To validate your solution, your test bed must reproduce the complexity and scale required to deliver bandwidth-intensive services with high QoE.

Mobile backhaul testing plays an important role in the migration from TDM to Ethernet. While Ethernet networks address the cost, efficiency and scalability issues of TDM networks, carriers must verify TDM-like performance and usability in areas like timing, synchronization, failover, OAM and provisioning.

What to Test

To ensure that new protocols like MPLS-TP, IEEE 1588 and SyncE can deliver the performance and usability of TDM and the economy and scalability of Ethernet in a single IP-based backhaul network, carriers should perform the following mobile backhaul tests:

To verify timing:

• EEC functionality, SSM protocol functionality and the synchronization trail
• Master switchover based on the source clock quality level
• Conformance of wander of a slave device to published standards
• Boundary clock functionality and accuracy
• Transparent clock functionality and residence times
• Performance of packet-based timing in the presence of high subscriber traffic and impairments

To verify provisioning:

• Interoperability between IP/MPLS and MPLS-TP
• Static provisioning of pseudowires in an MPLS-TP domain
• Dynamic provisioning of LDP-signaled pseudowires in an IP/MPLS domain
• Forwarding across multi-segment pseudowires
• OAM procedures and fault detection
• Protection switching

Spirent Solutions

Mobile backhaul testing solutions from Spirent help carriers verify network performance and usability:

• Landslide simulates real world traffic models to evaluate wireless core packet data networks
• Spirent TestCenter tests highly integrated, converged, anything-over-anything networks to ensure a seamless transition from TDM to Ethernet
• Spirent TestCenter Live monitors Ethernet performance, and actively tests and diagnoses Ethernet problems
• Spirent Global Services help carriers accelerate their migration from TDM to Ethernet by optimizing their investment in Spirent test solutions

• LandslideLandslide is the only test platform that simulates real world traffic models to evaluate wireless core packet data networks.
• Spirent TestCenterExperience the Difference Spirent TestCenter makes to your development cycles
• Spirent TestCenter LiveMonitor the performance or actively test and diagnose Ethernet and application services on live wireline and wireless networks.
• Global ServicesGlobal Services Overview for Wireless, Networks & Applications, Positioning Technology and Service Assurance

• TIA 2011—RCR Video of ALU/Spirent DemoVideo of demonstration of ALU solution at TIA 2011 in Dallas, Texas using Spirent Landslide.

• Assuring QoE with over-the-top VideoThis paper provides guidelines for realistic measurement of end-user QoE for video OTT services using adaptive bit rate streaming.
• Testing MPLS-TP Deployments in the Mobile Backhaul WhitepaperThis white paper explores why MPLS-TP is now emerging at this stage in the convergence journey, the applicability of MPLS-TP in the mobile backhaul and access networks and the importance of testing new MPLS-TP deployments.
• The Risk of Inadequate Network TestingIn many organizations, testing the network infrastructure is at best neglected and at worst completely overlooked. This situation persists despite the serious implications to productivity, profitability, liability, and even reputation.
• Testing Timing & Synchronization in an Ethernet BackhaulThis whitepaper discusses the market trends that are causing service providers to upgrade the legacy TDM backhaul to an Ethernet backhaul. It also highlights the importance of testing new Ethernet backhaul deployments, and the methodologies to test packet-based (IEEE 1588) and physical (SyncE) timing distribution.
• Wi-Fi Offload—Is Your Gateway Ready?As consumers and business users increase their use of mobile broadband and IP services, carrier mobile networks can’t always keep up.
• Ethernet Mobile Backhaul and Ethernet Service Verification for Service Providers and MSOsSpirent understands the intricacies of the mobile Ethernet backhaul network and the services that traverse them.
• Ethernet Service Verification for Mobile CarriersThe evolution of today‘s network has seen the migration of Ethernet technology from the LAN to MAN as service providers have embraced Ethernet architecture as a replacement for traditional TDM services.
• Spirent Journal of Benchmark PASS Test MethodologiesThis Spirent Catalog of Test Methodologies represents an element of the Spirent test ecosystem that helps answer the most critical Performance, Availability, Security and Scale Tests (PASS) test cases.
• Spirent Journal of Cloud Application & Security Services PASS Test MethodologiesThis Spirent Catalog of Test Methodologies represents an element of the Spirent test ecosystem that helps answer the most critical Performance, Availability, Security and Scale Tests (PASS) test cases.
• Spirent Journal of Cloud Infrastructure LAN/SAN Fabric & Virtual Server Access PASS Test MethodologiesThis Spirent Catalog of Test Methodologies represents an element of the Spirent test ecosystem that helps answer the most critical Performance, Availability, Security and Scale Tests (PASS) test cases.