WO2017142537A1

WO2017142537A1 - Mobile session test

Info

Publication number: WO2017142537A1
Application number: PCT/US2016/018439
Authority: WO
Inventors: Rocco DICARLO
Original assignee: Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development Lp
Priority date: 2016-02-18
Filing date: 2016-02-18
Publication date: 2017-08-24

Abstract

A test of features and elements of a mobile network operator system during a session communicating with a remote network service is disclosed. A method includes generating a mobile operator session, with a test subscriber attempting to interact with the remote network service. The address of the remote network service is modified to establish a session with a sink instead of the remote network service. Test signaling flow information is injected into a charging gateway of the mobile network operator. Further, test payload data is injected into a packet gateway of the mobile network operator to interact with the sink and simulate interaction with the remote network service.

Description

MOBILE SESSION TEST

Background

[0001] A mobile network is a communication network with a wireless link to a user device, such as a mobile smart phone, tablet, personal computer, or other transceiver. The network is distributed over land areas called cells, each served by at least one fixed-location transceiver, such as a base station. The base station provides the cell with the communication coverage that can be used for transmission of signals representative of voice, data, and other forms

communications. A system of many proximate or partially overlapping cells can provide radio coverage over a wide geographic area to enable a large number of portable transceivers to communicate with other transceivers in the network, via the base stations, even if some of the transceivers are moving through more than one cell during transmission. Additionally, mobile networks can enable user devices to be connected to and communicate with public switched telephone networks and remote networks such as the Internet.

[0002] A mobile network operator is a provider mobile network services and generally includes the elements to sell and deliver services to an end user including radio spectrum allocation, mobile network infrastructure, back haul infrastructure, billing, customer care, provisioning computer systems and marketing and repair organizations. In this disclosure, a mobile network operator can also include a network operator that access mobile network services at wholesale rates, such as a mobile virtual network operator, and provides the services to an end user. A mobile network operator typically also has provisioning, billing and customer care computer systems and the marketing, customer care and engineering organizations to sell, deliver and bill for services, however, these systems or functions can be outsourced. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0003] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example method of the disclosure.

[0004] Figure 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example system for use with the method of Figure 1 .

[0005] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example system of including elements of the system of Figure 2.

[0006] Figure 4 is a block diagram illustrating an example method including features of the method of Figure 1.

[0007] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example computing device that can be used to implement the methods of Figures 1 and 4 and the systems of Figure 2 and 3.

Detailed Description

[0008] In the following detailed description, reference is made to the

accompanying drawings which form a part hereof, and in which is shown by way of illustration specific examples in which the disclosure may be practiced. It is to be understood that other examples may be utilized and structural or logical changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following detailed description, therefore, is not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope of the present disclosure is defined by the appended claims. It is to be understood that features of the various examples described herein may be combined, in part or whole, with each other, unless specifically noted otherwise.

[0009] Mobile network operators often provide a mobile data service to allow end users to communicate with network service on remote, or external, networks such as the Internet via packet data using a packet data protocol including Internet Protocol (IP). Data between the user device is transmitted and received during "sessions" in which a communication link between the user device and the remote network service is activated on the mobile network.

Mobile network operators can charge for data transferred between the remote network service and the user device, and may include service plans based on volume of data transferred or other plans. Data transfers outside of a service plan may be charged as an overage, throttled, disallowed, or some combination of these or other contingencies. Mobile network operators can track the amount and duration of sessions as well as amounts of data transferred in the sessions, circumstances of the mobile user during the data transfers, and other events with billing, charging and related policy systems.

[0010] Mobile network operators can test the billing, charging, and related policy systems for various reasons that can include verifying correct operation, determining issues, and preparing the systems for new features or new plans. One form of testing involves drive testing, in which an actual mobile device is coupled to a computer and put through its paces on the mobile network. The mobile device can be provisioned with one or more subscription plans, be used to access remote network services such as websites in a session, and a tester can upload and download data between the mobile device and remote network service. Additionally, the tester can physically move the mobile device between cells or across network borders during a session, employ various radio access technologies during the session, and perform other tests. The results of the test can be recorded with the coupled computer.

