AGILENT Technologies has announced its OmniBER XM network simulator platform now supports simultaneous multi-channel, multi-port testing at the SONET/SDH virtual tributary/tributary unit (VT/TU) level.
Designers and verification test engineers of multi-service provisioning platforms (MSPPs) have the ability to measure performance of thousands of VT/TU channels simultaneously compared to a single channel previously.
The new capabilities enable the complete characterisation of the MSPPs' digital cross-connect switching matrix using realistic traffic simulations and in less time than before. Such characterisation ensures new data services, enabled by next generation SONET/SDH equipment, meet expected performance levels under all network conditions.
The OmniBER XM can test up to 1,344 VT/TU channels in parallel, and multiple ports can be tested simultaneously to create a large performance verification test.
The MSPPs' integrated architecture, with multiple, integral digital cross-connects and high channel/port counts, has resulted in changes in testing requirements. Designed to aggregate thousands of virtual tributaries of voice and data traffic, their performance varies under network load conditions.
MSPPs typically have two cross-connect switch matrices: the first operating at the higher capacity synchronous transport signal/administrative unit (STS/AU) channel level for switching traffic in the metro core; and a second matrix operating at the lower capacity VT/TU channel level for switching traffic at the metro edge.
MSPP is scalable because of the channel-level automatic protection switching (APS) performance of the integral digital cross connects. Only through simultaneous channel/port loading with realistic traffic and simultaneous analysis of multiple performance measures can the true scalability of the MSPP be determined.
Multi-channel testing is needed to verify that network equipment can restore connection for thousands of VTs, all within the 50ms time limit. To meet this requirement, the OmniBER XM network simulator was created to realistically test all channels, over all ports, simultaneously.
The OmniBER XM is a compact, modular, chassis-based system suitable applications from entry-level systems for testing a single line card, to large multi-chassis systems able to simulate a complete metro network.
It can completely verify an MSPP's STS level switching performance. The device is able to verify VT/TU level switching performance through a firmware upgrade that enables OmniBER XM customers to use their existing hardware to test at both the STS level and at the VT/TU level.
The VT/TU simulation can scale from a single channel to all 1,344 VT/TUs on an OC48/STM16 port. Multiple ports of VT/TU traffic can be combined to create network stress tests that exceed the latest MSPP's switching capacity.
The OmniBER XM's parallel measurement architecture enables system verification to be completed in less time than using traditional methods, allowing new products to be brought to market faster.