HDLC Analysis / Playback / Simulation

Record, Analyze and Transmit

HDLC Data


Non-Intrusive Analysis Using

GL’s T1/E1 Analyzers
 Overview
The HDLC is a protocol operating at the data link layer. HDLC is a Layer 2 "backbone" protocol for
reliable transport of data, voice, and video.
GL’s HDLC protocol analyzer provides the capability to capture, and analyze HDLC data on a full
duplex T1 E1 lines. The data channel may utilize all or a fractional part of the T1 E1 lines. Also
Supports LAPF, LAPD, there may be multiple data channels within the T1or E1 line. After setting the HDLC data channel
LAPD+IP, LAPX+IP, X.25 parameters and starting the decoding process, the main screen displays the received HDLC
Protocols
 frames in hex format. Flags are stripped; all other data is presented, including CRC bytes. GL
Communications supports the following types of HDLC analyzers:
 Real-time HDLC Analyzer (Pre-requisites: T1/E1 internal cards or units, required licenses)
 Remote/Offline HDLC Analyzers (Pre-requisites: Hardware Dongles)
In addition, GL offers HDLC Playback, HDLC Impairment Utility, and HDLC Tx/Rx Test applications.
Summary, Detail, Hex-dump, These applications further help in transmitting and capturing pre-defined HDLC frames.
and Statistics Views
 For more details, please visit our web page http://www.gl.com/hdlc.html.
Main Features
Display  Displays Summary, Detail, Hex-dump, and Statistics Views
Features  Detail View
 Displays decodes of a user-selected frame from the summary view
Search & Filtering Capabilities  Provides options to display or hide the required protocol layers

 Contents of this view can also be copied to clipboard
 Provides option to toggle detail view vertically or horizontally as feasible
for the user.
 Summary View displays timeslot, sub channel, frame#, device#, LAPD, LAPF
specific information and IP information like source/destination IP address, TCP
Real-time & Offline Analysis
 source port, TCP destination port, and so on in a tabular format
 Any protocol field can be added to the summary view, filtering, and search
features providing users more flexibility to monitor required protocol fields.
 Option to combine data from multiple columns under one column.
Supported LAPF, LAPD, LAPD+IP, LAPX+IP, X.25, Cisco HDLC Protocols
HDLC Playback Transmits Protocols
Recorded Trace Files Filtering and  Advanced filtering and search based on any user selected protocol fields
 Search  Real-time capture filter can be set for filtering frames based on frame length.
Capturing  Streams can be captured on the selected time slots (contiguous or non-
Streams contiguous), sub-channels or full bandwidth.
 Frames can be transmitted/captured in either 64 kbps, 56 kbps, n x 64 kbps, or
HLIU Injects Errors and n x 56 kbps data channels (hyper-channels)
Simulate Real-time Network  The following variations are accommodated in the software: inverted or non-
 inverted data, byte reversal or non-reversal.
 Supports decoding of frames with FCS of 16 bits and 32 bits, or none.
 Multiple streams of HDLC traffic on various T1/E1 channels can be
simultaneously decoded with different GUI instances.
Statistics Based on Frame-
count, Byte-count, and more


818 West Diamond Avenue - Third Floor, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, U.S.A

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Document Number: XX090-10.3.23-01

 Page 2

Main Features (continued) Filtering and Search

Export  Exports Summary View information to a comma
Options Users can record all or filtered traffic into a trace file. Filter and
delimited file for subsequent import into a search capabilities adds as another powerful feature to the HDLC
database or spreadsheet. analyzer. These features isolate required frames from all the
 Capability to export detailed decode information captured frames in real-time/remote/offline.
to an ASCII file
Record/ Users can specify custom values for frame length to filter frames
 Captured frames can later be used for traffic
Playback during real-time capture. The frames can also be filtered after
simulation using HDLC Transmit/Receive/
Playback application completion of capture based on LAPD, and other application
layers.
 Recorded trace files can be played back using
HDLC playback option. Similarly, search capability helps user to search for a particular
Remote Remote monitoring capability using GL's Network frame based on specific search criteria.
Surveillance System
Summary, Detail, Hex dump, and Statistics Views
The analyzer displays Summary, Detail, Hex dump and Statistics
views in different panes. The Summary View displays Frame
Number, Time, Length, C/R, SAPI, and so on. The user can select a
frame in the Summary View to analyze and decode each frame in
the Detail View. The Hex dump View displays the frame
information in HEX and ASCII octet dump format. The contents of
detail and hex dump view can also be copied to clipboard. The
Statistics View helps to study the performance and trends in the
HDLC network based on protocol fields and different parameters.

Figure: Real-time and Offline Filter

Save/Load All Configuration Settings
Protocol Configuration window provides a consolidated interface
for all the important settings required in the analyzer. This
includes various options such as protocol selection, startup
options, stream/interface selection, filter/search criteria and so
Figure: Summary, Detail, Hex dump, & Statistics Views
on. Any protocol field can be added to the summary view,
Real-time, Remote, and Offline Analysis filtering, and search features from this GUI providing the users
Users can capture and analyze HDLC frames using either real-time or more flexibility to monitor required protocol fields. All the
remote analyzers, and record all or filtered traffic into a trace file. configuration settings can be saved to a file and then loaded for
The recorded trace file can be used for offline analysis or exported to future operations, or user may just revert to the default values
a comma-delimited file, or ASCII file. Real-time capturing requires using the default option.
user to specify timeslots, bit inversion, octet bit reversion, user/
network side, FCS, and data transmission rate. Recorded trace file can
be played back on T1/E1 using the HDLC file Playback application.

