JP2894296B2 - Software test system for mobile switching system - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

[0001] The present invention relates to a test system for testing software of a mobile communication switching system.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a mobile communication switching system has a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station, and a maintenance center station, each of which includes software such as a pseudo call device, a simulator, and a source code debugger. Was used to test software, but this is an independent software test.Signals received from other stations and other devices are simulated and tested, and other stations are tested. For signals to be transmitted to devices and devices, tests were performed by independently checking the output contents.

For this reason, in order to perform a software test for a mobile communication switching system as a whole (overall), an actual device was used for the test.

[0004]

The above-mentioned conventional method has the following problems.

(1) The first problem is that a real machine is required to perform a total software test of a mobile communication switching system.

The reason is that the mobile communication switching system is
Since it is composed of multiple devices and exchanges, such as a base station controller, a mobile communication exchange, a home location register office, and a maintenance center office, each software runs simultaneously to test the total software as a system. In this case, communication between each software was required, and in order to perform communication between each software, an actual device had to be used.

(2) The second problem is that a flexible system configuration cannot be tested.

[0008] The reason is that, in the test using the actual equipment, the number of base station control devices and mobile communication exchanges that can be prepared for the test is limited in terms of cost, and the number of exchanges is usually limited. Testing must be done with a minimum system configuration.

Another reason is that a change in the system configuration involves a change in hardware, so that the system configuration to be tested cannot be easily changed.

Accordingly, the present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to enable a total software test of a mobile communication switching system to be tested without using an actual device. It is an object of the present invention to provide a software test system for a mobile communication switching system, which improves the quality of software of the communication switching system and improves productivity by improving test efficiency.

[0011]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In order to achieve the above object, the present invention relates to a base station controller, a mobile communication switching system, and a mobile communication switching system which are interconnected by a network such as a LAN on a computer system. Software testing means for simulating software of each of the exchange, the home location register office, and the maintenance center office or directly activating a load module of the software is provided.

Further, according to the present invention, there is provided a base station controller which constitutes a mobile communication switching system on a workstation or personal computer connected to a LAN.
It has hardware simulating means (FIG. 1-6) for simulating the hardware devices of the mobile communication switching office, home location register office, and maintenance center office.

Further, in the present invention, a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station, which constitutes a mobile communication switching system on a workstation or a personal computer connected to a LAN,
Other devices from each of the maintenance center stations, other base station control devices,
The signal of the message transfer part of the NO7 common channel signaling system transmitted / received to / from the mobile communication switching center, home location register station, and maintenance center station is converted into packet data,
Communication simulating means for transmitting / receiving to / from a communication simulating means of a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station, a maintenance center station on another workstation or computer connected to the LAN (FIG. 1)
7).

The outline of the present invention will be described below.

According to the present invention, the software of the base station controller, the mobile communication switching center, the home location register station, and the maintenance center station constituting the mobile communication switching system are connected to a LAN (local area network) by software testing means. On a computer system such as a workstation or a personal computer, software testing means simulates execution while analyzing the contents of a load module which is an executable file of software, or directly activates and executes a load module. The test can be performed by doing this.

The hardware simulating means simulates the hardware of the base station controller when performing a software test of the base station controller on a workstation or a personal computer, and executes the software of the mobile communication switching center. When performing the test, the hardware of the mobile switching center is simulated. When the software of the home location register station is tested, the hardware of the home location register station is simulated. Further, when testing the software of the maintenance center station, the hardware of the maintenance center station is simulated.

Thus, the base station controller, the mobile communication switching center,
It is possible to test whether the software for controlling the operation of the hardware device is operating correctly without the hardware devices of the home location register station and the maintenance center station. In addition, it is possible to test software that operates by receiving a signal from a hardware device.

