diff --git a/clmctest/monitoring/LineProtocolGenerator.py b/clmctest/monitoring/LineProtocolGenerator.py
index a420b6b9c2ef499679d15269d05b976e5463d300..213e84da0fff40208d621de5597bca3711ba4a7e 100644
--- a/clmctest/monitoring/LineProtocolGenerator.py
+++ b/clmctest/monitoring/LineProtocolGenerator.py
@@ -94,19 +94,54 @@ def _getNSTime(time):
 
     return timestamp
 
-def generate_mc_serviceConfig( mcLabel, sStop, asStop, sStart, asStart, time ):
-    result = [{ "measurement" : "mediaComponentConfig",
-                "tags"        : { "mediaComp" : mcLabel },
-                "fields"      :
-                { "serviceStopped" : sStop,
-                  "avgServiceStopped" : asStop,
-                  "serviceStarted" : sStart,
-                  "avgServiceStarted" : asStart
+def generate_mc_service_config( mcMeasurement, stateTimeStats, time ):
+
+    validStats = validate_state_time_stats( stateTimeStats )
+
+    result = [{ "measurement" : mcMeasurement,
+                "fields" :
+                { "stopped"      : validStats['stopped'],
+                  "avg_stopped"  : validStats['avg_stopped'],
+                  "starting"     : validStats['starting'],
+                  "avg_starting" : validStats['avg_starting'],
+                  "running"      : validStats['running'],
+                  "avg_running"  : validStats['avg_running'],
+                  "stopping"     : validStats['stopping'],
+                  "avg_stopping" : validStats['avg_stopping']
                 },
                 "time" : _getNSTime(time) }]
 
     return result
 
+def validate_state_time_stats( stateTimeStats ):
+
+    if ( not 'stopped' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['stopped'] = 0.0
+
+    if ( not 'avg_stopped' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['avg_stopped'] = 0.0
+    
+    if ( not 'starting' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['starting'] = 0.0
+
+    if ( not 'avg_starting' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['avg_starting'] = 0.0
+
+    if ( not 'running' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['running'] = 0.0
+
+    if ( not 'avg_running' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['avg_running'] = 0.0
+
+    if ( not 'stopping' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['stopping'] = 0.0
+
+    if ( not 'avg_stopping' in stateTimeStats ):
+        stateTimeStats['avg_stopping'] = 0.0
+
+    return stateTimeStats
+
+
 
 # DEPRECATED
 # ____________________________________________________________________________
diff --git a/clmctest/monitoring/StreamingSim.py b/clmctest/monitoring/StreamingSim.py
index afc1f24e084bd4cff1f13de3514c5fa87b263cc5..a7d8d9ce3aa74c4ec5e8be46dd64e36d704e9c85 100644
--- a/clmctest/monitoring/StreamingSim.py
+++ b/clmctest/monitoring/StreamingSim.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import time
 import urllib.parse
 import pytest
 import random
-import sys
+import sys, getopt
 from influxdb import InfluxDBClient
 
 # Simulation parameters
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ AGENT2_URL = 'http://172.23.1.22:8186'
 
 class Sim(object):
     """
+
+    
     Simulator for services
     """
 
@@ -75,6 +77,10 @@ class Sim(object):
         # endpoint state->mu, sigma, secs normal distribution
         config_delay_dist = {"placing": [10, 0.68], "booting": [10, 0.68], "connecting": [10, 0.68]}
 
+        # Simulation configuration of the media component (MC) state changes
+        # "MC state", [average (sec), stddev]
+        mc_config_delay_dist = { "stopped":[1, 0.68], "starting": [5, 0.68], "running":[1, 0.68], "stopping": [2, 0.68]}
+
         print("\nSimulation started. Generating data...")
 