[0011] Such drive testing is preferred to other forms of testing, such as load testing, because the drive testing involves activating actual network systems, such as network gateways to access the remote network services and network charging systems. Such testing, however, is laborious, time intensive, and expensive if performed at scale as it involves actual mobile devices that appropriate network resources such as telephone numbers. Accordingly, testing of billing, charging and other policy elements related to mobile data sessions is difficult and some mobile networks may include features that are not adequately tested and verified to perform as intended in certain circumstance including many permutations of sessions, mobile use, and available

subscriptions. [0012] Figure 1 illustrates an example method 100 of testing features and elements of a mobile network operator system during a session communicating with a remote network service, such as via a packet data protocol. In the example method 100, testing includes testing billing, charging, and related policy elements or features of the mobile network operator. Method 100 includes generating a mobile operator session, such as a packet data protocol session, with a test subscriber attempting to interact with the remote network service at 102. In one example, the remote network service is an Internet service. The address of the remote network service is modified to establish a session with a sink instead of the remote network service at 104. Test signaling flow information is injected into a charging gateway of the mobile network operator at 106. Further, test payload data is injected into a packet gateway of the mobile network operator to interact with the sink and simulate interaction with the remote network service at 108.

[0013] Method 100 can be implemented in a combination of hardware and computer programming, or software. For example, the programming can be processor-executable instructions, or machine-readable instructions, stored on at least one non-transitory machine-readable storage medium, such as storage device or memory. The hardware can include at least one processor to execute the instructions loaded or stored in memory. In some examples, the hardware can also include other electronic circuitry to at least partially implement at least one feature of method 100. In some examples, the at least one storage medium may store instructions that, when executed by the processor, at least partially implements some or all features of method 100. In some examples, method 100 can be at least partially implemented with electronic circuitry. One example system of hardware and programming is described below and illustrated in Figure 5.

[0014] Payload data, or service flow data, in one example, includes the data exchanged between the remote network service and the mobile device, e.g., the conversation between the network service and the user of the connected mobile device. For example, the remote network service can include a social media site, and payload data can include videos or posts of other users on the social media site as well as posts, or uploads, from the mobile device to the social media site. Other examples of payload data can include data from webpages, software updates, audio or video streaming. Payload data can affect charging, billing, and other policy elements of the mobile operator network. Payload data can also generate particular charging events, such as the purchase of video downloads or other events designed to activate or test the charging, billing, or related policy elements of the mobile network operator.

[0015] Payload data, in the example, is transferred in packets. A packet is the unit of data that is routed between an origin and a destination on a packet- switched network such as the Internet. When a file - including as an e-mail message, Hypertext Markup Language file, Graphics Interchange Format file, Uniform Resource Locator request, and other types of files - is transferred from the mobile network to another packet-switched network, or vice versa, the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) layer, for example, divides the file into packets of an efficient size for routing. Each of these packets is separately numbered and includes the address of the destination. The individual packets for the file may travel different routes through the remote network but are reassembled into the original file by the TCP layer at the receiving end.

[0016] In contrast to the payload data, signaling flow information includes information about the session, including session set up, session management, and session release information. For example, signaling flow information includes user information, device information such as an International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, location information (such as Cell ID (CID), Location Area Code (LAC), Tracking Area Code (TAC) and others), session duration such as start and stop times of the session, Access Point Name (APN) that describes the name of the gateway, Radio Access Technology (RAT) to describe the connection method of the session (including technologies available under the trade designations Wi-Fi, 3G, 4G, LTE, Bluetooth, and others), handoffs or handovers such as the process of transferring an ongoing session from one channel connected to a core network to another channel including RAT updates, information on roaming such as Public Land Mobile Network identifiers (PLMNID) and other information. As with payload data, signaling flow information can affect the billing, charging, and related policy elements of the mobile network operator.