The communication simulating means includes a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station,
A signal of the NO7 common channel signaling system used when communicating between software of the maintenance center station is received from the hardware simulating means for simulating the hardware for communication, and a message of the NO7 common channel signaling system is received. Converts the transfer part signal into packet data and LA
N to a workstation connected to the LAN or another communication simulation means on the personal computer.

Then, the signal of the message transfer part of the NO7 common channel signal system is extracted from the packetized data received from the other communication simulating means, and is sent to the hardware simulating means for simulating the communication apparatus. By transmitting, software can be communicated between the software of the base station controller, the mobile communication switching center, the home location register station, and the maintenance center station.

[0020]

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of the embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, in an embodiment of the present invention, a LAN (local area network)
Software 1 of a base station controller constituting a mobile communication switching system, software 2 of a mobile communication switching office, software 3 of a home location register office, which is mounted on a workstation 8 or a personal computer 9 connected to Maintenance center station software 4, test means 5, hardware simulation means 6,
And communication simulation means 7.

The software 1 of the base station control device, the software 2 of the mobile communication switching center, the software 3 of the home location register station, and the software 4 of the maintenance center station can be executed by the test means 5. It is a load module of the form.

In this embodiment, the test means 5, the hardware simulating means 6, and the communication simulating means 7 are also implemented as software, and the user issues a start instruction from the keyboard on the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9. This is an executable load module that starts executing when input.

The hardware simulating means 6 executes the software to be tested by the software 1 of the base station controller.
In this case, the hardware of the base station controller is simulated. If the software to be tested is the software 2 of the mobile communication switching center, the hardware of the exchange of the mobile communication switching center is simulated.

The hardware simulating means 6 is a software which performs a test by the home location register station 3.
In the case of the software of (1), the hardware of the home location register station is simulated. When the software to be tested is the software of the maintenance center station 4, the hardware of the maintenance center station is simulated.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described.
This will be described in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the test means 5 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, tester 5 starts execution of the tester itself when the tester inputs a test start instruction from the keyboard of workstation 8 (step A1).

After the test is started, the hardware simulating means 6 displays a list of devices to be simulated or the names of exchanges, types of hardware devices, methods, conditions, and the like on a screen of a workstation. From the contents displayed on the screen, a hardware condition suitable for the type of the device or the exchange to be tested is selected by clicking the mouse or the like.

After obtaining the selected value, the test means 5 activates the hardware simulating means 6 using the obtained value as a parameter (steps A2 and A3).

As the mobile communication switching system, the tester inputs the address on the LAN of a workstation or personal computer connected to a LAN on which software of another station for performing a test operates, from a keyboard. The communication simulation means 7 is activated using the value obtained by the address input as a parameter (steps A4 and A5).

Next, the load module of the software to be tested is loaded from the disk of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9 to the memory (step A6).

The contents of the load module are analyzed one instruction at a time, the corresponding CPU is identified according to the type of the device to be tested or the type of exchange, and the operation is performed while simulating the operation of the CPU (step A7).

As a result of analyzing the command, if the command to be executed is a command to transmit data to the hardware device, it is determined whether or not there is transmission data (step A8). Then, the data is transmitted to the hardware simulation means 6 (step A9).

Next, it is determined whether there is data received from the hardware simulation means 6 (step A1).
0) If there is received data, the data is input, and the input data is set as an input value of a data input command from the hardware device of the load module (step A11).

It is determined whether or not an input has been made to the test means 5 from the keyboard / mouse of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9 (step A12).
If there is an input, if the input is an instruction to end the test, the test is ended (steps A13 and A14). If not, the process according to the input instruction is executed (step A15). ).

It is determined whether there is an output request to the screen of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9 and
If there is a screen output request, the output data is displayed on the screen (steps A16 and A17).

Next, the contents of the load module are analyzed one instruction at a time, and the process returns to the process of simulating the operation of the CPU of the system under test (step A7), and the process is continued thereafter.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the hardware simulation means 6 according to the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 3, hardware simulating means 6 is activated by testing means 5. At the time of this startup, the internal data necessary for the hardware simulation is initialized according to the type, system, and conditions of the hardware device for performing the simulation given by the test means 5 (step B1).

