Release Notes

Troubleshooter

September 2005
Contents

1 W HATS NEW?..................................................................4
Troubleshooter: unified engineering process.................................4
Using the new data-loading methods ..................................................................... 4
The Repository Summary Dashboard ..................................................................... 7
The Standard Analysis Dashboard ......................................................................... 8
Multiple technology tabs ........................................................................................ 9
Drilldown by File and by Site.................................................................................. 9
Q&A about Troubleshooter ...........................................................11
Why does my file set take longer to load in Troubleshooter than in Classic Analyzer?11
Ive loaded a file with multiple technologies but one technology tab is not being
displayed. Why? ................................................................................................. 11
Scanner and handset merge ........................................................11
New Preferences dialog options ........................................................................... 11
Scanner attributes merged into the handset stream ............................................... 12
Advanced Help..............................................................................13

2 REPOSITORIES ...............................................................14
About Repositories........................................................................14
Installation instructions ........................................................................................ 14
Q&A about Repositories ...............................................................14
What is a Repository? ......................................................................................... 14
Where are the Repository projects stored? ........................................................... 15
How many Repository projects can I open at once? .............................................. 15
Can I create my own Repository templates?......................................................... 15
Can I edit my Repository templates?................................ ................................ .... 15
Can I transfer a Repository from one computer to another? ................................... 15
Can I share a Repository? ................................................................................... 15
Can I access a Repository project directly from another application?...................... 15
Do I need to do anything to maintain a Repository project?................................ .... 15
What is MSDE? .................................................................................................. 16
How do I install MSDE?....................................................................................... 16
Why do I need to install MSDE?........................................................................... 16
Will MSDE work on NT4? ................................ ................................ .................... 16
How do I uninstall MSDE? ................................................................................... 16
When using Repository Analysis, why do I have to load a file twice? ...................... 16

3 KNOWN ISSUES ..............................................................17

No summary chart information for EV-DO loaded files ........................................... 17
Batch load of files requiring native file decoder cannot be cancelled ....................... 17
SC table processing has impact on Replay ........................................................... 18
Change default of Show Agilent data selection dialog to 'No' ................................. 18
Cancel or closing a delete Repository project action, the main Engineering Process
window is not redisplayed................................ ................................ .................... 18

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 2

 Conversion from the old database schema........................................................... 18
EVDO TS - State Information stateform cuts off stats in low resolution ................... 19
Cannot remove files from Repository................................ ................................ .... 19
Nemo GSM-only files have GPRS bit set also in streamflag................................... 19
Attempting to load unlicensed files will give error .................................................. 19
New workspace gives blank screen...................................................................... 19
Relocate moved files in Repository ...................................................................... 20
Incorrect Combined File Sizes reported ................................................................ 20
Memory leak when deleting Repository projects................................ .................... 20
How to open saved projects with Always Start using the Eng Process selected....... 20
Cell ID is added to Filters when Site Row clicked .................................................. 20
Standard load including invalid file does not display valid files until refresh............. 20

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 3

1 Whats new?

Troubleshooter: unified engineering process

The various drive-test Troubleshooter engineering processes, and
the repository-based UMTS Regional Analysis have been
combined into one process: Troubleshooter.

With Troubleshooter, you can diagnose complex network issues

faster than ever. Multiple-technology summary pages allow you to
home in on complex issues quickly, while intelligent file loading
systems allow you to import the large volumes of data generated
by modern logging tools across your network.

Two methods are available for loading data, and based on the
method used, different dashboards are available to examine the
data. Each dashboard has a separate tab for a particular technology
if multiple technologies are licensed and in use.

Repository-based analysis, recommended for regional analysis and

problem identification and optimised for file sets larger than the
user-defined file size limit

or

Standard analysis, recommended for localised problem diagnostics.

With this method, you can select/deselect logfiles and individual
handsets as required.

Using the new data-loading methods

On selecting Troubleshooter as a new engineering process, the
Start Page opens. From here, you can configure Troubleshooter
and select the data files you want to examine. At a minimum, you
will need to have an appropriate cellrefs file selected using the
Preferences button. You may want to leave the Thresholds at their
default values until you have examined the various Troubleshooter
report pages.

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 In the Select data section, click the Add Files button and select
those logfiles that you want to examine. A table shows all selected
files and the size of each.

Below the Select data section, the Load method section indicates
the total size of all selected files. If the total size is less than the
user-defined limit, Standard Analysis is the recommended optimal
method for loading and examining the data (you can still override
this by choosing the Repository Analysis method).

If you click Continue now, the Standard dashboard appears,

described later.

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 If the total size of the selected files is over the user-defined limit,
Repository Analysis is the recommended approach.

