EP1856841A1

EP1856841A1 - Multiple-access gateway/equipment connection link testing generator hybrid system

Info

Publication number: EP1856841A1
Application number: EP06726039A
Authority: EP
Inventors: Claire c/o France Telecom GILBERTAS; Claude c/o France Telecom THOMAS; Stéphane c/o France Telecom ROUCHY
Original assignee: France Telecom SA
Current assignee: Orange SA
Priority date: 2005-03-09
Filing date: 2006-03-07
Publication date: 2007-11-21
Also published as: WO2006095084A1

Abstract

The invention concerns a hybrid system of multiple-access gateway/generator for testing equipment connection link to at least one equipment to be tested connected to the multi-access gateway via an input/output port of specific technology. The system comprises at least means for generating (104, 105) a plurality of data packets transmitted to the equipment to be tested in accordance with a traffic profile associated with the equipment and/or the connection technology, means for monitoring the data traffic to/from said equipment to be tested, means (109, 110, 111) for storing statistical data defined based on the connection technology and on the input/output port used by the equipment. The statistical data are established during the transmission of the plurality of data packets transmitted and/or during the monitoring to generate global statistics representing the connection mode and the input/output port supporting said connection of said equipment to the multiple-access gateway. The invention is useful for implementing and technical management of LAN's, or more generally IP networks.

Description

HYBRID GATEWAY SYSTEM ACCESS-GENERATOR / GENERATOR TO TEST CONNECTION LINKS TO EQUIPMENT

The invention relates to a hybrid multi-access gateway system / link connection test generator to equipment connected to this multi-access gateway.

In today's multi-access gateways, the connection ports of the equipment belong, in most cases, to different technologies, such as wireless access technology (802-11 Bluetooth or others), line (CPL), USB standard communication technologies for Universal SJerial Bus in English for example.

At present, the tests of equipment links to a LAN for Local Area Network in English are defined in the IETF document for the Internet.

Engineering Task Force in English, referenced RFC 2544 and entitled "Bench marking

Methodology for Network Intercommect Devices "published by S Bradner and J Mc Quaid in March 1999.

The above document defines the principles for testing a feeder link or a product in a local network. In particular, it defines the following test scheme: a generator sends frames or data packets that traverse the equipment to be tested and are received by a receiver. It also establishes a mode of operation to obtain certain characteristic parameters of a local network, in particular parameter of maximum bit rate and rate of loss of frames.

More specifically, the patent application EP 1414179 describes a process for determining the error rate of a WLAN radio card, when the latter is subjected to packet transmission, in a test environment, the point of transmission. access being emulated.

Finally, patent application US 2004095890 describes a hybrid Ethernet switch / traffic generator equipment. This equipment includes two separate control modules on the same platform, one for the Ethernet switch function, the other for the traffic generator function, and two hardware modules using the same access control layer of the network, one for the Ethernet switch function, the other for the traffic generator function. The user of this equipment equipment selects by means of an interface which function to use Ethernet switch or traffic generator, as well as the traffic generation parameters to be used, such as throughput, content and packet length. A control module of the traffic generator establishes statistics, such as counting packets, corrupt packets, lost or other.

Current frame or packet generators allow you to test a link based on different traffic profiles and to know the maximum potential of a feeder link. However, the current measurement tools integrating such generators rely on heavy specific applications, embedded in transmitting stations and in specific receivers, responsible for respectively generating data collection in order to _. provide a report. These tools are expensive and not generalizable in a distributed environment where each node and each host has its own operating system.

A hybrid Ethernet switch / traffic generator system allows such a switch to generate traffic on its link ports and collect a number of statistical data, for the purpose of functional testing of the single switch.

This makes it possible to test the functionality of the switch at a lower cost and to generalize this type of test. '

However, the hybrid equipment described by US Pat. No. 2004095890 is limited to a single type of Ethernet network connection link and can not, under any circumstances, take into account the technical specificities of each connection link tested, in the case where the switch has communication ports, input / output ports, of different technologies.

