RapidSMS HTTP Gateway Tester

When using RapidSMS with an HTTP gateway, messages usually flow like this:

Handset<--->Gateway<-->RapidSMS

HTTP Gateway Tester is a tool for measuring the time SMS take to travel in each direction, and for counting messages dropped along the way. It uses Scripting Layer for Android (SL4A), and requires an Android phone, a RapidSMS instance, and 2-way HTTP gateway service. Logs are written to a CSV file on the phone's SD card.

Installation

• Install SL4A on your Android phone by scanning the QR code here: http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/

• Install the Python interpreter for SL4A: http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/wiki/InstallingInterpreters

• Clone gateway_test from github and copy the app into into a RapidSMS project directory:

  $ git clone git://github.com/thebenedict/gateway_test.git

• Edit the config section of gwtest.py, and copy it to your phone at: /mnt/sdcard/sl4a/scripts/gwtest.py

• Add gateway_test to INSTALLED_APPS in settings.py, and restart your webserver

Usage

• If you're using a prepaid SIM, make sure you've loaded enough airtime for the amount of testing you want to do
• Plug in your phone and set it to not sleep while charging (see 'Note' below)
• Start SL4A and run gwtest.py
• Go have a nap

Note that this script currently doesn't use a wake lock (WTF!), and will stop if the phone goes to sleep. It's designed to be used on a phone that is plugged in and set to not sleep while charging. More info at:

http://code.google.com/p/android-scripting/wiki/FAQ#My_script_stops_working_when_the_screen_turns_off!_WTF?

Kill the script when you've had enough and find the log file in your phone's SL4A directory.

Log File Column Headers

• Message status -- SENT/FAILED/RECIEVED, where FAILED means the phone could not send
• Direction -- MO or MT
• Message number -- counts up from 1
• Date sent from phone
• Time sent from phone
• Date arrived at Rapid
• Time arrived at Rapid
• M/G -- delay in seconds between the mobile and gateway as measured by Rapid
• Date gateway reply arrived on phone
• Time gateway reply arrived on phone
• G/M -- delay in seconds between the gateway and mobile

Questions, suggestions and improvements (especially improvements!) are very welcome. If you take some data please share it.

HTTP Gateway Tester was written by Michael Benedict.