[0017] Test signaling flow information and test payload data can be based on test parameters designed to test one or more elements or features of the mobile network operator. For example, the mobile operator session at 102 is created with a test scenario rather than an actual scenario having an actual subscriber using a physical mobile device to access the remote network service. The test scenario includes test signaling flow information designed to simulate actual signaling flow information during a session at 106. For example, a test scenario can be designed to mimic various user activities affecting signaling flow information including a mobile subscriber traveling across different LACs, using different RATs while viewing streaming videos and posting social media activity. The test scenario further includes test payload data designed to access and interaction with the remote network service. Rather than actually access and interact with the remote network service, the test scenario modifies the address of the remote network service at 104 such that the test payload data actually accesses and interacts with the sink, which can mimic the features of the remote network service at 108.

[0018] Figure 2 illustrates an example mobile operator session test system 200 to implement example method 100. Example test system 200 is configured to operate with mobile network operator system 202, such as the billing, charging, and related policy aspects of a mobile network. Mobile network operator system 202 can deliver services using one or, typically, more network architectures or radio access technologies including available under trade designation such as 2G, 3G, LTE, GSM, Wi-Fi, and others now or later developed.

[0019] An example mobile network operator system 202 can include a charging system 204, name server 206, an Authentication, Authorization and Accounting (AAA) manager, or AAA manager 208, and a gateway 210. In one example, charging system 204 can include charging policies and billing functions that access subscriber databases and produce items such as charge data records. An example name server 206 can implement the remote network service to provide responses to queries against a directory service. In one example, the name server 206 can include a Domain Name System (DNS) to resolve human- memorable domain names and hostnames into corresponding numeric Internet Protocol (IP) addresses.

[0020] The AAA manager 208 can employ a security architecture to control which users, including subscribers, have access to which systems within the mobile network operator 202, such as gateway 210, and can be implemented as an AAA server. In one example, the AAA manager 208 is employed to establish a session and accept signaling flow information.

[0021] Gateway 210 serves as an entry and exit point for communications between the subscribers and remote network services, such as between mobile browsers and mobile apps, i.e., computer programs designed to run on mobile devices, on subscriber devices and websites. An example of gateway 210 includes packet gateway and charging gateway aspects. For example, packet gateway aspects in mobile network operator system 202 send packet data from the subscribers using the mobile network to a selected remote network service, and charging gateway aspects inform charging system 204 of the subscribers' activities and activities of the session. The charging gateway aspects of gateway 210 receive signaling flow information from the AAA manager 208.

[0022] Test system 200 includes a test server 212, sink 214, and analytics server 216. In one example, test system 200 includes provisioned test subscribers 218 for performing method 100 rather than actual subscribers. The test system 200 is configured to apply or develop and apply a test scenario of the mobile network operating system 202 via test data implementing one or more test parameters. The test data can be applied as test signaling flow information and test payload data and based on the test parameters. The test data is applied to the mobile network operating system 202 via test server 212. Test system 200 can be implemented in a combination of hardware and programming, such as in the system described below and illustrated in Figure 5.

[0023] The test server 212 can inject the test signaling flow information and test payload data of the test scenario into the mobile network operator system 202 in a mobile operator session. In one example, the test server 212 can establish, maintain, and release a mobile operator session via the AAA manager 208 with the test signaling flow information, provide test payload data to the gateway 210 to interact with the remote network service, and modify the response from the name server 206 such that a session is established with the sink 214 rather than the remote network service.