         # Place endpoints
@@ -99,6 +105,32 @@ class Sim(object):
             max_delay = max(delay_time, max_delay)
         sim_time += max_delay
 
+        # move mpegdash_service media component state from 'stopped' to 'starting'
+        max_delay = 0
+        for ip_endpoint in ip_endpoints:
+            agent_url       = urllib.parse.urlparse(ip_endpoint["agent_url"])
+            agent_db_client = InfluxDBClient(host=agent_url.hostname, port=agent_url.port, database=self.influx_db_name, timeout=10)
+            delay_avg       = mc_config_delay_dist['stopped'][0]
+            delay_std       = delay_avg * mc_config_delay_dist['stopped'][1]
+            
+            delay_time = self._changeMCState(agent_db_client, sim_time, "mpegdash_service_config", delay_avg, delay_std, 0.7, 'stopped', 'starting')
+            max_delay  = max(delay_time, max_delay)
+
+        sim_time += max_delay
+
+        # move mpegdash_service media component state from 'starting' to 'running'
+        max_delay = 0
+        for ip_endpoint in ip_endpoints:
+            agent_url       = urllib.parse.urlparse(ip_endpoint["agent_url"])
+            agent_db_client = InfluxDBClient(host=agent_url.hostname, port=agent_url.port, database=self.influx_db_name, timeout=10)
+            delay_avg       = mc_config_delay_dist['starting'][0]
+            delay_std       = delay_avg * mc_config_delay_dist['starting'][1]
+            
+            delay_time = self._changeMCState(agent_db_client, sim_time, "mpegdash_service_config", delay_avg, delay_std, 0.7, 'starting', 'running')
+            max_delay  = max(delay_time, max_delay)
+
+        sim_time += max_delay
+
         # Connect endpoints
         max_delay = 0
         for ip_endpoint in ip_endpoints:
@@ -174,7 +206,42 @@ class Sim(object):
                 # remove requests processed off the queue
                 ip_endpoint['request_queue'] -= int(requests_processed)
 
+                # update mpegdash_service media component state (continuously 'running')
+                state_stats = {}
+                state_stats['running'] = float(TICK_TIME)
+                state_stats['avg_running'] = float(TICK_TIME)
+                agent_db_client.write_points(lp.generate_mc_service_config("mpegdash_service_config",state_stats,sim_time))
+                
             sim_time += TICK_TIME
+
+        # Simulate tear-down of media components
+        # move mpegdash_service media component state from 'running' to 'stopping'
+        max_delay = 0
+        for ip_endpoint in ip_endpoints:
+            agent_url       = urllib.parse.urlparse(ip_endpoint["agent_url"])
+            agent_db_client = InfluxDBClient(host=agent_url.hostname, port=agent_url.port, database=self.influx_db_name, timeout=10)
+            delay_avg       = mc_config_delay_dist['running'][0]
+            delay_std       = delay_avg * mc_config_delay_dist['running'][1]
+            
+            delay_time = self._changeMCState(agent_db_client, sim_time, "mpegdash_service_config", delay_avg, delay_std, 0.7, 'running', 'stopping')
+            max_delay  = max(delay_time, max_delay)
+
+        sim_time += max_delay
+
+        # move mpegdash_service media component state from 'stopping' to 'stopped'
+        max_delay = 0
+        for ip_endpoint in ip_endpoints:
+            agent_url       = urllib.parse.urlparse(ip_endpoint["agent_url"])
+            agent_db_client = InfluxDBClient(host=agent_url.hostname, port=agent_url.port, database=self.influx_db_name, timeout=10)
+            delay_avg       = mc_config_delay_dist['stopping'][0]
+            delay_std       = delay_avg * mc_config_delay_dist['stopping'][1]
+            
+            delay_time = self._changeMCState(agent_db_client, sim_time, "mpegdash_service_config", delay_avg, delay_std, 0.7, 'stopping', 'stopped')
+            max_delay  = max(delay_time, max_delay)
+
+        sim_time += max_delay
+
+        # End simulation
         end_time = sim_time
         print("Simulation Finished. Start time {0}. End time {1}. Total time {2}".format(start_time, end_time,
                                                                                          end_time - start_time))
@@ -223,90 +290,35 @@ class Sim(object):
 