Figure: Stream / Interface Selection Figure: Save / Load Configuration

818 West Diamond Avenue - Third Floor, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, U.S.A

(Web) http://www.gl.com/ - (V) +1-301-670-4784 (F) +1-301-670-9187 - (E-Mail) [email protected]

Document Number: XX090-10.3.23-01

 Page 3
HDLC Playback Application HDLC Tx / Rx Test
The HDLC Playback application is used to transmit HDLC frames in The HDLC Automated Test System consists of two applications:
the pre-recorded files over T1/E1 channels. The frames can be Transmitter application and Receiver application. Each
transmitted on selected time slots (contiguous or non- application has real-time and off-line features. The Transmitter
contiguous), sub-channels or full bandwidth. The HDLC frames application generates HDLC test frames using special algorithms,
may also be transmitted on just one, or n x 64 kbps, or n x 56 transmits them over T1/E1 or records them to an HDL file for
kbps hyper channels. subsequent use with other applications.
The Receiver application can receive frames in real-time over
T1/E1 or can verify an off-line HDL file for correct frame order
and data integrity.

Figure: HDLC Playback

HDLC Link Impairment Utility
The HDLC Link Impairment Utility offers various options to 'impair
(inject errors) specific HDLC frames, thus simulating various
scenarios taking place in a real-time network. Figure: HDLC TX and RX
Provides options to select Manual Error Insertion or Automatic
Random Error Insertion Mode to inject errors as per Automated HDLC Testing using Client-Server
requirement. Automatic Random option will allow user to
introduce impairments at specified random rate from 1x10E-06 The File based HDLC Record/Playback (Hdlcfunc) module is an
to 1.0. Error Counters displays the total number of CRC, Logic, optional application that allows HDLC Traffic Capture/Playback. It
Drop Frame, Change, and Duplicate errors impaired to an HDLC also allows transmission/reception of *.HDL frames files located
frame. on the server and on client. For details, visit http://www.gl.com/
hdlctxrxinwcs.html.
The HDLCTerr module performs multi-channel HDLC emulation
and analysis. It permits frame error testing and transmission of
memory generated sequences of fixed or variable length HDLC
frames, GL *.HDL Trace file frames, and various bandwidth
streams.
The HDLCHpio module performs file–based HDLC record and
playback actions. It permits receive / transmit of HDLC streams of
various bandwidth (hyper channel, timeslot, and multiple sub-
channel streams per timeslot). For details, visit http://
www.gl.com/hdlchpioandterr.html.

Figure: HDLC Link Impairment Utility

818 West Diamond Avenue - Third Floor, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, U.S.A

(Web) http://www.gl.com/ - (V) +1-301-670-4784 (F) +1-301-670-9187 - (E-Mail) [email protected]

Document Number: XX090-10.3.23-01

 Page 4
Supported Protocol Standards
The supported protocol standards in HDLC analyzer are LAPF, LAPD, LAPD+IP, LAPX+IP, X.25, Cisco HDLC Protocols

Supported Protocols Specification Used

LAPD CCITT Q.920/921
LAPF ITU-T Q.922
IP RFC 791
TCP RFC 793
UDP RFC 768
ICMP RFC 792
STUN RFC 3489
DNS RFC 1035
DHCP RFC 1533, 2131
HTTP RFC 2616
FTP RFC 959
SNMP RFC 1157,1155,1902,3416,2863,2578,3418,2011,2012 etc
Cisco HDLC http://www.protocols.com/pbook/bridge.htm#CISCOROUTER
ARP RFC 826
LAPB ITU-T Recommendation X.25

Buyer's guide Related Software

XX090 – T1/E1 Real-Time HDLC Decode/Store/Impairment/Rx-Tx XX100 – ISDN Analysis Software (T1 or E1)
Test Applications
XX600 – Basic Client/Server Scripted Control Software (Included
OLV090 – Offline HDLC Protocol Analyzer
with Basic Software)
Related Hardware
XX640 – File based HDLC Record/Playback
PTE001 – tProbe™ Dual T1 E1 Laptop Analyzer (Require Basic
Software) XX641 – File based HDLC Remote Record/Playback
HTE001 – Universal T1/E1 Card (Require Basic Software)
XX634 – Multi-Channel HDLC Emulation and Analysis & File based
UTE001 – Portable USB based Dual T1 or E1 Laptop Analyzer
(Require Basic Software) High Throughput HDLC Record/Playback

FTE001 – QuadXpress T1 E1 Main Board (Quad Port) *Specifications and features subject to change without notice.
ETE001 – OctalXpress T1 E1 Daughter boards (Octal Port)

818 West Diamond Avenue - Third Floor, Gaithersburg, MD 20878, U.S.A

(Web) http://www.gl.com/ - (V) +1-301-670-4784 (F) +1-301-670-9187 - (E-Mail) [email protected]

Document Number: XX090-10.3.23-01