Setup / customized tests

Easy-to-configure performance test scripting allows control of what is tested and how long it takes. Test to a single or numerous endpoints for testing multipoint services. Configurable pass/fail thresholds mean repeatable results with less training. Specify a specific bandwidth or hunt for lossless throughput rates using the fastest convergence algorithms in the industry.

Jitter testing

Delay-sensitive applications such as VoIP and IP-TV require low packet jitter for acceptable operation. While RFC 2544 testing does not include jitter, with Fluke Networks MetroScope Service Provider Assistant, you can test jitter with accuracy in the microseconds.

Once the test is completed, a thorough report is created including a record of the test environment. The performance of the link – including throughput, latency, loss, back to back, and jitter – is displayed in both a tabular format for precision and a graphical format for quick interpretation. Flexible XML reports can be saved and viewed locally or remotely via a built-in web server. Reports can be transferred to a host system where reporting tools or Microsoft® Excel can be used to create customer reports. Saved reports can include your logo and technician job comments.

The server response tool tests the TCP application port responsiveness of advanced or managed services such as email, DNS, file and web. TCP application port testing operates just like a client, removing many of the PING obstacles such as firewalling and low priority ICMP provisioning. The application port responsiveness can be dissected using TCP trace route, which identifies the exact point of performance loss along the route.

Complete physical layer testing is provided for both copper and fiber. Optical measurements allow monitoring of optical output power, optical input power, as well as temperature, laser bias current, and transceiver supply voltage. UTP Cable Diagnostics include built in TDR fault location, wire mapping and digital or analog toning. Dark fiber may be qualified for deployment using the built in FrameBERT™ feature to assure an error free physical layer.

Active and passive VLAN features allow discovery, monitoring and troubleshooting of this critical service delivery mechanism. MetroScope shows VLAN utilization and frame counts to understand the VLAN traffic. Quickly find errors in VLAN configuration of switches or devices in the network. Filter on a VLAN to identify suspicious traffic.

See VLAN participants, detect QinQ and investigate top talkers, protocols, and network health. Trending can be used to understand the traffic type on the VLAN over minutes, or hours, broken down by Unicast, Multicast, Broadcasts and Errors to catch sporadic misuse such as a broadcast storm.

Utilization history provides trending and statistics to show steady and bursty traffic broken down by traffic or error type, on a single or multiple VLANs. Protocol Statistics hierarchically displays the presence and percentage of traffic by protocol type. By expanding TCP, then selecting HTTP, a list of all devices using HTTP on the VLAN is displayed. Top talkers and broadcasters, overall, or by protocol, show who and what is using the bandwidth.

MetroScope can be teamed with LinkReflector to offer a low cost solution for end-to-end testing. A LinkReflector is an IP loopback solution supporting gigabit speeds based on Fluke Networks’ LinkRunner Pro Network Multimeter.

For testing a single link, just place the LinkReflector at the destination site, and use the MetroScope test set at the local site to control the tests. For testing a mesh network, place LinkReflectors at multiple sites and test the connection to each from one MetroScope unit. For extended testing, just leave LinkReflectors connected at customer sites.

Even the smartest technician with the best tool needs some help sometimes. MetroScope’s secure web remote operation lets them get it instantly from your own experts. Your expert can take control of the MetroScope remotely, view all the results and identify the problem without an expensive truck roll. It is on-the-job-training for the technician, who can follow the whole process on the MetroScope display. Best of all, the customer does not have to wait any longer to get their problem solved.

Fluke Networks’ new MetroScope Service Provider Assistant test set offers additional capabilities you won’t find in other handhelds – capabilities that can eliminate the need to bring a laptop along. Use the built-in web browser, terminal emulator or telnet to configure devices or access shared documents. Download files using the built-in FTP capability. Control all these capabilities through a touch-sensitive keyboard on the display or an optional USB keyboard. Embedded Linux® shell programming allows the automation of standard work, data collection, reporting, and support of OAM&P.