[0024] The charging system 204 creates billing and charging data based on information received from the gateway 210 regarding the session, including signaling flow information and payload data, applied to a subscriber profile. The subscriber profile includes information on rating and plans being used to access the remote data network and other subscription information. For example, plans can include prepaid services from a particular mobile network operator, other forms of prepaid services form, monthly service contracts, contracts that provide for additional charges after a certain amount of payload data, device-related charges, and other charges. One, but often many, test subscribers 218 can be provisioned in the charging system 204, and then test data (signaling flow information and payload data) can be applied in a test session to the test subscribers 218 to generate the billing and charging data from the charging system 204.

[0025] The test system 200 includes the engines to create data and processes to mimic an actual session to affect the charging system 204. In this example, the test server 212 communicates with the AAA manager 208 to mimic an actual mobile device under various scenarios or circumstances a mobile device can encounter. Test subscribers 218 can include various billing and data plans the mobile network operator 202 may offer or encounter. The sink 214

communicates with the gateway 210 to simulate the remote network service and interact with the test payload data. In this example, the sink 214 communicates with the test server 212 via the gateway using test payload data to simulate a session between an actual mobile user and a remote network service. The charging system 204 can apply the test signaling data and the test payload data against the test subscriber plans and generate charges and data as it would in the actual course of operation.

[0026] The analytic server 216 compares the test session, such as the test scenario and interaction between the gateway 210 and sink 214, with a mobile network operator record of the test session produced by the charging system 204. For example, the analytics server 216 can determine discrepancies between the actual charges for the test sessions produced by charging system 204 and the expected charges for the test session.

[0027] Figure 3 illustrates a particular example system 300 incorporating test system 200 for generating mobile sessions to test packet and charging gateway aspects and policy, charging, and billing flows of a mobile network operator in mobile network operator system 202. In the example, test administration system 302 can include analytics server 216 and test subscribers 218 as well as test director server 304. Test administrator 302 can be deployed as system either externally or internally within the mobile network operator system 202. In one example, test administrator 302 can be deployed as an external cloud service for use with one or more mobile operator systems, such as mobile operator system 202 and can communicate with the mobile network operator system 202 over a computer network. In the example, test server 212 can be located within the mobile network operator system 202, such as an on-premises server, and operably communicating with the test administrator 302, such as with test director server 304 over a computer network. In the example, the sink 214 includes one or more network service in a network 306 remote from the mobile network operator system 202, and can include a network service deployed on the Internet. The sink 214 can be configured to operably communicate with one or more mobile operator systems, such as mobile network operator system 202 via IP.

[0028] One example of AAA manager 208 includes an AAA server that provides IP functionality via one or more protocols to support aspects including authentication, authorization and accounting. In one example, authentication, authorization and accounting includes authentication, authorization and accounting with secure transport. Example protocols can include RADIUS (Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service) and Diameter base protocols. In one example, AAA manger 208 includes one or more types of RADIUS servers.

[0029] In one example, the test server 212 injects test signaling flow data directly into the AAA manager 208 to establish a session. Test signaling flow data can be continuously, or repeatedly, injected into the AAA manager 208 throughout the session, to mimic actual signaling flow information in an actual session, to inform the mobile operator network system 202, or more particularly, the charging system 204, of changes in the session parameters, such as movement of the user, changes in RAT, and other parameters. The test signaling flow information can also be used to send the session.

[0030] Gateway 210 can include a packet gateway 308 and a charging gateway 310. In many examples the packet gateway 308 and charging gateway 310 are separate systems each implemented in a combination of hardware and software, but some commercial packet gateway devices can include charging gateway functions incorporated in processor-executable instructions.

[0031] Test signaling information provided to the AAA manager 208 is provided to the charging gateway 310. In this example, the test server 212 indirectly injects the test signaling information into the charging gateway 310.