The present invention aims to overcome the disadvantages and limitations of known devices of the prior art.

In particular, an object of the present invention is the implementation of a hybrid multi-access gateway / generator system making it possible to evaluate the communication or connection links between the multi-access gateway / generator and the equipment or devices that are connected to it, taking into account the specificities of the type of technology used by these communication links, including the type of input / output port of the gateway used for this connection. In particular, an object of the present invention is the implementation of a hybrid gateway multi-access / generator system integrating the traditional features of a gateway, such as switching and routing functions between local equipment and a network. operator, and those of a traffic generator, that is, frames or specific data packets.

The hybrid multi-access gateway system / connection link test generator to at least one device to be tested, connected to this multi-access gateway via a given input / output port, object of the present invention, is remarkable in that this system comprises at least one generator module of a plurality of data packets transmitted to this equipment to be tested, according to a traffic profile associated with this equipment and / or the connection technology, a data traffic monitoring module intended for / from this equipment to be tested and a module for storing statistical data defined according to the connection technology and the input / output port used by this equipment, these statistical data being established firstly during the transmission time of this plurality of transmitted data packets and / or during the monitoring period, to generate global statistical data representative of sentative of the connection mode and the input / output support the connection of this equipment to the multi-access gateway. The hybrid gateway multi-access / connection connection test generator system, object of the present invention, finds application to the implementation and technical management of local area networks LAN or networks, or more generally IP networks.

It will be better understood by reading the description and by observing the drawings below, in which:

FIG. 1 represents, by way of illustration, a block diagram of a hybrid multi-access gateway system / equipment connection link test generator, in accordance with the object of the present invention;

FIG. 2a represents, for purely illustrative purposes, a flowchart of the essential steps of a procedure for qualifying a connection implemented by means of the hybrid multi-access gateway / test generator system of the present invention. invention, prior to the actual execution of the test by the equipment to be tested;

FIG. 2b represents, for purely illustrative purposes, a flowchart of the essential steps of a procedure for qualifying a connection implemented by means of the hybrid multi-access gateway system / test generator object of the present invention, after the actual execution of the test by the equipment under test;

FIG. 3 represents by way of illustration, a specific data structure constituting a map of the potential traffics of a device connected to a hybrid multi-access gateway system / connection link test generator, object of the present invention.

A more detailed description of a hybrid gateway multi-access / connection link test generator system of this multi-access gateway to equipment will now be given in connection with FIG. 1.

As shown in the above-mentioned figure, the hybrid gateway multi-access / test generator system according to the subject of the present invention naturally includes all the conventional functions of a multi-access gateway of the prior art.

In particular, as shown in FIG. 1, the hybrid system that is the subject of the invention comprises a set of input / output ports of the gateway. Each port being noted for example Pi, ...,. P _j , ..., PN. By way of nonlimiting example, it is indicated that in the context of the present description a test equipment Ej is connected for example to the input / output port P _j .

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1 above, the hybrid multi-access gateway / connection link test generator system with at least one equipment item to be tested comprises at least resources 104, 105 constituting a generator of a plurality of data packets transmitted to the test equipment Ei according to a traffic profile associated with this equipment. In general it is indicated that a traffic profile, denoted Pfîj _k contains a set of characteristics of a data flow, that is to say traffic types, protocols, flow, average frame size, inter-frame delay for example, which may constitute a test data stream. For each profile of traffic Pfy _k one indicates that i denotes a reference to the considered equipment Ej, j denotes a reference to the port of entry / exit P _j , which is connected the equipment E ;, and k designates a reference diversifying a specific profile, a device Ei can of course operate according to several traffic profiles corresponding to different operating regimes.

Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 1, the multi-access gateway / test generator hybrid system, which is the subject of the present invention, comprises data traffic monitoring resources intended to / from this equipment E, to be tested, these monitoring resources can more particularly be integrated into the conventional functions of the multi-access gateway and therefore to the hybrid gateway multi-access / test generator object of the present invention, as will be described later in the description.

