wireless mobile device,
wherein the temporary authorization terminates upon expiration of a predefined time period during which the user is authorized to remotely administer the test protocol;

configuring the test protocol based on an instruction issued by the wireless mobile device,
wherein the test protocol is configured to include a test case for a service or operation to be performed by the telecommunications network and identify the particular node,

causing execution of the test case on the telecommunications network in accordance with the test protocol,
wherein execution of the test case causes the server computer to collect performance data of the particular node in response to performance of the service or operation by the telecommunications network; and

communicating, by the server computer to the wireless mobile device, at least an indication of a result for display on a display device of the wireless mobile device,
wherein the result includes an indication of the performance data of the particular node.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the service or operation includes a simulated voice call, the particular node is an IP multimedia subsystem (IMS) node, and the test case is configured to automate collection of log data of the IMS node during the voice call.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test case specifies an input, execution condition, testing procedure, or expected result to assess performance of the particular node in response to the service or operation.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first type of communication channel is a mobile broadband communication channel and the second type of communication channel is an SMS communication channel.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the test protocol based on the instruction issued by the wireless mobile device comprises:
adding a test case for each of multiple nodes of the telecommunications network,
wherein each test case and each of the multiple nodes are selected at the wireless mobile device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the particular node is a Telephony Application Server (TAS) node or a Call Session Control Function (CSCF) node.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to receiving the authentication request message issued by the wireless mobile device:
receiving a registration request message to register the user with the testing system,
wherein the registration request message includes unique information that identifies the user;

in response to the registration request message to register the user, communicating a notification to a computing device of an administrator user of the testing system,
wherein the notification enables the administrator user to grant registration of the user with the testing system,

receiving an indication that the administrator user granted registration of the user with the testing system; and
in response to receiving the indication that the administrator user granted registration of the user with the testing system, storing an indication of the registration of the user at the registry of the multiple registered users.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein authenticating the user further comprises:
communicating a notification to a computing device of an administrator user of the testing system,
wherein the notification enables the administrator user to grant the temporary authorization of the user to remotely administer the test protocol from the wireless mobile device; and

receiving an indication that the administrator granted the temporary authorization of the user.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the test protocol based on the instruction issued by the wireless mobile device comprises:
receiving the instruction as issued by a virtual agent of a testing application running on the wireless mobile device,
wherein the instruction is generated by the virtual agent based on a natural language command input by the user of wireless mobile device.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the registry of the multiple registered users includes a time period associated with each registered user, the method further comprises, prior to configuring the test protocol:
receiving a timestamp generated by the wireless mobile device,
wherein receipt of the timestamp commences the time period associated with the registered user as indicated in the registry.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein temporarily authorizing the user to remotely administer the test protocol from the wireless mobile device comprises:
enabling access to multiple preconfigured test cases for the testing system,
wherein each preconfigured test case includes at least one of a specific service or operation to be performed by the telecommunications network or an identification of a specific node subject to a performance assessment.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the test protocol based on the instruction issued by the wireless mobile device comprises:
receiving an indication that the test case is one of multiple preconfigured test cases selected by the user on the wireless mobile device; and
retrieving the test case form a library of the preconfigured test cases.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein configuring the test protocol based on the instruction issued by the wireless mobile device comprises:
receiving an indication of a selection of the particular node of the test case; and
associating the test case with the particular node in the test protocol.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the test case includes a log collection automation script to collect log data of the particular node in response to the test case.

15. A system comprising:
a handheld mobile device including:
a display device;
one or more processors; and
a memory coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the handheld mobile device to:
initiate a multi-factor authentication process to authenticate a user of the handheld mobile device with a testing system of a telecommunicatio

Assignees

• T Mobile Usa Inc

Inventors

• Agarwal Bikash
• Kovtunenko Artem
• Menon Nidhin
• Kotta Madhuri
• Bijlani Sharmeelee
• Shu Wen

Classifications

• H04B17/29

  Performance testing · CPC title

• H04W24/06

  Testing, {supervising or monitoring} using simulated traffic · CPC title

• H04M7/0078

  Security; Fraud detection; Fraud prevention · CPC title

• H04M1/24

  Arrangements for testing · CPC title

• H04L63/102

  Entity profiles · CPC title