Clicking Continue takes you to the Repository-based dashboard,

although you now have the opportunity to save the current
Repository project:

You can also do this at any stage within the Troubleshooter

Repository analysis pages. Once you have saved a project file, any
data you load subsequently will also be loaded into the Repository
project.

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 The Repository Summary Dashboard
This Dashboard (sho wn on the right) displays aggregated key
performance indicators from the loaded data for large -scale
problem identification within your network. Other investigation
pages allow you to observe network behavior using focused charts
and tables.

Once your data is loaded into a Repository project database, you

can reload it rapidly, and at any future date load it from the
Engineering Process entry dialog. At any stage in the Repository
Analysis section, you can add more information as required to the
Repository project.

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 The Standard Analysis Dashboard
The Standard Dashboard (shown on the left) displays aggregated
key performance indicators from the loaded data. The Dashboard:

Identifies potential critical issues

Identifies potential important issues

Reviews events and design quality

Summarizes important cell data

With one click from the Dashboard, you can drill down into the
data set. Follow the issues through to an analysis page providing a
diagnosis for each offending device.

Now, prove the diagnosis with one click. This opens appropriate
data views that let you review the diagnosis if the diagnosis is
successful, move on to the next issue!

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 8

 Multiple technology tabs
Note that if data contains more than one technology (and you are
licensed for each of these technologies), the Repository and
Standard Dashboards are tabbed to allow you to move between the
various technology views quickly and easily.

Repository Dashboard: Standard Dashboard:

Drilldown by File and by Site

The Drilldown buttons allow you to proceed to the Standard
analysis for the selected data, either by file or by site. The file
selection is straightforward:

The loaded files are shown in a table along with KPIs that help you
decide which files to select. A filter allows you to narrow down
your choice.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 9

 Selecting a site for drilldown is a little more complex as site data
might span several streams. However, the Site Level Selection
page makes the data selection process easy:

If you started your current worksession by reloading an existing

Repository project, Troubleshooter remembers the location of the
original logfiles if you want to use the Drilldown feature again.
Note, however, that if you have moved the original files since
creating the Repository project, this feature will not be able to
locate the files to perform the Drilldown.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 10

Q&A about Troubleshooter
Why does my file set take longer to load in Troubleshooter than in
Classic Analyzer?
To reduce the time taken to switch between analysis pages within
Troubleshooter, more processing of the data has occurred up
front during the initial file loading. This extra processing causes
the difference in file load times, so although it does take longer to
load the data, efficiency dividends pay off when actually using the
software to analyze the loaded data.

Ive loaded a file with multiple technologies but one technology tab is
not being displayed. Why?
Check to see that you have a license for the technology.
Alternatively, Troubleshooter may not have detected any problems
within the data for that technology.

Scanner and handset merge

New Preferences dialog options
Merge Scanner and Handset Data: this feature provides a way to
automatically merge scanner data with handset data so that direct
comparison can be made at each bin. This is important because it
enables a deeper level of network troubleshooting involving
scanner data. By pushing some of the scanner attributes into the
handset stream, it is now possible to complete critical scanner
analysis, for example comparing handset and scanner data to
perform missing neighbor analysis.

The way the data is merged varies according to the technology, but
essentially the current frequency of the handset is retrieved and if it
matches one of the scanner frequencies, selected attributes are
copied to the handset stream.

Note that this operates automatically for Standard Troubleshooter

(the feature has no effect in Repository Troubleshooter views) on
entering and exiting the Load & Select Data page. Note that this
automatic switching does not work if you:
Attempt to load data from anywhere other than the Load
& Select Data page . In this case, the setting in
Preferences dictates the merge behavior.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 11

 Select a New Engineering Process from the Load &
Select Data page. In this case, the setting in Preferences is
on.
Exit Troubleshooter from the Load & Select Data page
and restart. In this case, the setting in Preferences is on.
Time window for scanner-handset merge : this option is used
only when the previous option is selected. When Analyzer
encounters a scanner message during the loading of the data, it
"looks back" in the stream for the most recent handset message in
order to copy the scanner attributes into it. This option controls
how far back (in milliseconds) Analyzer will look. If a suitable
message is not found in this window, the scanner attributes are not
copied. The default is 1000 (ms).

