Agilent Technologies' Enhanced Signaling Analyzer for LTE Supports Entire Network in Real Time

The SART's access to air-interface data sources permits industry-unique end-to-end call trace across both LTE and non-LTE network components, eliminating the multiple iterations of testing required when using individual point solutions. End-to-end visibility, along with more efficient and scalable hardware and software, accelerates 4G development, deployment and critical time to market.



Operators who once gave themselves eighteen to twenty-four months to set up UMTS want LTE networks successfully operating in nine to twelve. This can't happen if the time it takes to conduct network trials increases with the rate of traffic.



'Deploy it right, but bring it to market fast' is today's mantra, as carriers race to realize 4G technology, said Steve Urvik, protocol analysis and diagnostics marketing manager for Agilent's Network Solutions Division. SART has performed faster and better than other solutions in side-by-side competition. It is the only system that provides end-to-end, real-time analysis, whether the focus is on network performance, RF performance, IMS service delivery, etc. This is critical when 'early to market' means 'early to market share.'



Agilent has improved SART LTE's efficiency, speed and scope by offering:



* The integration of multiple air-interface data sources -- end-to-end analysis is impossible without access to the air-interface, which is the most problematic and error prone part of a wireless network. SART's data sources include Agilent's own Drive Test for LTE and third-party air-probe devices, such as those offered by industry-proven Sanjole WaveJuge and Intellijudge products;

* support for any transport technology and network configuration -- SART is ready today for MPLS, VLAN, and the now essential Internet Protocol, IPv6. Comparing competitive systems in real-word trials, SART was the only solution that could adequately manage these various configurations;

* real-time deciphering of the Non-Access Stratum (NAS) -- SART provides automatic real-time deciphering of messages that have been scrambled for security purposes. Without deciphering functionality, analysis is not possible; and

* support for the evolution of 3G -- SART's improved capabilities are not restricted to 4G; the system also accommodates updates of 3G, including a major new feature of UMTS R8, Dual Carrier HSDPA.



Agilent also has increased SART's speed, scalability and cost-effectiveness with enhanced hardware intelligent processing in the probe. This provides improved user plane data management and IP packet processing allowing the software to focus on higher-level analysis.