Next, it is determined whether or not there is received data from the test means 5, and if there is data, the contents of the received data are analyzed (steps B2 and B3). As a result of the analysis, if the signal is of the NO7 common signal line system destined for another station, the received data is transmitted to the communication simulating means 7 (steps B4 and B5), and the signal of the NO7 common signal line system destined for the other station is transmitted. If the signal is not a signal, the data of an instruction to perform what kind of hardware operation for which hardware device is analyzed in more detail, and the target hardware device is simulated (step B6).

The simulation result is sent to the workstation 8
Alternatively, the response data is output to the screen of the personal computer 9 (step B7), and when the response data of the hardware operation instruction is required, the response data is created (step B8) and transmitted to the test means 5 (step B9).

It is determined whether or not the hardware simulation means 6 has been operated from the keyboard / mouse of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9 (step B10). The operation of the hardware device is simulated (step 11), the simulation result is output to the screen of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9 (step B12), and data corresponding to the operation of the hardware device is created (step B12). B13). Then, the created data is transmitted to the test means 5 (step B14).

Subsequently, it is determined whether there is a signal received from the communication simulation means 7 (step B1).
5) If there is a received signal, it is transmitted to the test means (step B16).

Then, the process returns to the process (step B2) for determining whether or not there is received data from the test means 5, and the process is continued.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of communication simulation means 7 in the embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, communication simulation means 7
Is started by the test means 5. At startup, test means 5
The communication is performed with the communication simulating means 7 of the other workstation or personal computer on the LAN which performs communication by the given address of the other workstation 8 or personal computer 9 on the LAN which performs communication and establishes a connection. (Step C1).

N from the hardware simulation means 6
It is determined whether or not a signal of the O7 common channel signaling system has been received (step C2). If it has been received, the signal of the message transfer part of the NO7 common channel signaling system is converted into packet data, and the communication of the destination workstation is performed. Send to simulated communication means (step C
3).

It is determined whether there is packet data received from the communication simulating means of another work station that has established a connection (step C4). If there is received data, the packetized data is used to determine the NO7 common channel signal system. The data of the message transfer part is extracted and transmitted as a reception signal to the hardware device simulation means (step C5).

[0050]

Next, in order to describe the above-mentioned embodiment in more detail, an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

Referring to FIG. 5, one embodiment of the present invention is:
Software 1 of a base station control device, software 2 of a mobile communication exchange, software 3 of a home location register office, software 3 of a home location register office, and a maintenance center on an engineering workstation (EWS) 8 connected to an Ethernet 16 The station comprises software 4, test means 5, hardware simulation means 6, and communication simulation means 7.

Software 1 for base station controller, software 2 for mobile communication switching office, software 3 for home location register office, software 4 for maintenance center office
Is compiled from a source program and linked via a link, in the form of a load module.
Since the CPUs of the mobile communication switching center, the home location register station, and the maintenance center station are different from the CPU of the engineering workstation, the load module cannot be directly executed on the engineering workstation, but the test means 5 simulates each CPU. , The test can be performed by the test means 5.

The test means 5, the hardware simulating means 6, and the communication simulating means 7 are software, and are load modules in an executable form created by compiling and linking from a source program on an engineering workstation. The user starts the execution by inputting the name of the load module from the keyboard or specifying the load module name in the load module of another executable format and executing the execution instruction.

The hardware simulating means 6 is configured to execute the test by using software 1 of the base station controller.
In the case of, the hardware of the base station controller is simulated, and when the software to be tested is the software 2 of the mobile communication switching center, the hardware of the switching equipment of the mobile communication switching center is simulated, When the software to be tested is the software of the home location register station 3, the trunk and hardware of the home location register station are simulated. When the software to be tested is the software of the maintenance center station 4, the maintenance center is used. Simulate station hardware.