[0032] Packet gateway 308 provides an interface between the mobile operator network technology, such as LTE or GSN, and other packet data networks, such as the Internet, Session Initiation Protocol (SlP)-based IP Multimedia

Subsystem (IMS) networks or other networks such as X.25 networks. In some examples, packet gateway 308 can include packet data network gateway (PGW), gateway GPRS support node (GGSN), or serving GPRS support node (SGSN) systems implemented in a combination of hardware and processor- executable instructions. In the example, packet gateway 308 interfaces with a selected remote network service on a packet data network via a query of the name server 206, such as a DNS query.

[0033] The test server 212 can modify the response of the name server 206 such that gateway 210, or more particularly the packet gateway 308,

communicates test payload data with the sink 214, or sinks 214, rather than the remote network services. For example, a remote network service can a social media site available under the trade designation Facebook from Facebook, Inc., of Menlo Park, California, under the human-memorable domain name

www.facebook.com, or similar domain name. Test server 212 modifies the response of the name server to resolve name to the numeric IP address of the sink 214.

[0034] Once the response of the name server 206 is modified, the sink 214 communicates with gateway 210 to substitute the responses and interactions of the remote network service. The test server 212 injects test payload data to the packet gateway 308 to access the remote network service, for example throughout the session, and the sink 214 responds or otherwise interacts with the test payload data. The sink 214 can include data and processes to simulate, or mimic, the remote network services, such as a social media site including data and processes to interact with the test payload data. In one example, the test payload data access the sink 214, and the sink 214 provides all or substantially all of the remaining payload data throughout the session. In another example, payload data is regularly uploaded to the sink 214 throughout the session.

[0035] The sink 214 can include data and processes to log various elements of the interaction, including amount of data provided to the packet gateway 308, types of data provided to the packet gateway 308 and data rates of the interaction, as well as other information. The logs of the interaction can be provided to the analytics server 216 and used to determine discrepancies between the actual charges for the test sessions produced by charging system 204 and the expected charges for the test session.

[0036] Charging gateway 310 interfaces with the packet gateway 308 and components of the charging system 204. For example, the charging gateway 310 interfaces with the packet gateway 308 to track subscriber session activities, such as the type accessed services, amount of services accessed including amount of data volume included in the session, amount of time of session, other chargeable events, and other information. The charging gateway 310 reports the session activities to the charging system 204 having, for example, policy and charging control architecture including a policy and charging rules function (PCRF) server 312 and one or more online/offline charging system (OCS/OFCS) servers 314. [0037] In one example, the charging gateway 310 can interface with the PCRF server 312, such as via a Gx interface in a GPRS, and the OCS/OFCS server 314, such as via a Gy interface in a GPRS. The PCRF server 312 provides policy control and flow based charging decisions. The OCS/OFCS server 314 provides credit management based on time, traffic volume, and chargeable events. OCS/OFCS server 314 can interface with a billing server 316. In some examples, functions of billing server 316 can be incorporated with OCS/OCFS server 314. The billing server 316, or its functions, can produce charging data records (CDRs) 318, which can include a formatted collection of information about the chargeable session.

[0038] Analytics server 216 receives the CDRs 318, and can compare the information in the CDRs 318 with the test scenario from test director 304, information regarding the session from sink 214, and test subscribers 218 to generate test reports 320. Test reports 320 can include information to assess the status and health of the charging system 204 as well as other information such as information regarding the AAA server 208, gateway 210, and response of the name server 206. Test reports 320 can used to verify features of the mobile network operator system 202 as well as indicate areas that are to be repaired, upgraded, or other action to be taken.

[0039] Test subscribers 218 can be provisioned in one of several ways. In the example, PCRF server 312 and OCS/OFCS server 314 can access a subscriber database, such as via a lightweight directory access protocol (LDAP) server 320, to determine information regarding subscriber accounts, and can include access to test subscribers 218. The test subscribers having a one or more types of accounts can be provisioned on the mobile operator network system 202 itself using actual cellular telephone numbers assigned to the mobile network operator, such as in the subscriber database accessible via LDAP server 320. This can provide realistic testing of subscriber accounts but create substantial overhead in the subscriber database. Another example of provisioning test subscribers includes a cloud service based Home Location Register (HLR) or Home Subscriber Sever (HSS) to store and update details of each test subscriber. An example of such service is available under the trade designation Integrated HLR/HSS from Hewlett Packard Enterprise, Inc., of Palo Alto, California. In this example, test subscribers 218 can be provisioned via notification servers 322 over a Signaling System Number 7 (SS7) protocol that can access OCS/OCFS server 314 via short message peer-to-peer (SMPP) protocol.