Scanner attributes merged into the handset stream

The following table lists the attributes that are copied into the
handset stream for the supported technologies and file formats.
Technology Vendors Attributes
UMTS Agilent CPICH_Scan_EcIo_SortedBy_EcIo[]
CPICH_Scan_RSCP_SortedBy_EcIo[]
CPICH_Scan_SC_SortedBy_EcIo[]
CPICH_Scan_Sorted_Count
Uu_Scan_RSSI
Uu_Scan_CarrierError
CPICH_Scan_DelaySpread_For_SC[]
Uu_Sca n_ChipOffset_For_SC[]
CDMA Agilent PN_Scanner_PN_for_Nth_Best_Pilot[]
Grayson PN_Scanner_EcIo_for_Nth_Best_Pilot[]
DataPro
PN_Scanner_EcIo_for_PN[]
Comarco
PN_Scanner_Ec_for_PN []
PN_Scanner_Ec_for_Nth_Best_Pilot []
Io
GSM/GPRS/EDGE Agilent The following attributes appear in the Attribute Explorer under Scanner > GSM:
TEMS ScanSortBSIC_by_SigLevel []
Nemo ScanSortBSIC_by_ChannelNo []
ScanSortBSIC_by_SigLevel_GSM900 []
ScanSortBSIC_by_SigLevel_GSM1800 []
ScanSortBSIC_by_SigLevel_GSM1900 []
ScanSortBSIC_by_SigLevel_GSM1800_1900 []
ScanSigLevelByBCCH_BSIC []

The following attributes appear in the Attribute Explorer under Scanner > CW
Scan:
ScanSortChannelNo_by_SigLevel []
ScanSortChannelNo_by_SigLevel_GSM900 []
ScanSortChannelNo_by_SigLevel_GSM1800_or_1900 []
ScanSortSigLevel_by_SigLevel []
ScanSortSigLevel_by_SigLevel_GSM900 []
ScanSortSigLevel_by_SigLevel_GSM1800_or_1900 []
ScanSortIndex_by_SigLevel []

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 12

Technology Vendors Attributes
ScanChannelIsUplink []
ScanChannelNo []
ScanNumFrequenices
ScanSigLevel []
ScanIdxScanOrder []
ScanListIdxIsChanNo

Advanced Help
The online help now includes an Advanced section, suitable for
advanced users, that treats a variety of issues in some considerable
depth:

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 13

2 Repositories

About Repositories
Repositories make use of Microsofts MSDE local desktop
database, which allows Analyzer to store data in Archive project
files. Repositories extend the desktop Analyzer platform by
adding:
A relational database to manage the large statistical
result-sets generated when analyzing large volumes of
network data.
The ability to batch process large volumes of network
performance data.

Installation instructions
Information on how to install the database components correctly
can be found in the MSDE Installation Guide available in pdf form
within the Actix installation download or CD.

Q&A about Repositories

What is a Repository?
Repositories are a new data loading and storage technology that
allows you to batch process large volumes of network performance
data. Repositories are intended as a successor to Network Images
for bulk data storage within the Analyzer platform, although the
two technologies will exist side by side for the time being.
However, the new Troubleshooter engineering process is based
purely upon Repository technology.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 14

 Where are the Repository projects stored?
Depending on the users current Windows user settings:

\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application

Data\Actix\Analyzer\Projects

Check that you have as many Gb of available space in this location

as you need. Each Repository project that you use will need a
maximum of 1GB of disk space to be used to its fullest capacity.

How many Repository projects can I open at once?

You can only open one Repository project at a time in a
worksession. This may change in future releases.

Can I create my own Repository templates?

No. This may be possible in future releases.

Can I edit my Repository templates?

No. This may be possible in future releases.

Can I transfer a Repository from one computer to another?

Not yet, although this enhancement is planned for future releases.

Can I share a Repository?

Not yet, although this enhancement is planned for future releases.

Can I access a Repository project directly from another application?

Direct access to the Repository database is not currently supported.
Future releases may include this capability.

Do I need to do anything to maintain a Repository project?

You will need to install the Repository as described in the MSDE
Installation Guide (referred to as a Repository in the Guide)
provided with this release, but once the functionality has been
installed, you only need to interact with your Repository data
through the pages of the Troubleshooter engineering process.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 15

 What is MSDE?
The Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Desktop Engine (MSDE 2000) is
a data engine built and based on core SQL Server technology. With
support for single- and dual-processor desktop computers, MSDE
2000 is a reliable storage engine and query processor for desktop
extensions of enterprise applications. The common technology
base shared between SQL Server and MSDE 2000 enables
developers to build applications that can scale seamlessly from
portable computers to multiprocessor clusters.

How do I install MSDE?

This is described in the MSDE Installation Guide provided with
this release.

Why do I need to install MSDE?

MSDE provides the underpinning technology for Repositories,
which in turn support the Troubleshooter engineering process.

Will MSDE work on NT4?

Yes, although this functionality is no longer actively supported by
Microsoft. Refer to the MSDE Installation Guide.