It is recalled, in particular, that multi-access gateway means a device incorporating at least switching and / or routing, interfaces of several technologies and a connection to an operator network. A gateway also refers to a network element interconnecting two different networks.

Finally, and according to a particularly remarkable characteristic of the hybrid multi-access gateway system / link connection test generator object of the present invention, it is indicated that the latter comprises a resource for storing statistical data defined according to the connection technology. and the input / output port used by the connected equipment Ei to be tested. The statistical data are established, on the one hand, during the transmission time of the plurality of data packets transmitted by the resources constituting the generator of a plurality of packets and / or, on the other hand, during the monitoring period performed by the conventional functions of the gateway, to generate global statistical data representative of the connection mode and the input / output port support of this connection of the test equipment Ei to the multi-access gateway.

With regard to the conventional functions of the multi-access gateway constituting the hybrid multi-access gateway system / connection link test generator, object of the present invention, it is indicated that the aforementioned conventional functions advantageously comprise, as represented in FIG. FIG. 1, a module 100 for controlling the functions of the gateway and a module 102, designated module of the gateway functions, gathering all the functions of the gateway and constituting the conventional functions of the gateway and their control modules. These functions are the routing, the recording of connected equipment for example.

As regards the resources for storing statistical data, and according to a particularly remarkable aspect of the hybrid system that is the subject of the present invention, it is indicated that these resources comprise at least one technology table denoted 110, which forms a database.

The aforementioned database comprises at least as shown in the table below:

Table 1

The data of the aforementioned database thus comprise an initial configuration comprising a storage and a mapping between the port number of the multi-access gateway, the port Pj, the connection technology used for the port number considered and Connection Technology, Information General, Traffic Profiles, Statistics to collect, the rules of interpretation of the corresponding statistics still designated Algorithm.

It is understood, in particular, that during the startup of the hybrid system and in particular the multi-access gateway object of the present invention, the latter loads a certain amount of information obtained via configuration files, for example, initial configuration files introduced by an operator on typical traffic profiles or dynamically provided by the function control module of the gateway 100.

Thus, during the initialization of the hybrid system object of the present invention, the technology table 110 contains the information as described in Table 1 above.

Regarding the gateway port number, the port number can be designated by an arbitrary Port 5 or Port 10 address in Table 1. The technology used may correspond to a usual designation such as 802.11b for WIFI technology. .

With regard to the mapping between the Connection Technology, the General Information, the Traffic Profiles, the Statistics to be collected, the rules for the interpretation of the statistics as represented in Table 1 above, it is indicated that, in addition to the technology 802.11b mentioned previously, the general information concerns characteristics such as the radio power used, the name of the radio network designated by SSID for example. The traffic profile is a particular profile for use, for example. The statistics to be collected may concern the collection of receipts not received and the number of transmitted frames, for example, and the rules for the interpretation of statistics may in fact relate to the indication of an algorithm for deducing the error rate according to statistics. for example.

It is thus understood, with reference to Table 1, that during the initial configuration there is available at the technology table 110 a first correspondence between the port number of the multi-access gateway, the connection technology used. for the port number and a second match between the general information connection technology, the traffic profiles, the statistics to collect, the rules of interpretation of these statistics as mentioned previously. The aforementioned correspondences can be executed in the form of tables, in the form of tree structures or finally in the form of adapted hierarchical data structures.

In addition, as shown in FIG. 1, the multi-access gateway and the hybrid system that is the subject of the invention incorporating the latter also include the module of the functions of the gateway 102 indicated previously in the description.

On connection of equipment E; at the multi-access gateway, the function control module of the gateway bearing the reference 100 then updates the technology table 110 by writing to the database of an identifier of the equipment Ej and the number port connection of this equipment.

It is understood in particular that the update is made according to Table 2 below.

