OptiView WAN Analyzers give you an immediate, comprehensive view of your T1 to OC12 WAN links for proactive management and high performance troubleshooting.
Fast Vision into your WAN Links.
The OptiView DS3/E3 WAN Analyzer provides a complete view of your WAN link performance and facilitates rapid problem resolution from the convenience of your desktop. From any workstation, remotely access the health status of any of your WAN links from the physical layer to the application layer and even perform remote protocol analysis when necessary. Auto detection of any new application or port seen on your link keeps you informed on the traffic traveling over your valuable WAN connections. Use the OptiView T1/E1 WAN Analyzer as an independent system or as part of an integrated management solution.
Configuration Flexibility
The OptiView DS3/E3 WAN Analyzer supports Frame Relay, ATM and PPP/HDLC over DS3, E3 or HSSI all on one platform. It is incredibly compact, being only a half rack width and single height (1U). The Analyzer's design provides the ability to monitor different types of links and future proof against migration to different link layer technology.
| The OptiView DS3/E3 WAN Analyzer is equipped with two traffic interfaces that can simultaneously monitor both the DTE and DCE traffic data streams of a DS3 or E3 link. Full duplex traffic patterns are displayed simultaneously for all link analysis. | ![]() |
Each OptiView DS3/E3 WAN Analyzer has a dedicated 10/100 Mbps Ethernet RJ-45 management port that allows it to be controlled remotely from any point on the network using the Optiview Analyzer Remote Software (included with the analyzer). Up to 8 users may access any single WAN Analyzer and perform different analysis concurrently. Settings of the OptiView WAN Analyzer system, such as SNMP Trap destinations, scope of discovery and user authentication and access level privileges, are easily configured from any workstation running the analyzer's Remote Software. The user security settings provide the necessary flexibility to comply with new requirements imposed by Sarbanes-Oxley for data viewing and access.
The Analyzer is extremely easy to install. Connect the WAN link to a tapped signal using the Fluke Networks DS3/E3 tap or any other commercial DS3/E3 signal tap, plug in the power supply and Ethernet management port, install the user interface software on a PC and launch the application. Network visibility is gained instantly as the analysis engines automatically provide instantaneous discovery and analysis into your WAN ? minimal configuration required.
Network View
The OptiView WAN analyzer can be used to identify WAN issues such as virus attacks, new unknown applications, unauthorized access attempts, and irregular traffic patterns. Once identified, undesirable traffic can be eliminated for improved WAN performance, possibly eliminating the need for link upgrades and delivering instant ROI.
Business applications which drive competitiveness require special attention over WAN links since they often introduce the most problems for remote users. OptiView WAN analyzers deliver the necessary flexibility to categorize applications and track their usage by user and over time. This helps to ensure centralized applications can perform over the WAN for remote user productivity.
The information-rich OptiView WAN Analyzer Front Page gives you instant vision into what's happening on your WAN link with easy-to-use drill-down capability. For any given WAN link, the analyzer displays the most critical elements of the circuit in a simple "at a glance" screen. Verify near-end and far-end router endpoints, T1/E1 physical layer connectivity, LMI heartbeat and number of VCs in one easy view.
| In the same view, statistics such as link utilization, top hosts, conversations and applications allow you to see how valuable bandwidth is being consumed. A device inventory automatically classifies discovered network elements by type. Problems and alerts seen by the analyzer are displayed in a separate pane alerting you to any issues that might require further investigation. Each analysis area provides instant drill-down with a single click of the mouse. | ![]() |
Circuit Properties
| Verify Virtual Circuit Configurations
Understanding your WAN configuration and status can eliminate finger pointing between the service provider and your business when issues arise. The OptiView WAN Analyzer continuously monitors the physical and link layers of DS3 circuits, immediately identifying any problems with the basic WAN service. All VCs are automatically discovered along with CIR settings (if using Original LMI type on Frame Relay), encapsulation type and near/far endpoint router addresses. | ![]() |
![]() | LMI Properties for Frame Relay
LMI statistics are also automatically generated. LMI statistics for the link monitored include LMI errors, LMI details and VC availability. LMI errors include channel inactive seconds, reliability errors and protocol errors for both DTE and DCE. LMI details include state, channel inactive events, last channel inactive event timestamp, LMI type and interface type. VC availability statistics include VC name, status, last status change timestamp, outage count, percentage available, Mean Time Between Service Outage and Mean Time To Service Restoral. |
Errors, Alarms & Problems
Physical Layer monitoring
Physical layer errors are continuously monitored in both directions on the full-duplex link. Measurements include metrics such as loss of signal, out of frame, Alarm Indication Signal, line, P-bit and C-bit violations and other errors and alarms. Performance measurements such as unavailable seconds, line errored seconds, severely errored seconds, P-bit and C-bit errored seconds, etc. are also presented. When monitoring HSSI, serial control leads statistics such as DTE/DCE transmit and receive states, request-to-send and clear-to-send states and seconds, data terminal ready states and seconds, data set ready states and seconds, alarm seconds and more are also available. When monitoring ATM, LOCD and HEC errors are presented. All error reports can be printed or forwarded in and easy to read HTML format.
Problem Log
Any failures or errors that exceed user configurable threshold parameters are displayed in the Problems log screen. Relevant circuit problems and threshold alarms specific to frame relay, ATM or PPP/HDLC are automatically detected and generated for each type of circuit. Problem thresholds are fully configurable. For example you can set data rate thresholds on specific virus or Trojan port numbers so that you are notified before an attack becomes debilitating. Specific SNMP trap destinations can be configured to enable interoperation with existing notification systems.