[0040] Figure 4 illustrates an example method 400, which can be a particular example of method 100. In one example, method 400 can be implemented in combination of hardware and programing such as the system described below and illustrated in Figure 5.

[0041] Test director 304 can be employed to create a test suite including one or more test scenarios having test payload data, test signaling flow data, and IP address of one or more sinks 214 in remote network that can correspond with actual or other remote network services at 402. The test director 304 provides the test scenario to the test server 212 at 404. The test director 304 can also provision test subscribers 218 to be used with the test scenario at 406.

[0042] The test server 212 receives the test suite including the test scenario, for example, also at 404. The test server 212 establishes a session via AAA server 208 using test signaling flow information at 408. The test server modifies the response from the name server 206 at 410 such payload data intended for the remote network service is directed to the sink 214. The test server 212 injects test signaling flow information to the AAA server 208 at 412 and injects test payload data to the packet gateway 308 at 414. The test signaling flow information is provided to the charging gateway 310, as is information regarding the activities of the packet gate gateway 308 during the session. The charging system 204 creates CDRs based on information from the charging gateway 308 applied to the test subscriber accounts. The analytics server 216 receives the CDRs at 416. The analytics server 216 compares the received CDRs with other information received from the test system 200 at 418, and generates the test reports 320 at 420.

[0043] Figure 5 illustrates an example computer system that can be employed in an operating environment and used to host or run computer programming in the form of a computer application 520 including programming for implementing example method 100, or, in one example, method 400, and other methods of the disclosure, as included on one or more computer readable storage mediums storing computer executable instructions for controlling the computer system, such as a computing device, to perform a process. In one example, the computer system including test application 520 of Figure 5 can be used to implement some or all of the modules and its associated tools set forth in systems 200 and 300.

[0044] The example computer system of Figure 5 includes a computing device, such as computing device 500. Computing device 500 typically includes one or more processors 502 and memory 504 for storing and executing application 520. The processors 502 may include two or more processing cores on a chip or two or more processor chips. In some examples, the computing device 500 can also have one or more additional processing or specialized processors (not shown), such as a graphics processor for general-purpose computing on graphics processor units, to perform processing functions offloaded from the processor 502. Memory 504 may be arranged in a hierarchy and may include one or more levels of cache. Memory 504 may be volatile (such as random access memory (RAM)), non-volatile (such as read only memory (ROM), flash memory, etc.), or some combination of the two. The computing device 500 can take one or more of several forms. Such forms include a tablet, a personal computer, a workstation, a server, a handheld device, a consumer electronic device (such as a video game console or a digital video recorder), or other, and can be a stand-alone device or configured as part of a computer network, computer cluster, cloud services infrastructure, or other.

[0045] Computing device 500 may also include additional storage 508. Storage 508 may be removable and/or non-removable and can include magnetic or optical disks or solid-state memory, or flash storage devices. Computer storage media includes volatile and nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any suitable method or technology for storage of information such as computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules or other data. For example, application 520 can be stored in storage 508, and at least one or more components of application 520 can be loaded and stored into memory 504 for execution on processor(s) 502. A propagating signal by itself does not qualify as storage media.

[0046] Computing device 500 often includes one or more input and/or output connections, such as USB connections, display ports, proprietary connections, and others to connect to various devices to receive and/or provide inputs and outputs. Input devices 510 may include devices such as keyboard, pointing device (e.g., mouse), pen, voice input device, touch input device, or other.

