TAMS Overview
Distributed Network Monitoring and
Analysis System for Multi-Protocol
Environments
Accanto Systems' Traffic Analysis and Monitoring System (TAMS) is one of the fastest growing multi-protocol systems in the service provider market today. This explosive growth in worldwide sales is due to its unique ability to be used as a single, stand-alone analyzer for troubleshooting, and then seamlessly scale into a geographically dispersed, multi-probe system which correlates call detail information from a diverse mix of network topologies.
TAMS achieves all this in a multi-user environment, allowing it to serve both as a local troubleshooting tool and as an advanced, multi-protocol, deep-memory probe for the greater system. All other vendors require the purchase of additional systems due to probe incompatibility in large system configurations.
TAMS was also first-to-market with powerful correlation software enabling fast, drill-down viewing of CDRs (Call Detail Records) collected from a variety of network types. Now, in a single platform, customers are able to see a complete CDR, which can be analyzed to the frame level for isolating call performance problems and QoS. Faster visibility is a key reason why telecom and mobile operators are purchasing Accanto Systems' TAMS.
Highlights
- Diagnoses network problems and identifies their root causes
- Monitors both signaling and traffic
- Provides NOCs with a network-independent monitoring facility
- Provides active support for call diagnostics
- Delivers multiple views and reports at various user levels
- Proactively monitors service quality for each service and customer
- Can be deployed incrementally as requirements grow
TAMS Features
- Supports all the main protocols currently deployed in fixed and mobile networks
- Uses Accanto Systems' protocol analyzers for network data acquisition
- Open-platform based on Oracle® database/web interface
- Multi-protocol correlation
- Extensive reporting capabilities
- Flexible alarms generator
TAMS Benefits
- Around-the-clock data collection
- Network-independent signaling and traffic monitoring
- End-to-end call troubleshooting
- Multi-level reporting for users with different needs
- Feeds data to other OSS systems
System Architecture
The TAMS system utilizes probes as acquisition devices distributed over the Network Under Monitor to generate raw CDR and protocol-level statistics. This raw data is then collected by the TAMS Data Collection Server (DCS) and is dispatched to the different applications implemented over the Oracle® database.TAMS can be deployed with both the 3GMaster® and NeTracker® protocol analyzer models acting as probes.
Users interact with the presentation layer which offers real-time, near-real-time and elapsed-time details. One of the primary applications of TAMS is to provide a unified environment that enables call trace, call correlation, traffic alarms, graphic traffic analysis and hotspot identification.
Detailed Features
| Feature | Description |
| Historical Session Analysis with Drill-down Capability |
TAMS is capable of correlating all CDRs belonging to a specific call upon pre-configured correlation, routing and network topology rules. This correlation occurs over all protocols employed. The user searches the specific call within a CDR repository, where the system is capable of automatically showing all correlated call legs. |
| Multi-Protocol Correlated Trace | Once a specific call has been located, the user can examine its protocol sequence through the CDR-to-Frame capability in order to obtain a unified view of the entire call by means of ladder diagrams. |
| Traffic Monitoring | Traffic metrics (KPIs) computed by the monitoring system provide the operator with near-real-time visibility of how well the network is performing. Proactive actions to control or prevent problems can then be taken based on the collected indicators. TAMS can aggregate these statistics by configurable destinations including IP addresses, Point Codes and Called/Calling Numbers. |
| Traffic Alarms | TAMS can generate alarms based upon thresholds to intercept degradations of specific traffic indicators such as ASR or Call Completions. Mirroring the Traffic Monitoring function, these alarms can by grouped by configurable destinations including IP addresses, Point Codes and Called/Calling Numbers. |
| Signaling Link Outage Detection | TAMS provides real-time visibility into the health of the signaling network, detecting failures and critical conditions affecting network availability. The database logs all events related to the availability of the signaling links (i.e. in-service, out-of-service). Combinations of events can be defined to generate alarms stored in the Alarm Log. |
| Real-Time Network Call Trace | Typically,the Network Under Monitor implements multiple signaling protocols, thus increasing the operational complexity of troubleshooting a call while it is going through the network. The real-time network call trace allows the tracing of a call while it is in progress. The user configures the parameters upon which the call must be traced and then waits for the signaling messages to appear when detected by the remote probes. This tool works in single as well as multi-protocol environments. |
| Voice Quality of Service (QoS) Scoring |
Voice calls are analyzed to provide real-time QoS scoring (MOS and R-Factor according to ITU G.107) of live subscriber audio traffic. All QoS data, as well as Packet Loss, Jitter and Duplications are stored in the CDRs for successive reporting or alarming purposes. |
| Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP) Analysis |
TAMS provides an extensive set of RTP measurements such as Jitter, Packet Loss and Duplications. Indicators can be obtained on specific routes such as Origination/Destination IP Addresses or Called/Calling Numbers. |
| Reports Scheduler | Reports can be automatically generated daily, weekly or monthly. |
| Off-line Analysis | TAMS allows off-line protocol analysis including searching and filtering months of data to perform troubleshooting for problems which have already occurred. |
| Extensive Protocol Support | PSTN - ISUP, INAP, CAP, MAP,
AIN, SCCP, TCAP, ISDN NGN - H.323, SIP, SIP-T, MGCP, MEGACO, ISUP-IVS Sigtran - SCTP, SUA, M2PA, M3UA, M2PA, M2UA, IUA, E-ISUP, ISUP over RUDP |
Real-World Deployment Examples
The following table outlines just a few of the real-world deployments where TAMS has been selected as the primary analysis and monitoring tool.
| Application | Key Tasks | TAMS Selection Criteria |
| Optimization/Monitoring of Core and Access networks for Mobile Data Services |
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| Monitoring of UMTS network |
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| Monitoring of NGN network |
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| Monitoring of international SS7 connections |
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| Monitoring of inter-carrier SS7 traffic |
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| Monitoring of intelligent network transactions (AIN over SS7 and SIGTRAN) |
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Remote Probes for TAMS
TAMS relies on acquisition devices distributed over the Network Under Monitor, that generate CDR and protocol level statistics. Raw data is then collected by the TAMS Data Collection Server (DCS), and dispatched to the different applications implemented over the Oracle® database. TAMS can be deployed with the following Sunrise Telecom equipment:
- 3GMaster® 1000, 3000, 4000, 6000
- NeTracker® 1000, 3000, 4000, 6000