Test & Measurement     2007-10-14

Agilent Technologies Introduces World's First Ethernet OAM Test Solution

N2X Single-Platform Emulation and Conformance-Test Software Enhances Carrier Ethernet Reliability, Unveiled at Broadband World Forum

Agilent N2X

Agilent Technologies announced the availability of the industry's first single-platform solution for protocol emulation and conformance testing of Ethernet Operations, Administration and Maintenance (E-OAM). Network equipment manufacturers and service providers can use the Agilent N2X multiservices test solution to ensure their Carrier Ethernet devices meet E-OAM performance and scalability requirements, conform to new international standards, and interoperate in very large multi-vendor networks. As a single platform tool, N2X more rapidly and cost-effectively enables the deployment of reliable voice, video and data services over an Ethernet infrastructure.

Defined in IEEE 802.1ag and ITU-T Y.1731, E-OAM provides end-to-end Carrier Ethernet diagnostic capabilities that allow service providers to rapidly detect and locate faults, ensuring the reliable delivery of delay-sensitive triple play services.

"Lack of end-to-end OAM for Ethernet was one of the final barriers to the wide-scale adoption of Carrier Ethernet," said Rod Unverrich, business manager of Agilent's Data Networks Operation. "Our new E-OAM products enable our customers to comprehensively test emerging Ethernet infrastructure technologies as well as the application services, such as IPTV, that operate over them."

The new Agilent N2X N5581A and N5585A emulations test a Carrier Ethernet device's protocol implementation against many thousands of similar emulated devices, enabling Connectivity Fault Management (CFM) scalability characterization in carrier-scale networks without a costly test-bed of thousands of real devices. The emulation software is complemented by the N2X N5718A CFM conformance test suite, which validates device compliance to IEEE 802.1ag, draft 8. Conformance testing is a prerequisite for regression testing of each software release.

The Agilent N2X test solution also includes:

industry-first products for testing Carrier Ethernet protocols, including LACP, BFD, MEF 9 and MEF 14; extensive emulation of carrier routing, MPLS signaling and OAM, and access protocols; layer-2 and layer-3 conformance test suites, providing the fastest time-to-insight; and productivity applications for High Availability and IPTV. At the 2007 Broadband World Forum in Berlin (Oct. 8-11), booth no. 9027, Agilent will demonstrate its N2X and triple play analyzer (TPA) solutions for testing, troubleshooting and monitoring triple-play services such as IPTV, including -- for the first time -- both E-OAM emulation and conformance. In addition, the Agilent FrameScope Pro handheld IPTV tester and WireScope Pro handheld LAN cabling test set will be on display.

To help vendors and service providers anticipate and overcome triple-play test challenges, Agilent is hosting a free online seminar, "Triple Play QoE: Testing and Service Assurance Techniques," on Oct. 23. Attendees will discover how testing at all stages of development and deployment can reduce the risks and costs of IPTV rollout over Ethernet and other infrastructures. Registration is available at www.lightreading.com/webinars.asp.

For further information, please visit Agilent