Output devices 512 may include devices such as a display, speakers, printer, or the like. Computing device 500 often includes one or more communication connections 514 that allow computing device 500 to communicate with other computers/applications 516, such as the sink 214. Example communication connections can include, but are not limited to, an Ethernet interface, a wireless interface, a bus interface, a storage area network interface, a proprietary interface. The communication connections can be used to couple the

computing device 500 to a computer network 518, which is a collection of computing devices and possibly other devices interconnected by

communications channels that facilitate communications and allows sharing of resources and information among interconnected devices. Examples of computer networks include a local area network, a wide area network, the Internet, or other network.

[0047] Computing device 500 can be hosted in a cloud computing environment that includes one or more interconnected cloud computing nodes configured to communicate with local computing devices including user interface 214. Cloud computing environment includes features such as statelessness, low coupling, modularity, and semantic interoperability. Cloud computing nodes can be configured as computing devices including a processor, memory, storage, communication components, and software in the form of program modules stored in the memory. Cloud computing nodes may be grouped physically or virtually in one or more networks or in one or more cloud deployment models. The cloud computing environment offers services such as infrastructure, platforms, software, and business processes. [0048] Although specific examples have been illustrated and described herein, a variety of alternate and/or equivalent implementations may be substituted for the specific examples shown and described without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. This application is intended to cover any adaptations or variations of the specific examples discussed herein. Therefore, it is intended that this disclosure be limited only by the claims and the equivalents thereof.

Claims

1 . A method of testing a mobile network operator system, the method including:

generating a mobile operator session with a test subscriber attempting to interact with a remote network service;

modifying an address of the remote network service to establish a session with a sink rather than the remote network service;

injecting test signaling flow information into a charging gateway of the mobile network operator system; and

injecting test payload data into a packet gateway of the mobile network operator system to interact with the sink and simulate interaction with the remote network service.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein generating a mobile operator session includes generating a session with an authentication, authorization, and accounting manager coupled to the charging gateway.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein injecting test signaling flow information includes injecting the test signaling flow information into the authentication, authorization, and accounting manager.

4. The method of claim 1 including provisioning a test subscriber to establish the session.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the test subscriber includes a selected mobile operator network service plan.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the test signaling flow information is provided to the charging gateway throughout the session.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the test signaling flow information simulates mobility of the mobile operator.

8. A computer readable medium for storing computer executable

instructions for controlling a computing device to perform a method of, the method comprising:

receiving a test scenario for testing a charging system of a mobile network operator;

modifying a response of a name server of the mobile network operator to establish a session with a sink rather than the remote network service;

injecting test payload data into a packet gateway of the mobile network operator system to interact with the sink and simulate interaction with the remote network service;

injecting test signaling flow information into a charging gateway of the mobile network operator system to produce an output an of the charging system regarding the session; and

comparing the test scenario with the output of the charging system.

9. The computer readable medium of claim 8 wherein the session is established with a packet data protocol.

10. A system to test a mobile session in a mobile network of a mobile network operator system, the system comprising:

a test server to inject test signaling flow information into a charging gateway and test payload data from a test scenario into a packet gateway of the mobile network operator system;

a sink to interact with the payload data, the sink operably coupled to the mobile network via a remote network and maintain a log of the session; and an analytics server to compare the test scenario and the log with a record of the session provided from the mobile network operator system.

1 1 . The system of claim 10 wherein the test server injects test signaling flow information into an authentication, authorization, and accounting manager coupled to the charging gateway.

12. The system of claim 1 1 wherein the authentication, authorization, and accounting manager is a RADIUS server.

13. The system of claim 10 wherein the record of the session is a call data record.

14. The system of claim 10 wherein the test server modifies a response of a name server of the mobile network operator system to direct test payload data to the sink instead of a remote network service.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the name server is a Domain Name System server.