Next, the operation of the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 2, FIG. 3, and FIG.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of the test means 5 in this embodiment.

When the tester inputs the load module name in the executable form of the tester from the keyboard of the workstation from the test executor, the tester starts to start and the tester itself starts executing (step A1).

After the start of the test, the hardware simulating means 6 displays a list of conditions such as the name of the device or exchange to be simulated, the type of hardware device, the signal system, and the hardware mounting position on the screen of the workstation. The test executor selects a hardware condition suitable for the device to be tested or the exchange from the displayed contents by clicking the mouse. After obtaining the selected value, the test means activates the hardware simulation means 6 using the obtained value as a parameter (steps A2 and A3).

The tester inputs a host name, an IP address, and a process identification number of an engineering workstation connected to the Ethernet on which software of another station for performing a test as a mobile communication switching system operates from a keyboard. The communication simulating means 7 is started using the value obtained by the input as a parameter (steps A4 and A5).

Prior to the test, the load module of the software to be tested, which is transferred via the LAN or read via a medium such as CGMT, and held on the disk of the workstation, is loaded from the disk of the workstation to the memory ( Step A6).

The corresponding CPU is identified according to the type of the device to be tested or the type of exchange, and the machine code of the execution address of the load module indicated by the location register of the CPU is analyzed one instruction at a time to simulate the operation of the CPU. (Step A7).

If the instruction to be executed as a result of analyzing the instruction is an instruction to transmit data to a hardware device, it is determined whether or not there is transmission data (step A8). The data is transmitted to the simulation means 6 (step A9).

Next, it is determined whether or not there is data received from the hardware simulation means 6 (step A1).
0), if there is received data, input the data;
The input data is set as an input value of a data input command from a hardware device of the load module (step A11).

Next, it is determined whether or not there is an input from the keyboard / mouse of the workstation to the test means 5 (step A12). If there is an input, if the input is an instruction to end the test, the test is terminated by its own program. (Steps A13 and A14), except for the end instruction, the processing is executed according to the instruction (Step A15).

Next, it is determined whether or not there is an output request to the screen of the workstation, and if there is a screen output request, the output data is displayed on the screen (steps A16 and A17).

The machine code of the load module is analyzed one instruction at a time, and the process returns to the process of simulating the operation of the CPU of the system under test (step A7), and the process is continued thereafter.

FIG. 3 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the hardware simulation means 6 in this embodiment.

The hardware simulating means 6 is started by the testing means 5. Initialize the internal data required for hardware simulation according to the conditions such as the configuration of the hardware device that performs the simulation given by the test means at the time of startup, the type, the number signal system of the device, the mounting position, and the like ( Step B1).

It is determined whether there is received data from the test means. If there is data, the contents of the received data are analyzed (steps B2 and B3). As a result of the analysis, if the signal is a signal of the NO7 common channel signal system addressed to another station, the received data is transmitted to the communication simulating means (steps B4, B
5) If the signal is not a signal of the NO7 common channel signal system addressed to another station, the data of an instruction to perform what kind of hardware operation for which hardware device is analyzed in more detail.
The target hardware device is simulated (step B6), the simulation result is output to the screen of the workstation (step B7), and if response data of a hardware operation instruction is required, response data is created. (Step B8), and transmits to the test means 5 (Step B).
9).

Next, it is determined whether or not an operation has been performed from the keyboard / mouse of the workstation to the hardware simulating means 6 (step B10). If an operation has been performed, the operation of the hardware device corresponding to the operation is simulated. (Step 11), output the simulation result to the screen of the engineering workstation (Step B12), create data corresponding to the operation of the hardware device (Step B13), and transmit the created data to the test means. (Step B14).

Next, it is determined whether or not there is a signal received from the communication simulation means 7 (step B15). If there is a received signal, it is transmitted to the test means 5 (step B16).

