Service verification testing for intelligent network services

The authors describe a methodology for service verification testing of a private virtual network service. The objective of service verification testing is to ensure that all network element capabilities function properly from an end-to-end call processing perspective and that all the features for a given IN (intelligent network) service work as specified in technical requirements. The methodology described is to use a test network which, as much as possible, emulates a given IN service architecture and customer environment, and to thoroughly exercise in a systematic fashion all the features, using an automated test system. The test system is described, and some of the lessons learned from the actual field tests are also presented