Operators require a testing platform that can meet unprecedented performance and scalability demands.

Bandwidth-intensive applications are driving 40/100G Ethernet to the network edge. But at these speeds it is difficult to assure the accuracy of even basic tests such as Layer 2 performance benchmarking. Furthermore, 40/100G Ethernet testing should emphasize QoS/CoS, realism, stacked protocols and multiplay services.

Operators require a testing platform that can meet the unprecedented demands required to validate routing performance and scalability, and additional encapsulation layers.

What to Test

40/100G Ethernet testing must address:

• Layer 1 functionality to verify that implementations address lane swapping and inter-lane skew to specified tolerances
• Layer 2 performance via standards-based benchmarking (RFC 2544, RFC 2889, RFC 3918) to find the performance thresholds of throughput, frame loss, latency and congestion control
• Layer 3 to verify route capacity, failover and reroute performance, MPLS encapsulation, tunneling and security
• IPv6 to validate conformance to the standards, functionality, interoperation with IPv4 networks, throughput, and routing performance and scalability

Spirent Solutions

Spirent 40/100G Ethernet test solutions overcome the challenges of validating performance at such speeds:

• Spirent TestCenter test platform supports testing at bit rates from 10 Mbps to 100 Gbps and beyond. The system clock has a resolution of 2.5 ns, more than twice as fast as required to support Ethernet at 100 Gbps. All ports can be synchronized to provide the accuracy required to evaluate the performance and QoE of services delivered over 40/100G Ethernet.
• Enterprise OnDEMAND On-Site Performance Testing detects and mitigates problems before a new infrastructure launch
• Support Services ensure that system technology is always current and operating at maximum performance