Then, the process returns to step B2 for determining whether or not there is received data from the test means 5, and the process is continued.

FIG. 4 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the communication simulation means 7 in this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 4, communication simulation means 7
Is started by the test means 5. At the time of activation, the communication is performed with the communication simulation means of another workstation on the Ethernet which performs communication by the IP address and the process identification number on the Ethernet of the other workstation which performs the communication given by the test means 5 and establishes a connection. (Step C1).

N from the hardware simulation means 6
It is determined whether a signal of the O7 common channel signaling system has been received (step C2). If a signal of the O7 common channel signaling system has been received, the signal of the message transfer part of the NO7 common channel signaling system is converted into packet data and transmitted to the workstation of the transmission destination. (Step C3).

It is determined whether there is packet data received from the communication simulating means 7 of another workstation that has established a connection (step C4). If there is received packet data, NO7 is determined from the packetized data. The data of the message transfer part of the common channel signaling method is extracted and transmitted as a reception signal to the hardware device simulation means 6 (step C).
5).

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of the second embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 6, in the second embodiment of the present invention, a test unit 5 mounted on a workstation 8 or a personal computer 9 connected to a LAN 10, a hardware simulating unit 6,
And communication simulation means 7.

The work station 8 or the personal computer 9 is connected by a bus to a base station controller having no hardware devices such as switches and trunks, a mobile communication switching center exchange, a home location register office exchange, and a maintenance center office exchange. ing.

The test means 5 comprises a control function for controlling the CPUs of the base station controller, the mobile communication switching center, the home location register station, the exchanges and devices of the maintenance center station, the software 1 of the base station controller, the mobile communication switching equipment, and the like. Station control software 2, home location register station software 3, and maintenance center station software 4 send the hardware control data to the hardware device to the workstation via the bus and the hardware transmitted from the workstation. It has a function of receiving the response data of the device control data to the software 1 of the base station control device, the software 2 of the mobile communication switching center, the software 3 of the home location register station, and the software 4 of the maintenance center station.

The test means 5, the hardware simulation means 6, and the communication simulation means 7 are implemented as software, and are executed by a user inputting a start instruction from a keyboard on the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9. Executable load module to start.

The hardware simulating means 6 simulates the hardware of the base station controller when the exchange or device controlled by the testing means 5 is the CPU of the base station controller. If the switch or device being used is the CPU of the mobile communication switching center, simulation of the hardware of the mobile communication switching center switch is performed.

The hardware simulating means 6
When the exchange or device controlled by the test means 5 is the CPU of the home location register office, the hardware of the home location register office is simulated, and the exchange machine or equipment controlled by the test means 5 is maintained. In the case of the CPU of the center station, the hardware of the maintenance center station is simulated.

Next, the operation of the second embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

FIG. 7 is a flow chart for explaining the operation of the test means 5 in this embodiment.

Referring to FIG. 7, test unit 5 starts execution of the test unit itself when a test start instruction is input from the keyboard of workstation 8 by the test executor (step D1).

After the start of the test, the hardware simulating means 6 displays a list of devices or exchanges to be simulated, types of hardware devices, methods, conditions, etc. on the screen of the workstation 8, and the test executor From the displayed contents, select the hardware conditions suitable for the equipment to be tested or the type of exchange by clicking the mouse. After obtaining the selected value, the test means activates the hardware simulation means using the obtained value as a parameter (steps D2 and D2).
3).

The tester inputs the address on the LAN of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9 connected to the LAN on which the software of another station for testing as the mobile communication switching system operates or the keyboard. The communication simulation means 7 is started using the value obtained by the input as a parameter (steps D4 and D4).
5).

The load module of the software to be tested is loaded from the disk of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9 to the memory (step D6).

If there is data waiting to be transmitted in a data transmission queue for performing hardware control of a device connected via a bus or an exchange, the data is taken out of the queue and simulated by a hardware device on a workstation. 6 (steps D7, D8, D
9).

