Hello everyone！
As we know, Ethernet services are the most common types of services on the transmission network. After Ethernet services are configured, we need to test the availability of Ethernet channels. This time, I'm will share with you several common test methods.
Method 1. Testing Ethernet services by using the ping command
We can perform the test by connecting the laptops to both ends of the Ethernet service. This way, you can test the availability of the Ethernet service channel. The process is as follows:
1. Connect the network port of the PC to the Ethernet service port of the equipment according to the previous connection diagram.
2. Set the IP addresses for PC 1 and PC 2. The two IP addresses must be set in the same network section. Choose Start > Run on PC 1 to display a dialog box. Enter the ping command(For example: ping 192.168.0.101).
3. Run the ping command and check the test result.
If the displayed window provides the feedback "Reply from 192.168.0.101: bytes=64 time=1ms TTL=255", the Ethernet channel is normal.
If the displayed window provides the feedback Request timed out, the Ethernet channel is abnormal.
Check the network cable connection and the configuration of the Ethernet service to rectify the fault, then continue the test.
Additional Information:
If there is only one PC, we can use a network cable to connect the Ethernet service port to the ETH(NM) port on one of NE and connect the other PC to ping the IP address of another NE.
When the channel is normal, the effect shown in the following figure is displayed:
Method 2. Testing Ethernet services by using SmartBits
We can check Ethernet service performance by looping back the service at one end and testing packet loss with SmartBits at the other end. The process is as follows:
1. Connect SmartBits to the Ethernet port on NE2.
2. Perform an inloop at the MAC layer on an Ethernet port of NE1.
On the NMS, open the NE Explorer of NE1, select the Ethernet board to be looped back, and choose Configuration > Ethernet Interface Management > Ethernet Interface from the Function Tree to set MAC inloop. In the WDM products, if the board does not support MAC inloop, you can perform inloop on the client-side optical interface.
3. Use the SmartBits to transmit and receive packets.
In the tests subsequent to the initial one, if the number of transmitted packets is the same as the number of received packets, the cross-domain service channels are normal. If packet loss occurs during the tests, troubleshoot the fault and perform the test again.
Method 3. Test Ethernet services by using test frames
The test frame is a data packet that is used to test the connectivity status of the network on the SDH/WDM side that transmits Ethernet services. The procedure is as follows:
1. On the NMS, open the NE Explorer of NE, select the Ethernet board which is to be tested. Choose Configuration > Ethernet Maintenance > Ethernet Test from the Function Tree.
2. Configure the VCTRUNK(For WDM products, if the board does not have VCTRUNK, the external port is displayed) port that initiates the test. You can choose Burst mode or Continue mode.
3. Click Apply. The Operation Result dialog box is displayed, indicating that operating is successful.
4. Perform the following operations according to the service type.
(For bidirectional service) Click Query, and check whether the number of received response frames is equal to the number of transmitted test frames. If the number of received response frames is equal to the number of transmitted test frames, the SDH/WDM link is normal.
(For unidirectional service) Check the number of received test frames at the receiving end. If the number of received test frames is equal to the number of transmitted test frames, the SDH/WDM link is normal.
Method 4. Testing Ethernet services by using ETH OAM
For the traditional Ethernet, perform the following steps:
1. On the NMS, open the NE Explorer of NE, select the Ethernet board which is to be tested. Choose Configuration > Ethernet Maintenance > Ethernet Service OAM from the Function Tree.
2. Click OAM Configuration to create Maintenance Domain and Maintenance Association.
3. Create the maintenance site and set performance monitoring parameters.
4. Perform the same configuration at the peer site of the Ethernet service (the EMP ID must be different).
5. Click Start Detect. The statistics of the performance are displayed in the Details. View the results of the statistics. Then, determine the performance of the service between the local equipment and the opposite equipment through Loss Ratio and Delay. If the value of the Loss Ratio is not 0 or the value of Delay is large, we need to rectify the fault on the link.
For the packet Ethernet, perform the following steps:
1. Right-click the required PW-carried E-Line service and choose Ethernet OAM > ETH OAM Test from the shortcut menu. Set the Measurement Type as LB in the dialog box that is displayed. Click Run.
2. After the test is complete, click the LB Statistic Information tab to check whether the service is available.
If the number of received packets and the number of transmitted packets are the same, the service is available. If testing packet loss fails, we need to rectify the fault on the link.
Summary and analysis:
Compared with the preceding four methods, the first two methods (ping command test and meter test) are more reliable. However, the prerequisite for the operation is that the client-side device needs to be disconnected. As a result, services are interrupted. It is applicable to the scenario where Ethernet services are put into use or when services are interrupted.
The latter two test methods (test frames and ETH OAM) test only part of the Ethernet link. If the external physical port of the Ethernet board is faulty, the fault cannot be detected. However, the advantage of the two methods is that online detection is supported, that is, the detection does not affect customer services.
More:
How to test the availability of E1 services
Best Way of Testing Ethernet PW Services
Thank you！