         return delay_time
 
-## PYTEST FIXTURES  START
-## ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-@pytest.fixture(scope='module')
-def run_simulation_fixture(streaming_sim_config):
-    """
-    A fixture, which checks if the the DB has been created, if not it runs the simulator with a 10 seconds timeout after that
-    """
-
-    influx_db_url = "http://" + streaming_sim_config['hosts'][0]['ip_address'] + ":8086"
-    agent1_url = "http://" + streaming_sim_config['hosts'][1]['ip_address'] + ":8186"
-    agent2_url = "http://" + streaming_sim_config['hosts'][2]['ip_address'] + ":8186"  
-
-    global INFLUX_DB_URL
-    global INFLUX_DB_NAME
-    global SIMULATION_TIME_SEC
-    global AGENT1_URL
-    global AGENT2_URL    
-
-    simulator = Sim(influx_db_url, INFLUX_DB_NAME, agent1_url, agent2_url)
-    dbs = simulator.db_client.get_list_database()
-    dbs = [db.get("name") for db in dbs]
-
-    # This check needed to be disabled as the CLMCMetrics database is always created when
-    # the test starts, irrespective of whether this is the 1st time or not
-#    if INFLUX_DB_NAME not in dbs:
-    simulator.reset()
-    simulator.run(SIMULATION_TIME_SEC)
-
-    print("10 seconds timeout is given so that the data could properly be inserted into the database.")
-    import time
-    time.sleep(10)
-
-### Media Component Configuration fixtures
-"""
-Line Protocol report format:
- 
-mediaComponentConfig <global tags>,<mediaComp> <configState1=milliseconds>,<configState2=milliseconds> time
-"""
-
-@pytest.fixture(scope='module')
-def reportMC_ServiceState(streaming_sim_config):
-    """
-    Report to determine whether the simulated streaming servers on the endpoints is running.
-    """
-
-    # IPEndpoint 1 scenario
-    # 10 second period: Stopped --> started --> stopped --> started
-    # Stopped state: 1000 + 500 = 1500  [avg = 750] 
-    # Started state: 3000 + 5500 = 8500 [avg = 4250]
+    @staticmethod
+    def _changeMCState(agent_db_client, sim_time, mc_measurement, mu, sigma, trans_ratio, transition_state, next_state):
+        """
+        Send INFLUX data indicating the time taken to transition to a new state
 
-    epURL = streaming_sim_config['hosts'][1]['ip_address']
-    idbc = InfluxDBClient( host=epURL, port=8186, database=INFLUX_DB_NAME, timeout=10 )
+        Returns the total time delay for the state change
+        """
 
-    idbc.write_points( lp.generate_mc_serviceConfig( "apache", 1500, 750, 8500, 4250, 0) )
+        # Calculate a randomized total time for the transition (and calculate relative ratios of time in transition and next state)
+        total_delay_time = max( random.normalvariate(mu, sigma), 1 ) # minimum total delay is 1 second
+        transition_time  = total_delay_time * trans_ratio
+        next_state_time  = total_delay_time - transition_time
 
-    # IPEndpoint 2 scenario
-    # 10 second period: Stopped --> started --> stopped --> started
-    # Stopped state: 250 + 250 = 500  [avg = 250] 
-    # Started state: 3500 + 6000 = 9500 [avg = 4750]
+        mc_states = {}
+        
+        # Report time in transition (and add the same as average)
+        mc_states[transition_state] = transition_time
+        mc_states["avg_" +transition_state] = transition_time
 
