SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As Ethernet technology continues growing in importance for cable operators that are deploying business-class services, so does the need to equip cable technicians with test and measurement tools that allow them to keep pace with the complexities of delivering Ethernet technology.
In a set of bullet points, Sunrise Telecom (which is showcasing its Ethernet service verification tools at SCTE Cable-Tec Expo 2010, Oct. 20-22 in New Orleans) outlines key strategies cable operators should consider for evaluating their Ethernet services.
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Avoid Issues That Threaten QoS, SLA Compliance – Cable operators know the thresholds for Quality of Service (QoS) and other factors they must meet to comply with individual customer Service Level Agreements (SLAs). The key is to stay in front of potential SLA-threatening problems by quickly identifying issues that impact Ethernet services, such as latency, packet delay variation (jitter), frame loss, bursting and throughput. Likewise, it is essential technicians have the tools to effectively assess whether higher priority traffic – such as real-time video and voice – is traveling through the network without interference.
Resolve Finger-Pointing Issues – Technicians don’t want to be caught in the middle of a dispute on what part of a network connection is impeding Ethernet services. Handheld tools isolate impairments inside the network, determining whether a problem exists within a cable system or with a third-party connection.
Evaluate Provisioning of Ethernet Connections - Technicians must determine if a network connection supporting Ethernet services was properly provisioned to meet SLAs. Test solutions must be able to assess the end-to-end capabilities of a network, providing details on impairments affecting ingress and egress points, the network backbone or a headend supporting Ethernet services.
Test Remotely When Possible – Cable operators are using solutions that connect technicians in the field with others back at the office or at a different site, bringing more experience to bear as needed in analyzing Ethernet service issues. By giving techs at multiple sites access to view test results remotely in virtually real time, cable operators can avoid dispatching multiple employees when the field tech needs help interpreting test results. Remote access also allows operators to connect to instruments in an isolated area or during off-hours.
“For cable operators to meet the stringent standards for delivering Ethernet-supported services, they must provide their technician workforce with high productivity test and measurement solutions,” says Bahaa Moukadam, Sunrise Telecom’s chief executive officer.
He adds, “To determine robust Ethernet connections, technicians need to quickly determine and resolve service impacting issues. Sunrise Telecom has a comprehensive selection of best of breed test sets that allows these professionals to verify the quality of their Ethernet services.”
At Cable-Tec Expo, Sunrise Telecom is displaying these handheld test and measurement solutions to verify, test and troubleshoot Ethernet services:
SunSet MTT – This all-in-one portable modular test solution assesses network installation, troubleshoots impairments and verifies the capabilities of Ethernet services and mobile backhaul.
SunLite GigE – The palm size, lightweight test solution assesses the end-to-end transport of Gigabit Ethernet/IP traffic, performs BER tests and determines throughput, link utilization, latency and IP connectivity.
XTT 5000 – Cable operators that want to verify the installation and maintenance of 10 GigE, GigE Metro Ethernet, IP services and Fibre Channel links can use the XTT 5000 solution.
For more information, visit http://www.sunrisetelecom.com.