The flexibility of Ethernet service offerings requires a new approach to service assurance that addresses all aspects of the Ethernet life cycle.

The flexibility of Ethernet service offerings requires a new approach to service assurance that addresses all aspects of the Ethernet life cycle. Communications service providers need a service assurance strategy that enables them to validate quality of service (QoS), identify problem areas and efficiently troubleshoot Ethernet service issues.

What to Test

As part of their service assurance strategy, network operators should perform:

Active testing—isolate and resolve critical Ethernet performance issues. End-to-end Ethernet QoS can be validated via:

• Layer 3 Two Way Active Measurement Protocol (TWAMP) traffic generation
• RFC 2544 testing
• Y.1564 testing
• Ethernet OAM tests, such as 802.1ag and Y.1731 loopback and link trace, along with Y.1731’s multi-cast loopback and delay measurement
• Connectivity check (Network to Enterprise)
• Loopback control on the probe (L2/L3 port/sub-port (vlan) loopback)
• Ping and traceroute

Passive testing—monitor network performance and sectionalize trouble via:

• Traffic visibility—VLAN statistics, CoS, frame sizes, protocol distribution, utilization
• Data analysis—top talkers, top applications, connection matrix, etc.
• VoIP analysis—signaling and voice analysis/quality
• Video analysis—channel operation and video analysis/quality
• Capture/Decode—deep-dive analysis

Performance monitoring—measure Ethernet QoS via the use of small bandwidth active tests such as:

• Ethernet OAM Loopback Message (LBM)
• Ethernet OAM Delay Message (DMM)
• Layer 2 frame based stream
• Ping
• Layer 3 packet based stream
• TWAMP (RFC 5357)

Spirent Solutions

• Spirent TestCenter Live is an integrated Ethernet performance monitoring, test and diagnostic solution. Network operators can access data—both actively and passively—from Spirent TestCenter Live probes, existing network elements and third-party OSSes. From mobile backhaul, to business services, to global IP networks, communications service providers around the world use Spirent TestCenter Live to efficiently support Ethernet service delivery.