-    epURL = streaming_sim_config['hosts'][2]['ip_address']
-    idbc = InfluxDBClient( host=epURL, port=8186, database=INFLUX_DB_NAME, timeout=10 )
+        # Report time remaining in the next state (adding the same as the average)
+        mc_states[next_state] = next_state_time
+        mc_states["avg_" +next_state] = next_state_time
 
-    idbc.write_points( lp.generate_mc_serviceConfig( "apache", 250, 250, 9500, 4750, 0) )
+        agent_db_client.write_points(lp.generate_mc_service_config(mc_measurement, mc_states, sim_time))
 
-@pytest.fixture(scope='module')
-def reportMC_ConfigFileState(streaming_sim_config):
-    """
-    Report to determine whether the simulated streaming servers configuration on the endpoints is correct
-    """
+        return total_delay_time
 
-@pytest.fixture(scope='module')
-def reportMC_APIStatus(streaming_sim_config):
-    """
-    Report to determine whether the simulated streaming servers API status call returns good
-    """
 
-
-## ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
-## PYTEST FIXTURES END
-
-
-def run_simulation(generate=True):
+def run_simulation(generate=True, sTime=3600):
     """
     A method which runs the data generation simulator
     :param generate: True for generating data, False for deleting the DB (optional argument, if not given, default value True is used)
@@ -318,6 +330,8 @@ def run_simulation(generate=True):
     global AGENT1_URL
     global AGENT2_URL
 
+    SIMULATION_TIME_SEC = sTime
+
     simulator = Sim(INFLUX_DB_URL, INFLUX_DB_NAME, AGENT1_URL, AGENT2_URL)
 
     if generate:
@@ -326,18 +340,36 @@ def run_simulation(generate=True):
     else:
         simulator.db_client.drop_database(simulator.influx_db_name)
 
-
 if __name__ == "__main__":
     """
     The main entry for this module. Code here is executed only if the StreamingSim.py file is executed, 
     but not when it's imported in another module
     """
 
-    # check if there are any command line arguments given when executing the module
-    if len(sys.argv) > 1:
-        # if CLI argument '-c' is set when executing the script, the influx db will be deleted instead of generating data
-        option = str(sys.argv[1]) != "-c"
-        run_simulation(generate=option)
+    # Default options for simulation (generate data and simulation time of 3600 seconds)
+    genOpt = True
+    simTime = 60 * 60
+
+    # Try get some options
+    try:
+        opts, args = getopt.getopt( sys.argv[1:], "c:t:", ['clear','time='])
+
+    except getopt.GetoptError:
+        print( 'StreamingSim.py -c -t <seconds>' )
+        sys.exit(2)
+    
+    # Apply options, if any
+    for opt, arg in opts:
+        if opt in ( '-c','--clear' ):
+            genOpt = False
+        
+        elif opt in ('-t','--time'):
+            simTime = arg
+
+    if ( genOpt == True ):
+        print( "Running simulation to generate data" )
+        print( "Time period for this simulation: " + str(simTime) + " seconds" )
     else:
-        # no argument is given to the function call, hence the default value True is used
-        run_simulation()
+        print( "Clearing simulation data" )
+
+    run_simulation( genOpt, simTime )
diff --git a/clmctest/monitoring/conftest.py b/clmctest/monitoring/conftest.py
index 039615224e17aa35ef1cd331425ab9eae55036a5..9c33c8b035c652799b68a8595777aa98df8a8408 100644
--- a/clmctest/monitoring/conftest.py
+++ b/clmctest/monitoring/conftest.py
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import pytest
 import yaml
 import pkg_resources
 from influxdb import InfluxDBClient
+from clmctest.monitoring.StreamingSim import Sim
 
 
 @pytest.fixture(scope="module")
@@ -21,9 +22,8 @@ def streaming_sim_config():
         data_loaded = yaml.load(stream)
     return data_loaded
 
-
 @pytest.fixture(params=[{'database': 'CLMCMetrics'}], scope='module')
-def influxdb(streaming_sim_config, request):
+def influx_db(streaming_sim_config, request):
     """
     Creates an Influx DB client for the CLMC metrics database
 
