IXIA SHOWCASES ALCATEL-LUCENT NEXT-GENERATION PACKET SYNCHRONIZATION IN A DEMANDING MOBILE BACKHAUL ENVIRONMENT
Tests demonstrate packet-based backhaul networks can satisfy
synchronization requirements under real-world conditions
Calabasas, CA, February 16, 2012 – Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA), the leading global provider of converged IP and wireless network test solutions, today announced it participated in a test of mobile backhaul packet synchronization with Alcatel-Lucent. The demonstration highlighted that the Alcatel-Lucent Mobile Backhaul Solution can maintain accurate phase synchronization and quality of service (QoS) guarantees, while undergoing test conditions related to extreme packet congestion and network failovers. For further information about this test visit Ixia’s booth (Hall 1, 1E47) and Alcatel-Lucent’s booth (Hall 6, 6C23) at Mobile World Congress 2012 in Barcelona, Spain from February 27 – March 1.
Reliable distribution of packet synchronization is critical to the operation of advanced mobile broadband communications: it is required to ensure seamless mobility and enable new services such as those that leverage the LTE Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Services (MBMS) capabilities. One of the most demanding packet synchronization environments is one that addresses the phase synchronization requirements for LTE TDD and LTE MBMS over a backhaul network consisting of microwave links.
Carriers are replacing legacy TDM-based mobile backhaul networks with IP/Ethernet-based solutions in order to cost-effectively scale their networks and accommodate bandwidth-hungry mobile devices. Accurate timing synchronization across the network is critical for the successful operation of mobile networks. Network devices are implementing IEEE 1588v2 to achieve accurate clock synchronization for both frequency and phase (time of day), but 1588v2 implementations can become strained in large network environments that include many slave clocks synchronizing to a master clock. Timing synchronization and service delivery can also be compromised during network failover and recovery. It is important to test both the scalability of 1588v2 implementations, as well as the speed of clock alignment following network failure, to ensure the stability of network services and SLA compliance.
Verifying the reliability and accuracy of a 1588v2 clock implementation requires repeatable testing under real-world network conditions over long test intervals. Ixia tested Alcatel-Lucent’s Mobile Backhaul Solution using its IxNetwork application with full IEEE 1588v2 protocol emulation. The demonstration reflects a typical multi-device backhaul deployment – from network access through aggregation, including the 7705 Service Aggregation Router, 7210 Service Access Switches, 9500 Microwave Packet Radio, and 7750 Service Router. Test Composer, integrated within Ixia’s IxNetwork application, tightly managed and automated all test sequences and events – including traffic generation, slave clock emulation, link failures, and clock measurements. IxNetwork’s Macro Recorder made it easy to record and translate user GUI actions into Test Composer commands. These two recent IxNetwork features helped ensure test results were repeatable and reliable over multiple iterations.
Key Facts:
· In a recent survey, 100% of service provider respondents deployed IP/Ethernet somewhere in their backhaul network during 2010. Most deployments were “hybrid,” retaining TDM for voice due to clock synchronization requirements.
· 79% of service providers plan to move to a single IP/Ethernet mobile backhaul for carrying all traffic, and 150 operators were actively deploying a single (no TDM) all-IP/Ethernet backhaul in 2011.
· Alcatel-Lucent and Ixia have been at the forefront in the implementation and testing of advanced synchronization capabilities, demonstrating how the IEEE 1588v2 standard can address the frequency and phase synchronization requirements of mobile networks.
· Ixia’s mobile backhaul testing solution accelerates packet-based mobile backhaul adoption and migration by providing a comprehensive testing solution that tests both IEEE 1588v2 and ITU-T Sync-E synchronization protocols, and can emulate link OAM and service OAM protocols. Ixia’s timing solution is a prime element in the IEEE 1588 ICAP certification testing program.
· According to Infonetics Research: September 29, 2011, Mobile Backhaul Equipment and Services, Biannual Worldwide and Regional Market Share, Size, and Forecasts, Alcatel-Lucent holds the #1 spot in 2011 for worldwide revenue in the fast-growing Ethernet cell site routers and gateways segment.
Supporting Quotes:
· “Within Alcatel-Lucent we have leveraged the extensive algorithm and timing expertise of our world-renowned Bell Labs to ensure robust 1588v2 operation and implementation consistency across our product lines,” said Manish Gulyani, vice president of Networks Product Marketing, Alcatel-Lucent. “Using Ixia’s test products and expertise, we demonstrated that our timing synchronization and traffic forwarding performance meets strict requirements for carrying and scaling real-time mobile broadband services over packet-based backhaul networks.”
· “Mobile broadband operators must validate that 1588v2 implementations perform under realistic backhaul network conditions – including failures and heavy traffic volumes,” said Tara Van Unen, director, market development at Ixia. “This test that demonstrates our leadership and expertise in testing timing provides network operators the confidence to accelerate their move to an all-Ethernet backhaul.”
Resources:
· For more information on Ixia mobile backhaul solutions, see http://www.ixiacom.com/solutions/mobile_backhaul/index.php.
· For more information on IxNetwork, see http://www.ixiacom.com/products/ixnetwork/index.php.
· For more information on Alcatel-Lucent, see http://www.alcatel-lucent.com.
· For a video on the Alcatel-Lucent demonstration with Ixia, go to http://www.ixiacom.com/ixiatv/customer_testimonials/index.php#mobile-backhaul.
About Ixia
Ixia provides the industry’s most comprehensive converged IP services testing solution – from the wireless edge to the Internet core. Network equipment manufacturers, service providers, enterprises, and government agencies use Ixia’s industry-leading test and simulation platforms to design and validate a broad range of wired, Wi-Fi, and 3G/4G networking equipment and networks. Ixia’s solutions create real-world conditions by emulating a full range of high-scaling networking protocols and generating media-rich application traffic to validate performance, conformance and security of cloud, core, data center, wireless and multiplay networks. For more information, visit www.ixiacom.com.
