Science & Technology
Science and TechnologyScience and Technology 
Tue, February 8, 2011
Ixia and Alcatel-Lucent Validate 7705 Service Aggregation Router's IEEE 1588v2 Performance for Mobile Backhaul
CALABASAS, CA--(Marketwire - February 8, 2011) - [ Ixia ] (
Many mobile operators are now actively transforming their backhaul networks to a cost-effective, IP-over-Ethernet paradigm. Demonstrating that packet networks can address the synchronization benchmarks for 2G, 3G, and 4G mobile networks is one of the last remaining hurdles for acceptance of packet-based backhaul. Timing synchronization is also critical in communication deployments, including smart grids, rail, and voice service networks. The IEEE 1588v2 Precision Time Protocol (PTP) standard addresses frequency, phase, and time-of-day synchronization requirements, making it ideal for applications such as LTE Time Division Duplexing (TDD).
In order to guarantee end user quality of experience, it is necessary for service providers to thoroughly test 1588v2 timing implementations before network deployment to ensure functionality, performance, and stability. This 1588v2 proof of concept test is an leading-edge event that demonstrates how 1588v2 timing on networking devices such as Alcatel-Lucent's 7705 SAR satisfy the requisites of backhauling mobile voice -- including LTE. This test:
- Validated the scalability and accuracy of the 7705 SAR 1588v2 boundary clock implementation under network traffic load and over a topology including Alcatel-Lucent 9500 MPR microwave links.
- Ensured that 100 slave clocks could successfully establish and maintain 1588v2 sessions with the 7705 SAR boundary clocks, monitored message exchanges per slave, and measured minimum, maximum, and average offset and path delay per slave.
- Demonstrated how the 7705 SAR performed the transparent clock role and accurately modified the correction field for 150 slave clocks in the test bed, and correctly increased the correction field values under increased traffic loads.
Ixia supports comprehensive IEEE 1588v2 and Synchronous Ethernet emulation on both its IxNetwork and IxN2X applications. Ixia test ports were used to emulate both a grandmaster clock and downstream slave clocks on either side of the SAR. Ixia also generated a realistic mix of network traffic over the network topology and provided measurements per slave, including correction field analysis. The test configuration and results are being demonstrated at Ixia's stand (HALL 1, Stand #1C62) and Alcatel-Lucent's stand (HALL 6, Stand #6C23) at Mobile World Congress 2011, Feb 14-17, Barcelona. A detailed case study and video presentation is also available for download at [ www.ixiacom.com/1588test ].
Key Facts:
- 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 Ethernet synchronization protocols, and can emulate link OAM and service OAM protocols.
- The Alcatel-Lucent 7705 SAR is optimized for multiservice adaptation, aggregation, and routing, especially onto a modern, economical Ethernet, and IP/MPLS infrastructure. According to Infonetics Research: September 29, 2010, Mobile Backhaul Equipment and Services, Biannual Worldwide and Regional Market Share, Size, and Forecasts, Alcatel-Lucent holds the #1 spot in the first half of 2010 for worldwide revenue in the fast-growing Ethernet cell site routers and gateways segment.
- The IEEE 1588v2 PTP standard addresses frequency, phase, and time-of-day synchronization requirements, making it ideal for applications such as LTE TDD.
- According to Infonetics' recent survey of Global Service Providers, 100% of respondents claimed to be deploying IP/Ethernet backhaul in 2010. 65% of service providers plan to move to a single IP/Ethernet backhaul.
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 Steve McCaughan, Vice President 7705 Product Unit, Alcatel-Lucent. "Using Ixia's test products and expertise, we demonstrated that the timing synchronization and traffic forwarding performance of our 7705 SAR meets strict requirements for carrying and scaling realtime mobile broadband services over packet-based backhaul networks."
- "Ixia participated in several public 1588v2 interoperability tests to date, but this is the very first industry demonstration of 1588v2 performance under real network conditions," said Jim Smith, Vice President of Marketing at Ixia. "This significant milestone gives service providers the confidence to migrate both data and voice services over an all-packet mobile backhaul, accommodate continued traffic and network growth, and still maintain quality of service guarantees."
Resources:
- For more information on Ixia's mobile backhaul solution, see the [ Mobile Backhaul Solution Page ].
- For more information on Alcatel-Lucent's 7705 SAR, see [ their website ].
- For a full report of the test results, see this link [ www.ixiacom.com/1588test ].
About Ixia
Ixia is a leading provider of converged IP performance test systems and service verification platforms for wireless and wired infrastructures and services. Ixia's test systems are used by network and telephony equipment manufacturers, semiconductor manufacturers, service providers, governments and enterprises to validate the performance and reliability of complex networks, devices and applications. Ixia's multiplay test systems address the growing need to test voice, video and data services and network capability under real-world conditions.
About Alcatel-Lucent
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