What test tools are available for/with OpenSS7?

Description: OpenSS7 Frequently Asked Questions #18.

OpenSS7 has no test tools of its own for testing SS7. Test tools for SS7 can be found from any of the popular SS7 protocol test companies such as the Inet SPECTRA. (A web search will help you out here.)

There are a number of tools built into the Linux NET4 code which will help you to test an OpenSS7 stack implementation. One of these is the PACKET_SOCKET which is also supported by the OpenSS7 stack. See `man 7 packet'. The procfs and sysctrl support of the OpenSS7 stack permits statistics to be used to assist in debugging the OpenSS7 stack and interfaces.

The popular Ethereal package can be used with SUA, M3UA, M2UA, M2PA and custom extensions to debug non-physical SS7 link interface drivers and debug the OpenSS7 L2 and L3 state machine implementations without a real interface. Some tools will eventually be written to run Q.781 and Q.782 conformance tests against virtual SS7 links using the SUA, M3UA, M2UA and M2PA protocols. Stay tuned.

The OpenSS7 SS7 Stack is, however, fully instrumented. It is possible to monitor messages and primitives at each boundary of the protocol stack. Also, conformance test suites are distributed with the stack that provides conformance verification on the stack components.