EXFO Inc. (NASDAQ: EXFO) (TSX: EXF) and RAD Data Communications have joined to enable both end-to-end and segment-by-segment monitoring of Carrier Ethernet based data networks.
The collaboration sees EXFO’s Brix System monitoring capability integrated into RAD’s ETX network interface devices (NIDs) to enable BrixWorx to process data collected by the NIDs. The new capabilities address requirements for SLA verification, handling the proliferation of management platforms, and providing true end-to-end visibility, said Motty Anavi, vice president of business development RAD, and Kaynam Hedayat, CTO and senior director of product line management for EXFO Service Assurance.
Once RAD adds EtherSAM capabilities to its NIDS – a feature on the product roadmap – the company’s customers will no longer have to attempt to stitch together data from disparate systems in an effort to get a complete view of the network. The result is standards-based, round the clock monitoring based on 802.1ag and Y.1731, the sources said.
The fact that the combination also enables detailed monitoring between NIDs means that operators can perform active monitoring and trouble shooting activities to pinpoint problems. The enhanced monitoring capabilities are becoming particularly important as Carrier Ethernet is used for mobile backhaul (particularly in environments where multiple operators share the same tower) and more complex metro Ethernet service applications.
Carriers will be able to access usage data per port as well as such parameters as jitter, latency, and loss on an end-to-end basis. In future, RAD customers will be able to use BrixWorx to provision performance monitoring activities as well as turn-up tests. As a result, the combination will lower both capital and operational expenses and make service turn up and changes easier and quicker to perform.
The new capabilities are being fielded first on RAD’s ETX-204A v3 and ETX-203A v3 NIDs. The initial release is now available and is currently being tested by customers. A follow-on release late this year or early in 2013 will see more NIDs added to the family, as well as additional correlation and analysis functions.
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