Device Analysis
Devices are discovered by monitoring WAN traffic for source and destination IP devices. For all discovered devices, the OptiView WAN Analyzer will present the discovered host by IP address and best name (DNS, NetBIOS or SNMP). The OptiView WAN Analyzer differentiates between various types of host devices such as Routers, Servers, SNMP agents and user workstations. If desired, the Device list may also be configured to include "off-net" devices.
| All devices may be sorted in ascending or descending order by Virtual Circuit, IP address or name. By highlighting a specific host and selecting the Host Detail button, you can obtain valuable information on that host such as which VCs it is using, which services are running (if a server), which routing protocols are running (if a router). | ![]() |
Statistics
| Utilization
OptiView WAN analyzers offer a full battery of utilization statistics. Examine utilization for the entire circuit across all VCs or drill into any individual virtual circuit for specific utilization data by user group. Utilization statistics are updated every 5 seconds and up to one week's worth of data is stored on the Analyzer. Verify bandwidth usage is within design parameters. This capability lets you ensure service providers are delivering accurate throughput that is error-free and appropriately prioritized. | ![]() |
Frame relay utilization statistics are simultaneously measured for each active virtual circuit and all combined virtual circuits. Measurement metrics include aggregate traffic counts and rates, bandwidth utilization, unicast/multicast frame counts, FECN/BECN/DE frame counts and more. Error statistics measured include errored frames, bad FCS frames, short and long frames, misaligned, invalid, aborted and more.
When configured to monitor ATM circuits, utilization statistics are simultaneously measured for each active virtual circuit and all combined virtual circuits. Evaluate circuit performance with metrics including PDU counts and rates, bandwidth utilization, user traffic, background, overhead and CLP=1 cell counts, and more. View error statistics including CRC errors, % bad PDUs and more.
Application Analysis
OptiView WAN analyzer recognized today's most common IP applications and lets the user configure the identification of any custom applications unique to an organization. Examine application distribution for the entire circuit or for any selected virtual circuit. Protocol hierarchy is displayed in a familiar "file" format and categorized by OSI layer from the network layer through the application layer. Easily display protocol distribution up and down the OSI stack by clicking on the appropriate file and the protocol breakdown is immediately displayed on the right side of the screen. Both graphical and tabular views are available.
When a non-well known protocol is detected, it is automatically added to the monitor list and displayed with the port number denoted.
The analyzer allows users to define custom protocols by port number and have it displayed in conjunction with applications automatically discovered.
| Top Virtual Circuits
The OptiView WAN Analyzer's unique design examines packets across all virtual circuits simultaneously. This allows users to sort virtual circuits in rank order by a variety of metrics. |
![]() | For frame relay, these sort criteria include total octets, throughput, percent of total VC capacity, average percent of CIR and other metrics. For ATM circuits, sort criteria include total cells, circuits with highest number of CLP=1, most overhead cells, highest good PDUs, most CRC errors and other criteria. This feature allows the user to quickly pinpoint problem VCs with a single, comprehensive sweep of all traffic across all VCs simultaneously. |
Top Hosts, Conversations and Applications
Top hosts utilizing the WAN link are determined by the OptiView WAN Analyzer. Examine top hosts for the entire circuit or for any selected virtual circuit. Filter the top hosts you want to see by protocol using a familiar "file" format interface. Easily display top hosts up and down the OSI stack by clicking on the appropriate file and the top hosts are immediately displayed on the right side of the screen. Both graphical and tabular views are available.
Top conversations are also displayed using a similar format. So for example, you could view the HTTP conversations pairs consuming the most bandwidth on a particular VC.
A top applications view may also be displayed. This display aggregates all IP applications from both TCP and UDP traffic before sorting the applications in rank order.
Packet Capture of WAN Traffic
For in depth problem solving, the OptiView WAN Analyzer integrates a full packet capture function. The WAN Analyzer is capable of full line-rate packet capture and can capture up to 256 megabytes of data. Just select the Capture tab and immediately start capturing packets on your WAN link. For more refined packet captures, use the context sensitive filter. Simply select the host device from the device discovery screen, or a conversation from the statistics screen, click on the filter button and the packet capture engine is automatically populated with source and/or source and destination addresses of your selection. If you need even more selectivity, you can select a host or conversation using a particular protocol just as easily.
| Simultaneously capture packets on multiple virtual circuits. Probe all packets across all VCs in real-time to dramatically improve troubleshooting and monitoring efficiency. And just as you would expect from a traditional protocol analyzer, the OptiView WAN Analyzer packet capture screen allows you to select a number of filters to capture only on specific criteria. In the instance of frame relay, you can | ![]() |
| filter for only a specific DLCI, only FECN or BECN traffic, only DE frames, only traffic from a specific protocol and/or specific UDP and TCP port numbers, and many other filters. For ATM circuits, filter by VPI/VCI pairs, CLP=1 cells only, payload type as well as the same upper layer filters such as protocol, port number, IP address or other criteria. Set capture triggers to denote when to start your capture based on all these parameters as well. |
Once you have the configuration you need, select Start Capture and let the analyzer filter and capture while you make another selection from the variety of tests to get a different view of your network. The analyzer continues to capture packets while you look at something else. When you stop the capture, select Save File to automatically save the capture file to your controlling PC's hard drive. If you have the Fluke Networks OptiView Protocol Expert (PE) installed on your PC, you can select View File to launch the application and view the decodes instantaneously.