Table 2

From the observation of Table 2, it can be seen that the latter includes the initialization data contained in Table 1 plus the equipment identifier update data E, denoted respectively Equipment y and Equipment z and the port number of the gateway P _j designated Port 5 and Port 10 in Table 2.

Finally, with reference to FIG. 1, it is indicated that the hybrid system that is the subject of the invention further comprises a logic module 106 for testing control. It furthermore comprises, directly controlled by the above-mentioned test control logic module, the multi-access gateway function control module 100, a traffic generator resource control module 104, a data collection control module 111. statistics and a module 107 for synchronizing tests.

With reference to FIG. 1, it is indicated that the link in phantom between the test command logic module 106 and respectively the gateway function control module 100, the technology table 110, the control module 104 of FIG. traffic generator, the control module 111 of the statistics collection and the test synchronization module 107 represents a hierarchical command of all the aforementioned modules by the module 106 test control logic. More specifically, it is pointed out that the hybrid system which is the subject of the invention, and in particular the multi-access gateway incorporated therein, comprises the function module 102 of the multi-access gateway interconnected to the input / output port. Pj of the multi-access gateway via an input / output port access management module with the reference 103 and is, in addition, connected to the function control module of the multi-gateway. access, reference 100, through a common software infrastructure module, reference 101.

Similarly, and according to a remarkable aspect of the hybrid system that is the subject of the present invention, the control module of the traffic generator 104 and the module 111 control of the collection of the statistical data are interconnected respectively to the traffic generator module 105 and the statistical data collection module 108 via the common software infrastructure module bearing the reference 101.

In addition, the traffic generator module 105 and the statistics collection module 108 are synchronized by the test synchronization module 107, which itself is supervised by the test control logic module 104, as previously mentioned.

With reference to FIG. 1, it is indicated that the technology table 110, the control module of the traffic generator 104 and the control module of the statistical data collection 111 are connected to a statistical processing module with the reference 109 .

Finally, the aforementioned statistical processing module 109, the function control module of the multi-access gateway 100, the control module of the traffic generator 104 and the control module of the collection of statistical data 111 are directly linked to the technology table 110

By such an architecture of the hybrid multi-access gateway system / link connection test generator to at least one equipment to be tested, according to the subject of the present invention, it is understood that the operating mode! of the latter corresponds to a combination by sequential execution of tests involving a generation of test data via the traffic generator 105, on the one hand, and of tests that do not involve the generation of test data and therefore n not implying the generation of traffic, that is to say simply by monitoring the traffic of a connected equipment E, on the other hand, as will be described hereinafter in the description.

A more detailed description of a procedure for qualifying a connection of a device Ei to an input / output port Pj will now be given in connection with FIGS. 2a and 2b.

With reference to FIG. 2a, it is indicated that the qualification procedure is a qualification procedure for the equipment Ei connected to the input port Pj, the qualification being denoted for this reason qualification Ey. The qualification procedure may be introduced on instruction of the test control logic module 104 of FIG. 1. This test command being referenced 200 in FIG. 2a.

It consists, for example, in performing a sequential test of all the traffic profiles associated with the equipment and the input / output port. This sequential test, as will appear below in connection with FIG. 2a, comprises at least one test with traffic generation according to a determined traffic profile and a collection and storage of the corresponding statistical data and / or a test without generation of traffic, the multi-access gateway then monitoring the traffic intended for / from the equipment Ej considered and ensuring the collection and storage of the corresponding statistical data.

More specifically, the qualification procedure may consist in choosing in a step 201, a test with traffic generation, the choice being represented by the relationship G ?.

On positive response in step 201, ie for a test with traffic generation, a step 202 is called, which is to determine whether to execute an interruption of an existing local traffic between the equipment Ej and the gateway, and in particular the port P _j thereof. On positive response to the test 202, a step 203 of storing a program for interrupting the local traffic of the equipment Ei is then performed. Following step 203, and on a negative response to test 202, the test process with traffic generation can then be continued.