If you find that you are having problems with MSDE, contact
Actix Support for assistance.

How do I uninstall MSDE?

Refer to the MSDE Installation Guide for details.

When using Repository Analysis, why do I have to load a file twice?

The first time the file gets loaded to process the queries that
produce high- level statistics. These allow the user to drilldown to
the problem files from the summary page. The results of the
queries get stored in the Repository and are then available for
drilldown.

During drilldown from the Summary page, the user selects a

problematic file based on the KPIs and loads it back into
Analyzer. This way the Summary page limits the analysis to the
files that have problems.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 16

3 Known Issues

No summary chart information for EV-DO loaded files

If logfiles we re loaded into the Troubleshooter, and Standard
Analysis selected, then no summary chart information is displayed.
This problem only affects Windows 2000.

In Internet Explorer version 6, select Tools > Internet Options .

Select the Advanced tab.

Under HTTP 1.1 settings, check the box for HTTP 1.1 through
proxy connections :

Batch load of files requiring native file decoder cannot be cancelled

When batch loading files which require Grayson Invex3G
software: if the Use Native File Decoder box is not checked in
Tools, Preferences, then the file load fail error message is
generated for each file load attempt and cannot be cancelled. The

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 17

 user must wait for each file load attempt to fail or kill the Analyzer
process before changing file type or preferences.

SC table processing has impact on Replay

Running the query for the table gives poor replay performance as it
has to wait at each synch point.

Change default of Show Agilent data selection dialog to 'No'

This dialog requires user interaction, and will stop files being
processed into Troubleshooter (using Repository or Standard
loading).

Cancel or closing a delete Repository project action, the main

Engineering Process window is not redisplayed
When deleting a Repository project, users should be returned to the
Engineering Process window. However, if users click Cancel or
close the message box: Do you wish to save the current workspace
before closing it? they are not taken to the Engineering Process
window and are instead left with a blank Analyzer window.

Conversion from the old database schema

The new behavior has been implemented as follows: when the
Repository Manager connects to a database, it detects if there are
repositories that need converting. If there are some, it attempts to
convert them one by one. The conversion mechanism migrates
each repository, deleting the old metadata for it. This means that

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 18

 the data will no longer be usable with the old product, but only
with the current version of the software.

EVDO TS - State Information stateform cuts off stats in low resolution

On a 1024x768 desktop display, the 1x EV DO State Information
stateform has three more statistics (Overhead Message, Connected
Protocol and Route Update) that are cut off due to the window
sizing.

Cannot remove files from Repository

Currently files may not be removed from a Repository once the
Repository project has been created.

Nemo GSM-only files have GPRS bit set also in streamflag

Loading a GSM-only Nemo file results in the streamflag bit for
GPRS (ie 0x2000000) being set also.

The GPRS bit must be removed for GSM-only files.

Attempting to load unlicensed files will give error

Select the Troubleshooter engineering process.

Select a variety of file formats, including some for which you are
not licensed.

Continue using Standard analysis.

Click OK on the warning that the file could not be loaded for each
file that fails.

New workspace gives blank screen

Select a file in any technology and click Continue with Standard
analysis selected.

Continue to the dashboard and select an investigation page.

Now Select New Workspace.

This should reset the current Engineering Process and restore the
Start (data selection) page for Troubleshooter. However, it does
not re-open the task window, so the screen is blank.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 19

 To get round this, from the Files menu, start a New Workspace.

Relocate moved files in Repository

Do not move Repository project files, as Troubleshooter will not
be able to locate them.

Incorrect Combined File Sizes reported

In certain circumstances, incorrect total file sizes may be reported
on the Repository Summary dashboard.

This is currently under investigation.

Memory leak when deleting Repository projects

If this continues, your computer may run out of memory, so to
avoid any problems, you may want to restart your computer once
you have deleted one or more Repository projects.

How to open saved projects with Always Start using the Eng Process
selected
If the Always Start checkbox on the Engineering Process dialog is
selected, then it may no t be obvious how to resume a saved project
in the next worksession, as the selection dialog and saved project
tab are bypassed.

Note that Start New Engineering Process is also available from

the File menu and allows you to open saved Repository projects.

Cell ID is added to Filters when Site Row clicked

On the Site Level Selection screen from Site Drilldown, if a Site
Row is clicked, then the first CellID is added to the filter list but
has no other effect.

Standard load including invalid file does not display valid files until
refresh
If the last of a bunch of files you attempt to load into the standard
Troubleshooter is corrupt, the stream picker will appear blank,
even though files may have been loaded. You can refresh the
display by loading another file (possibly one you have already) by
pressing the F5 key.

Copyright Actix 2005 Troubleshooter Release Notes 20