Cloud computing services offer a number of benefits, including the promise of unlimited scalability at a fraction of the cost. But these benefits are lost if service levels can’t be met. IT organizations must ensure that cloud computing providers can meet their performance, availability, security and scalability requirements. And cloud computing providers must ensure that they can deliver service levels as advertised.

What to Test

Cloud computing services should be tested to validate and assure:

• Response time—What should users expect accessing information? At what point does service begin to degrade?
• Bandwidth—How much bandwidth is actually available? What is the impact when under load or attack?
• Connections—How many users can connect at any given time? Are new users able to connect? How fast can new connections be established when existing users are stressing the system?
• Security—Are threats being caught? How much does the system slow down when additional security parameters are implemented?
• VPN performance—How does encryption impact performance? What is the impact when switching between different levels?
• Virtualization performance—How well does the virtual switch and virtual firewall perform? Does an infected virtual machine impact other virtual machines on the same server?

Spirent Solutions

Spirent’s PASS (Performance, Availability, Security and Scalability) methodologies provide a comprehensive approach to testing the cloud when used with the following solutions:

• Spirent Avalanche provides security, attack and performance testing for virtual/cloud infrastructures.
• Spirent Avalanche Virtual tests and measures the performance, availability, security and scalability of virtualized network infrastructure and/or applications deployed in the cloud.
• Spirent Studio Performance ensures your applications and network infrastructure will perform and scale under real-world conditions and loads.
• Spirent Studio Security provides next-gen firewall testing.
• Spirent iTest accelerates system and device testing by automating testing processes.
• Professional Services detect and mitigate problems before you launch a new infrastructure or IT solution.
• Support Services help protect your product and systems to ensure their ongoing integrity.

• Broadband Testing: Entry-Level Enterprise Firewall Test ReportIn this report we look at four vendors approach to providing what they describe as an "entry level Enterprise product" solution to see how this differentiation works out in practise.
• The Ins and Outs of Cloud ComputingThe basic notion behind cloud computing is fairly simple: It’s a new IT provisioning and support model that provides on-demand network access to a shared pool of computing resources.
• Cyber Security for Virtual and Cloud EnvironmentsCyber security cannot be addressed in isolation. It must consider other variables and test them together in order to ensure an optimal solution. This process is called PASS testing since it includes performance, availability, security and scalability testing.
• EANTC/Spirent Cloud Computing Testing WhitepaperThis whitepaper details the methodology and results for a series of tests conducted by EANTC together with Spirent.
• Getting the Performance you Need With VDI and BYODOvercoming the Challenges of Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI), Desktop-as-a-Service (Daas) and Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD)
• How to Test 10 Gigabit Ethernet PerformanceThis White Paper explains how to test 10 Gigabit Ethernet performance, recognizing the factors and influences of 10GbE throughput and describing how to evaluate a system’s reported 10GbE test results.
• Network World: 10 GbE SwitchesArista, Blade share top spot in switch test. Grueling performance testing exposes weaknesses in Cisco and HP switches.
• Network Test: Latency and Jitter White PaperA Network Test White Paper: The role of Latency and Jitter in Network Performance Assessment.
• Network Test: 10 Essential Benchmarks for High-Performance Data CentersThis in depth white paper from Network Test covers 10 test sets that should be a mandatory part of any comprehensive evaluation of data center switching. It also describes the less-than-ideal practices that should be avoided.
• Overcoming the Challenges of Today's Cloud RealityProper testing and validation of cloud computing environments is not easy. Leaders of organizations that are building and operating cloud environments must make certain their teams have the resources needed for success.