On the contrary, on a negative response to the test 201, a test without traffic generation can be provided, as will be described below. With reference to FIG. 2a, for a test involving a traffic generation, that is to say in a negative response to the test 202 or following the storage of a necessary interruption in step 203, the hybrid system that is the object of the invention executes at least, in the traffic generator control module bearing the reference 104, a loading, step 204, from the technology table 110 of at least one traffic profile of the test equipment Pfij _k . An example of a traffic profile can for example, for a downloading operation of the Down Loading type and for a device connected to a WLAN gateway, include the following parameters:

- type of 802.11g Ethernet frame traffic - 5Mb / s bitrate

- frame size 1400 bytes

- type of destination address: Unicast

- destination address: MAC address of the equipment E ,. The MAC address is a medium access control address for Medium Access Çontrol in English.

Another example of a "PING" type traffic profile for a device connected to an Ethernet port:

- type of traffic ". IP package

- message type: IP: PING - packet data size: 200 bytes

- number of packages: 100

- destination address: IP address and MAC of the equipment Ei.

The above-mentioned step 204 is then followed by a step 205 of interpreting the traffic profile to be tested so as to provide the necessary instructions to the traffic generator 105 for generating and transmitting data corresponding to the traffic profile to the equipment to be tested. test.

It will be understood in particular, by way of nonlimiting example, that for the example of profile Pfy _k corresponding to the aforementioned PING traffic profile, the traffic generator 105 via the control module of the traffic generator 104 is thus generating a signal corresponding to the data defined in the aforementioned traffic profile.

In addition, as also shown in FIG. 2a, for a test involving a traffic generation, and in parallel with the steps 204, 205 and 206, are also executed in the control module of the collection of statistical data bearing the reference 111 on the FIG. 1 shows a loading 207, from the technology table 110, of the list of statistical data to be collected, denoted LDSyk for the traffic profile considered towards the equipment to be tested. LDSj _jk denotes a list of statistical data. Step 207 is followed by a step of communication by transmission to the statistical data collection module 108 via the common software infrastructure module 101 of instructions for setting up and installing meters and / or filters. corresponding to step 207. The establishment and installation instructions are noted IIp in step 208 of Figure 2a above.

An example of statistical data to be collected for a connection based on an ARQ type mechanism for Automatic Repeat reÇαiest in English, for a WLÂN or CPL type port Pj and a download traffic profile includes:

- number of fragments transmitted during the test period; - number of acknowledgments not received during the test period;

- number of bytes transmitted during the test period; duration of the test period.

Another example of statistical data to be collected for a connection based on an Ethernet port and for a PING type traffic profile includes: - Round trip delay of a packet, in English, of each command PING.

On the contrary, for a test that does not involve a traffic generation as represented in FIG. 2a, that is to say, for example, on a negative response to the test 201 of the latter, the hybrid system that is the subject of the invention executes at least , in the control module of the collection of statistical data 111, a step 209 of loading from the technology table 110 of a list of statistics to be collected denoted LOSp to fill in the general information of the connection to the equipment to be tested.

It is of course understood that the list of statistics to be collected The DSy _k is a priori different from the list LDSyk loaded in step 207. An example of statistics to be collected, that is to say from the list The DSy _k , for an equipment E ₁ connected to the gateway on the basis of a WLAN technology for example comprises:

- the receiving radio power

- the SSID references. Step 209 is then followed by a step 210 consisting of a transmission communication to the statistical data collection module 108 of FIG. setting and installation instructions for meters and / or corresponding filters. These instructions being denoted II 'y _k .

The test is then executed following the execution of steps 206 and 208 and when a local traffic interruption has been judged necessary in step 202, and then the execution of this interruption on the call of an instruction d interruption stored in step 203, or, conversely, in the absence of any interruption following the execution of step 210 of Figure 2a.

The statistical data are then collected at the level of the statistical data collection module 108. A more detailed description of the operating mode of the hybrid system which is the subject of the invention will now be given, after actual execution of the test, that is to say after recovery of statistical data by the statistical data collector 108.

