Ethernet service testing and verification
A method of testing a service connection within a container in an Ethernet network comprises coupling a test device to a port on a node in a path that includes the container, switching traffic of the service connection to the port, measuring selected parameters of the switched traffic in the test device, and using the measured parameters to evaluate the performance of the service connection. In one implementation, the switching uses service and container identifications, and switching the traffic to the test device is based on the service and container identifications. The test device may be capable of inserting traffic within the service connection, and the container may be a tunnel.
1. A method of testing a service connection within a container in an Ethernet network, comprising
coupling a test device to a port on a node in a path that includes said container,
switching traffic of said service connection to said port,
measuring selected parameters of said switched traffic in said test device, and
using said measured parameters to evaluate the performance of said service connection,
wherein one of a split mode and a monitor mode is utilized, the split mode comprising switching traffic of said service connection to said port based on a combination of a service identification and a container identification, the monitor mode comprising replicating and switching traffic of said service connection to said port based on said service identification, and
wherein said service identification and container identification comprise Provider Backbone Bridging or Multiprotocol Label Switching/pseudowire identifications, wherein said container identification is a Backbone Virtual Local Area Network identifier and said service identification is a Service Instance Virtual Local Area Network identifier.
2. The method of claim 1 in which said test device is capable of inserting traffic within said service connection.
3. The method of claim 1 which includes creating a copy of said traffic and only switching said copy to the port of said test device.
4. The method of claim 1 in which said container is a tunnel.
5. A method of testing a container within in an Ethernet network, comprising
provisioning the container on a path in the network,
coupling a test device to a port on a node in said container's path,
creating a test connection to said container,
injecting traffic from said test device into said test connection,
switching traffic of said test connection to said test device,
measuring selected parameters of said injected traffic in said test device, and
using said measured parameters to evaluate the performance of said container,
wherein one of a split mode and a monitor mode is utilized, the split mode comprising switching traffic of said test connection to said test device based on a combination of a service identification and a container identification, the monitor mode comprising replicating and switching traffic of said test connection to said test device based on said service identification, and
wherein said service identification and container identification comprise Provider Backbone Bridging identifications, wherein said container identification is a Backbone Virtual Local Area Network identifier and said service identification is a Service Instance Virtual Local Area Network identifier.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said test connection is removed after said measuring is completed.
7. The method of claim 5 in which said measuring of selected parameters is affected by said test device.
8. The method of claim 5 in which said container is a tunnel.
9. A carrier Ethernet having at least one service connection within a container, comprising
a source of traffic coupled to said service connection,
a test device coupled to a node in a path that includes said container for measuring selected parameters of said traffic,
a switch capable of selectively switching, based on a service identification and a container identification, to direct traffic to said node to which said test device is coupled, and
a processor for receiving data from said test device and evaluating the performance of said service connection based on said measured selected parameters,
wherein one of a split mode and a monitor mode is utilized, the split mode comprising switching said traffic to said node to which said test device is coupled based on a combination of said service identification and said container identification, the monitor mode comprising replicating and switching said traffic to said node to which said test device is coupled based on said service identification, and
wherein said service identification and container identification comprise Provider Backbone Bridging identifications, wherein said container identification is a Backbone Virtual Local Area Network identifier and said service identification is a Service Instance Virtual Local Area Network identifier.