Next, it is determined whether there is data received from the hardware simulation means 6 (step D1).
0), if there is received data, input the data;
The input data is written into a data reception queue from the hardware of the device or the exchange connected via the bus (step D11).

Next, the test means 5 is inputted from the keyboard / mouse of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9.
Is determined (step D1).
2) If there is an input, the test is terminated if the input is an instruction to end the test (steps D13 and D14), and if not, a process according to the instruction is executed (step D15).

Next, it is determined whether there is a request for output to the screen of the workstation 8 or the personal computer 9, and if there is a screen output request, the output data is displayed on the screen (steps D16 and D17).

Subsequently, the process returns to the process for checking the data transmission queue for controlling the hardware (step D7), and the process is continued thereafter.

[0095]

As described above, according to the present invention,
The following effects are obtained.

(1) The first effect of the present invention is that the software of the system of the mobile communication exchange can be tested without using the actual device, and the cost of the test environment equipment can be reduced, and thus the test cost can be reduced. That is, it is possible to achieve a reduction in

[0097] The reason is that the actual equipment constituting the mobile communication exchange system is expensive. However, in the present invention, the actual equipment is not used, and the activation of software, the simulation of hardware equipment, and the communication between each equipment become possible. This enabled the system-wide software testing on workstations.

(2) A second effect of the present invention is that it is useful for improving the test efficiency and quality of software of a mobile communication switching system.

The reason for this is that, in the present invention, the system-wide software test can be performed without the need for an actual device, so that the use time limit of the actual device is relaxed.

(3) Further, as a third effect of the present invention,
This means that a test in a station configuration where system construction is not easy with an actual device is also possible.

The reason is that, in the present invention, the software test can be performed in advance from the stage where the actual device is not ready or the stage where the software test cannot be started due to a hardware failure or the like. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a first exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a test unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a hardware simulation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a communication simulation unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a configuration of a second exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a test unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 base station controller software 2 mobile communication switching center software 3 home location register station software 4 maintenance center station software 5 test means 6 hardware simulation means 7 communication simulation means 8 workstation 9 personal computer 10 LAN 11 Base station controller 12 Mobile communication switching center exchange 13 Home location register central office switching station 14 Maintenance center central office switching station 15 Bus 16 Ethernet

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁶ identification code FI H04Q 7/34 H04Q 7/04 B (58) Investigated field (Int.Cl. ⁶ , DB name) G06F 11/22-11 / 34 H04B 1/60 H04B 3/46-3/48 H04B 7/24-7/26 113 H04B 17/00-17/02 H04Q 7/00-7/04

Claims (4)

(57) [Claims] 1. A computer system interconnected by a network such as a LAN on a computer system. Each of a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station, and a maintenance center station constituting a mobile communication switching system. A software test system for a mobile communication switching system, comprising software test means for simulating software or directly starting a load module of the software. 2. A mobile communication switching system comprising hardware simulation means for simulating hardware devices of a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station, and a maintenance center station. The software test system for a mobile communication switching system according to claim 1, wherein: 3. A transmission / reception from each of said base station control unit, mobile communication switching center, home location register station and maintenance center station to another base station control unit, mobile communication switching center, home location register station and maintenance center station. The base station controller on another computer system connected to the LAN, the mobile communication switching office,
3. The software test system for a mobile communication switching system according to claim 2, further comprising communication simulation means for transmitting and receiving to and from a communication simulation means of a home location register station and a maintenance center station. 4. Simulating and executing software of each of a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station, and a maintenance center station constituting a mobile communication switching system on a plurality of interconnected computer systems. Or a means for starting up the software on the computer system so as to directly execute the software and controlling a test of the software; and a base station controller, a mobile communication switching center, a home location register station, and a maintenance center station. A software test system for a mobile communication switching system, comprising: means for simulating each hardware device by software; and means for communicating between the software.