The test was executed at the Ej equipment available in the collecting of statistical data SD 108 statistical data on _it, of course, not only the equipment E; but also to the connection of the latter to the port Pj, depending on the connection technology used.

Following the transmission of the statistical data representative of a test, SD data jj, carried out in step 211 to the statistics processing module 109, the aforementioned statistical processing module 109 proceeds, for example, with the loading, in a step 212 from the technology table 110, rules of interpretation of the statistics. The aforementioned rules are denoted Ry _k insofar as these rules are of course specific to the feeder link between the equipment Ej and the gateway to the port P _j .

When the test has however involved a generation of traffic on a positive response to the test 201 of FIG. 2a for example, then the statistics processing module 109 communicates with the control module of the traffic generator 104 to also load the generation parameters of FIG. traffic such as traffic profile

Pfijk-

The aforementioned step 212 is then followed by an interpretation step 213 of the statistical data SDy as a function, on the one hand, of the interpretation rules R _υk and, on the other hand, of the traffic profile Pfi _jk when such a profile has been used. The process of interpretation is represented by the symbolic representation:

By way of nonlimiting example, the processing of the statistical data, that is to say the interpretation of the statistical data for an equipment E, connected to the gateway with a technology based on a mechanism of the ARQ type for Automatic Repeat Request in WLAN or CPL technology and for a download-type traffic profile "down loading" may correspond to the following treatment:

- error rate ≈ NACK MVNACK FAIL + N _tr

- rate = number_bytes_transmitted / duration_measure - relationship in which NA _C K fail = number of acknowledgments not received and

Ntra _ns = number of transmitted fragments.

In the interpretation relation of step 213, it is indicated that ESDy denotes test results obtained after evaluation from the statistical data SDj _{j (k} ). By way of nonlimiting example, the data or test results obtained after evaluation may correspond to specific editorial data such as "satisfactory" or

"insufficient" or "very insufficient" for example, or other.

Step 213 can then be followed by a step 214 of memorizing for use and / or editing of the data or test results obtained, ESDjj after evaluation, in preferential form of a traffic map. potential for the equipment Ei connected to the port P _j or for a plurality of these, for the hybrid gateway multi-access / connection link test generator object of the present invention.

A more detailed description of a particularly advantageous data structure representing a potential traffic map obtained after the implementation of step 214 of FIG. 2b will now be given with reference to FIG.

With reference to the aforementioned figure, the map of potential traffic is remarkable in that the latter is formed by a data structure stored on a backup medium. This backup medium can be of any kind.

The aforementioned data structure comprises at least a plurality of data fields representing at least: an identifier of the equipment, that is to say the equipment Ei designated, Equipment y respectively Equipment z in Figure 3;

the technology used, in FIG. 3 corresponding to a WLAN or other Ethernet port link technology, and, for each technology used, the tested traffic profiles, that is to say the Pfjj _k profiles. designated Traffic Profile 1, Traffic Profile 2, Traffic Profile n, Traffic Profile t, Traffic Profile u and Traffic Profile g in Figure 3 above;

the results of tests obtained after evaluation, that is to say the results of ESDjj tests designated Test Results, according to an arbitrary designation in FIG.

Claims

1. Hybrid multi-access gateway system / connection link test generator to at least one test equipment connected to said multi-access gateway through a determined input / output port, characterized in that said system comprises at least:

means generating a plurality of data packets transmitted to said equipment to be tested according to a traffic profile associated with said equipment and / or the connection technology; and means for monitoring the data traffic destined for / coming from this equipment to be tested; and

means for storing statistical data defined as a function of the connection technology and of the input / output port used by said equipment, said statistical data being established, on the one hand, during the transmission time of said plurality of data packets; data transmitted and / or during the monitoring period, to generate global statistical data representative of the connection mode and the input / output port support of this connection of this equipment to said multi-access gateway.