• Frost & Sullivan Names Spirent Communications the Global Leader in Ethernet Testing Nov 13, 2012Spirent Communications has received Frost & Sullivan’s 2012 Market Share Leadership Award for Ethernet testing. With a market share of 30.9 percent, Spirent is significantly ahead of its closest competitor. Frost & Sullivan also recognized Spirent as the market leader in each segment (1GbE, 10GbE and 40/100GbE) that it tracks.
• Spirent Advances Testing of Network Virtualization and Virtual Desktop Infrastructure Aug 22, 2012Spirent Communications now offers enterprise IT managers and network system developers the ability to validate at scale the performance and security of their advanced network virtualization and virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) deployments.
• Spirent Launches Unified Platform with Unprecedented Performance, Scale and Application RealismJun 19, 2012Spirent Communications today introduced Spirent TestCenter C100, a next-generation testing architecture that enables carriers, enterprises and equipment manufacturers to validate that their terabit, application-aware networking platforms deliver the required performance, availability and security at scale.
• Spirent crowns the UK’s network heroesApr 30, 2012The unsung heroes of the network world will once again have their day, thanks to this year’s Network Heroes Awards sponsored by Spirent Communications plc (LSE: SPT), the leader in network, devices and services testing. The Spirent Network Heroes Awards 2012 will be presented at a Black Tie Event in The Long Room at Lords Cricket Ground on the 27th September. Awards will be presented to those individuals judged to have made an outstanding effort in optimizing their company’s contribution in one or more of a variety of technical fields associated with networking, which resulted in business benefits to the company they work for.Nominations are now invited for individuals who, in the opinion of the nominator, have made an outstanding contribution to their company’s networking initiatives. Closing date for this year’s nominations is 29th June 2012.
• Spirent Communications plc Signs Definitive Agreement to Acquire Mu Dynamics, Inc. Apr 20, 2012Spirent Communications plc announces today that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire privately held Mu Dynamics, Inc. (“Mu”), based in Sunnyvale, California, for a cash consideration of $40.0 million. Mu is a security testing pioneer, offering innovative solutions that enable faster, higher quality deployments of Cloud applications and applications-aware networks.
• Frost & Sullivan Names Spirent the Global Leader in Ethernet and Cloud Infrastructure Test Equipment MarketsDec 13, 2011Spirent Communications has been named by Frost & Sullivan as the market leader in the 1/10/40/100G Ethernet and cloud infrastructure test equipment markets, with 28.9 percent and 45.6 percent market shares respectively. According to Frost & Sullivan’s recent market reports, Spirent’s innovative approach to testing, focus on product enhancements, and capacity to utilize core competencies to leverage new market opportunities, gives the company a competitive edge over other companies in the sector.
• New Agreement Ensures Successful Network Applications Delivery for Enterprise and Cloud Services Nov 8, 2011Enterprises and cloud providers can now pre-test applications and customers’ service upgrades before rolling them out into the live network, thanks to an agreement signed today which enables Spirent Communications to supply iTrinegy network emulation solutions to the European enterprise market.
• Spirent Test Solution Validates Network Elements and Architecture In Juniper Networks’ Cloud Virtualization Environment Oct 3, 2011Spirent Communications’ cloud computing testing solution has been selected to validate the performance of network designs created within the Junosphere Lab virtual environment, announced today by Juniper Networks. Junosphere Lab, which enables the creation and modeling of networks and elements running the Juniper Networks® Junos® operating system, will include Spirent TestCenter Virtual to provide visibility into network infrastructures, as well as to accurately benchmark and optimize performance.
• Spirent Communications Salutes the UK’s Unsung Network HeroesSep 26, 2011The unsung heroes of the network world had their day when an esteemed group of individuals were awarded Network Hero Awards by Spirent Communications (LSE: SPT) at a recent glittering reception held at The Churchill War Rooms in Whitehall, London. The awards, in six different categories, were presented to Network Heroes from Cambridge Broadband Networks, Cisco, Marlow Enterprises, Steria and Verizon.
• Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories Selects Spirent for Cloud Security TestingJul 12, 2011Chunghwa Telecom Laboratories (CHTTL), the research and development arm of Chunghwa Telecom, Taiwan’s largest network operator, is relying on solutions from Spirent Communications to help validate the security of its cloud computing centers.