@@ -32,7 +32,21 @@ def influxdb(streaming_sim_config, request):
     :return: the created Influx DB client
     """
 
-    db = InfluxDBClient(host=streaming_sim_config['hosts'][0]['ip_address'], port=8086, database=request.param['database'], timeout=10)
-    db.drop_database(request.param['database'])
-    
-    return db
+    return InfluxDBClient(host=streaming_sim_config['hosts'][0]['ip_address'], port='8086', database=request.param['database'], timeout=10)
+
+@pytest.fixture(scope="module")
+def simulator( streaming_sim_config ):
+
+    influx_url     = "http://" + streaming_sim_config['hosts'][0]['ip_address'] + ":8086"
+    influx_db_name = streaming_sim_config['hosts'][1]['database_name']
+    agent1_url     = "http://" + streaming_sim_config['hosts'][1]['ip_address'] + ":8186"
+    agent2_url     = "http://" + streaming_sim_config['hosts'][2]['ip_address'] + ":8186"
+
+    simulator = Sim( influx_url, influx_db_name, agent1_url, agent2_url )
+
+    dbs = simulator.db_client.get_list_database()
+    dbs = [db.get("name") for db in dbs]
+
+    simulator.reset()
+
+    return simulator
diff --git a/clmctest/monitoring/test_MC_Config.py b/clmctest/monitoring/test_MC_Config.py
deleted file mode 100644
index e8e56df698ffc2d7e4d0c51b31cd7080a0ac4490..0000000000000000000000000000000000000000
--- a/clmctest/monitoring/test_MC_Config.py
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,38 +0,0 @@
-#!/usr/bin/python3
-
-import pytest
-from clmctest.monitoring.StreamingSim import reportMC_ServiceState
-
-class TestMediaComponentConfig( object ):
-    """
-    Test class to check the reported output of a media component's configuration test
-    as it is reported to the CLMC
-    """
-
-    # For data sent to INFLUX, see reportMC_ServiceState function in StreamingSim.py
-
-    @pytest.mark.parametrize( "query, expectedResult", [
-        ('SELECT "serviceStopped", "avgServiceStopped", "serviceStarted", "avgServiceStarted" FROM "CLMCMetrics"."autogen"."mediaComponentConfig" WHERE ipendpoint=\'adaptive_streaming_I1_apache1\'',
-        {"time" : "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", "serviceStopped" : 1500, "avgServiceStopped" : 750, "serviceStarted" : 8500, "avgServiceStarted" : 4250}),
-        ('SELECT "serviceStopped", "avgServiceStopped", "serviceStarted", "avgServiceStarted" FROM "CLMCMetrics"."autogen"."mediaComponentConfig" WHERE ipendpoint=\'adaptive_streaming_I1_apache2\'',
-        {"time" : "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", "serviceStopped" : 250, "avgServiceStopped" : 250, "serviceStarted" : 9500, "avgServiceStarted" : 4750})
-    ])
-
-    def test_serviceStateReport( self, query, expectedResult, get_db_client, reportMC_ServiceState ):
-        """
-        :param query: the LineProtocol query to search for MC service state report
-        :param expectedResult: the JSON result obtained from the query
-        :param get_db_client: fixture from conftest.py returning INFLUX query client
-        :param reportMC_ServiceState: the fixture that makes the service state report
-        """
-        print( "\n" ) # White space for output
-
-        # Query for result and report problems with query if necessary
-        queryResult = get_db_client.query( query, raise_errors = False )
-        assert queryResult.error is None, "An error occurred executing query {0}."
-
-        # Get result and evaluate
-        actualResult = next( queryResult.get_points() )
-
-        assert expectedResult == actualResult, "FAIL" #self.outputComparison( expectedResult, actualResult )
-        print ("Media Component service state test succeeded: {0}".format( query ))
diff --git a/clmctest/monitoring/test_simresults.py b/clmctest/monitoring/test_simresults.py
index 6940560481c30a6d145a52412b7907da4842a5ae..8953a58f5e66bf57ee496ab4d5be274668e0d915 100644
--- a/clmctest/monitoring/test_simresults.py
+++ b/clmctest/monitoring/test_simresults.py
@@ -1,13 +1,19 @@
 #!/usr/bin/python3
 