2. System according to claim 1, characterized in that said means for storing statistical data comprise at least one technology table, forming a database, said database comprising at least:

an initial configuration comprising a storage and a mapping between: the port number of the multi-access gateway, the connection technology used for said port number; o connection technology, general information, traffic profiles, statistics to be collected, rules for the interpretation of statistics.

3. System according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that said multi-access gateway further comprising a function control module of this multi-access gateway, on connection of a device to said multi-access gateway, said function control module of the multi-access gateway proceeds to a updating said technology table by registration in said database:

an identifier of said equipment;

- the connection port number of this equipment.

4. System according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that it further comprises:

a test control logic module; and controlled directly by said test control logic module;

said function control module of said multi-access gateway;

a control module for said traffic generating means;

- a control module for the collection of statistical data;

- a test synchronization module.

5. System according to claim 4, characterized in that said multi-access gateway comprising a module of the functions of the multi-access gateway interconnected to the input-output ports of the multi-access gateway via a gateway. an I / O port access management module and connected to said multi-access gateway function control module via the common software infrastructure module, said traffic generator control module and said control module of the collection of statistical data are interconnected to the traffic generating means respectively to said statistical data collection module via said common software infrastructure module, said traffic generating means and said statistical data collection module being synchronized by said test synchronization module.

6. System according to claim 5, characterized in that said technology table, said control module of the traffic generator and said control module of the collection of statistics are connected to a statistical processing module.

7. System according to claim 5 or 6, characterized in that said statistics processing module, said module for controlling the functions of the gateway. multi-access, said traffic generator control module and said control module of the collection of statistics are directly related to said technology table.

8. System according to one of claims 4 to 7, characterized in that, on instruction of said test control logic module, a procedure for qualifying a connection of a device to an input-output port is launched. , said procedure consisting in performing a sequential test of all the traffic profiles associated with said equipment and said input-output port, said sequential test comprising at least:

a test with traffic generation according to a determined traffic profile and a collection and storage of the statistical data relating thereto; and / or - a test without traffic generation, said multi-access gateway monitoring the traffic intended for or coming from the equipment in question and ensuring the collection and storage of the statistical data relating thereto.

9. System according to claim 8, characterized in that for a test involving a traffic generation, said system executes at least: a) in said traffic generator control module,

a loading from said technology table of at least one traffic profile to be tested;

an interpretation of said traffic profile to be tested, so as to provide the necessary instructions to the traffic generator for generating and transmitting data corresponding to the traffic profile to the equipment to be tested; (b) in said control module for the collection of statistical data,

a loading from the technology table of the list of statistical data to be collected for the considered traffic profile towards the equipment to be tested; a communication to the statistical data collection module of instructions for setting up and installing meters and / or corresponding filters.

10. System according to claim 8, characterized in that for a test not involving a traffic generation, said system executes at least, in said control module of the collection of statistical data: a loading from the technology table of a list of statistics to be collected to inform the general information of the connection to the equipment to be tested;

a communication to the statistical data collection module of instructions for setting up and installing meters and / or corresponding filters.

11. System according to one of claims 9 or 10, characterized in that following the transmission of statistical data representative of a test, to said statistics processing module, it performs at least: - a loading from the technology table of statistical interpretation rules;

an interpretation of the statistics based on the rules of interpretation of the statistics loaded to generate test results obtained after evaluation;

storage of said test results in said technology table in the form of a map of potential traffic relating to said tested equipment.

12. Map of the potential traffics of a device connected to a hybrid gateway multi-access / connection link test generator system between this equipment and this multi-access gateway, characterized in that said traffic map is formed by a structure stored on a backup medium, said data structure comprising at least a plurality of data fields representing:

an identifier of said equipment;

- the technology used; and for each technology used,

- the traffic profiles tested; and for each traffic profile tested, the test results obtained after interpretation of statistical data from interpretation and evaluation rules, said test results corresponding to specific editorial data.