 import pytest
-from clmctest.monitoring.StreamingSim import run_simulation_fixture
+import time
 
 
 class TestSimulation(object):
     """
     A testing class used to group all the tests related to the simulation data
     """
+    @pytest.fixture(scope='class')
+    def run_simulator( self, simulator ):
+        simulator.run( 3600 )
+      
+        print( "Waiting for INFLUX to finish receiving simulation data..." )
+        time.sleep( 10 ) # wait for data to finish arriving at the INFLUX database
 
     @pytest.mark.parametrize("query, expected_result", [
         ('SELECT count(*) FROM "CLMCMetrics"."autogen"."cpu_usage"',
@@ -19,24 +25,28 @@ class TestSimulation(object):
         ('SELECT count(*) FROM "CLMCMetrics"."autogen"."net_port_io"',
          {"time": "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", "count_RX_BYTES_PORT_M": 7200, "count_TX_BYTES_PORT_M": 7200}),
         ('SELECT count(*) FROM "CLMCMetrics"."autogen"."vm_res_alloc"',
-         {"time": "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", "count_cpu": 12, "count_memory": 12, "count_storage": 12})
+         {"time": "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", "count_cpu": 12, "count_memory": 12, "count_storage": 12}),
+         
+        ('SELECT count(*) FROM "CLMCMetrics"."autogen"."mpegdash_service_config" WHERE ipendpoint=\'adaptive_streaming_I1_apache1\'',
+         {"time" : "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", "count_avg_running" : 3604, "count_avg_starting" : 3604, "count_avg_stopped" : 3604, "count_avg_stopping" : 3604, "count_running" : 3604, "count_starting" : 3604, "count_stopped" : 3604, "count_stopping" : 3604}),
+        ('SELECT count(*) FROM "CLMCMetrics"."autogen"."mpegdash_service_config" WHERE ipendpoint=\'adaptive_streaming_I1_apache2\'',
+         {"time" : "1970-01-01T00:00:00Z", "count_avg_running" : 3604, "count_avg_starting" : 3604, "count_avg_stopped" : 3604, "count_avg_stopping" : 3604, "count_running" : 3604, "count_starting" : 3604, "count_stopped" : 3604, "count_stopping" : 3604}),
     ])
-    def test_simulation(self, query, expected_result, influxdb, run_simulation_fixture):
+    def test_simulation( self, run_simulator, influx_db, query, expected_result ):
         """
         This is the entry point of the test. This method will be found and executed when the module is ran using pytest
 
         :param query: the query to execute (value obtained from the pytest parameter decorator)
         :param expected_result: the result expected from executing the query (value obtained from the pytest parameter decorator)
-        :param influxdb the import db client fixture - imported from contest.py
+        :param influx_db the import db client fixture - imported from contest.py
         :param run_simulation_fixture: the imported fixture to use to generate the testing data - the return value of the fixture is not needed in this case
         """
 
         # pytest automatically goes through all queries under test, declared in the parameters decorator
-
         print("\n")  # prints a blank line for formatting purposes
 
         # the raise_errors=False argument is given so that we could actually test that the DB didn't return any errors instead of raising an exception
-        query_result = influxdb.query(query, raise_errors=False)
+        query_result = influx_db.query(query, raise_errors=False)
 
         # test the error attribute of the result is None, that is no error is returned from executing the DB query
         assert query_result.error is None, "An error was encountered while executing query {0}.".format(query)