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Agilent RouterTesterPowered by QA Robot Technology

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MPLS (LDP/CR-LDP)Protocol Software

E7858A

Technical Datasheet

Agilent Technologies MPLS (LDP/CR-LDP) ProtocolSoftware provides realistic Internet-scale signalingand switching simulation. Agilent TechnologiesMPLS (LDP/CR-LDP) Protocol Software canoperate with Agilents enhanced BGP-4, OSPF, ISISrouting protocol software and traffic generationtools to provide comprehensive multiprotocolverification and stressing of MPLS-capable routers,switches and networks.

Testing both data and control plane technologies

Functional and stress testing

Wire speed traffic generation

Packet capture and measurement

Multi protocol environments

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MPLS (LDP/CR-LDP) Protocol Software

Key Features

Verify MPLS signaling andforwarding functions

Simulate and test real world,multiprotocol environments

Stress and verify LDP/CR-LDPimplementations

Script powerful customizedtests

Ability to define proprietaryLDP/CR-LDP objects

Product OverviewAgilent Technologies MPLS

(LDP/CR-LDP) protocol software provides

a comprehensive set of capabilities for

testing LDP/CR-LDP-based MPLS

implementations. It enables the

simulation of edge and intermediate/corelabel switch routers (LSR). Each simulated

LSR has the ability to initiate Label

Request messages to request label

switched paths (LSP) or respond with

Label Mapping messages to upstream

Label Request message requests. It also

has the capability to generate unsolicited

Label Mapping messages to establish

LSPs. With full control of message

contents, positive and negative testing

can be achieved.

Labeled packets can then be generated toverify appropriate switching. The labels for

these packets can be established via the

signaling protocol or can be manually

provisioned. Up to 8 levels of labels can be

generated.

Enhancements have also been introduced

to the BGP-4, OSPF and IS-IS protocol

software with MPLS TE extensions. When

combined with these enhancements, the

MPLS (LDP/CR-LDP) protocol software

will allow for comprehensive testing of

real world multiprotocol routing and

switching applications. This capability is

ideal for testing traffic engineering

through MPLS with an underlying internal

gateway protocol such as OSPF or IS-IS.

A typical label swapping test scenario:

Using the OSPF emulation software anetwork topology is simulated behindport 1A.

A LSP tunnel is set up between node1.1 to port 2A via Port 1A and the SUT

Labeled traffic is forwarded from port1A with the label 7 over the LSPtunnel.

The SUT receives the label packet,pops the label 7, pushes label 9 intothe packet and forwards the packet to

Port 2A.

Performance measurements are madeon the traffic forwarded to Port 2A.

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Product Features

Verification of MPLS signaling and

forwarding functions

The MPLS (LDP/CR-LDP) Protocol

Software provides the ability to generate

Label Request and Label Mappingmessages, and to verify that these

messages are propagated to other LSRs

appropriately. It also supports the

generation of Label Release/Withdraw

and the Notification messages to break

the LSPs and/or LDP sessions.

In addition, labeled traffic may be

generated and confirmed. This enables

you to check for appropriate switching of

labeled traffic based on initiated LSPs.

Simulating real world, multiprotocol

environments

In real networks, MPLS must interwork

with routing protocols. In traffic

engineering applications, an IGP such as

OSPF or IS-IS will construct a routing

topology. The MPLS cloud will provide an

overlay on this topology for label-based

switching. As a result, simultaneous

simulation of OSPF or IS-IS routers with

MPLS LSRs is needed to simulate real

world conditions.

To achieve this, the BGP-4, OSPF and IS-ISProtocol Software have been upgraded to

provide MPLS and TE extensions to allow

full multiprotocol routing switching

simulation. Using the OSPF and IS-IS

Protocol Software modules, virtual

topologies can be constructed.

LDP/CR-LDP LSPs consistent with these

virtual topologies can then be established.

These can be combined with unlabeled

and labeled data packet generation and

analysis.

Stress and verify LDP/CR-LDPimplementations

Internet routing and switching is a

complex task, and the increasing use of

the Internet places an even heavier

processing load on routers and switches.

As a result, stress testing is critical to

establishing whether a router, switch or

network will be able to sustain the loads

expected when deployed.

With the QA Robot, the MPLS

(LDP/CR-LDP) Protocol Software can be

used to stress a single router, switch or

network. A large number of LSP requests

can be initiated, responded to or torndown when simulating an edge LSRs. For

intermediate LSRs, virtual topologies can

be constructed by using IGPs such as IS-IS

or OSPF by advertising link state PDUs.

LSPs consistent with these virtual

topologies can then be initiated,

responded to or torn down. By varying the

advertsing link state PDUs over time,

dynamic changes in an MPLS network can

be simulated.

Script powerful customized tests

The Tcl/Tk and QBOL scriptingenvironments allow for rapid creation of

scripts to provide scalable and powerful

customized tests.

Additional Capabilities ofthe RouterTester

Generate wire speed traffic

Working in conjunction with the IP

performance application, LSP tunnels are

created and the data forwardingperformance of the labeled packets

traversing those tunnels can be measured.

With RouterTesters wire speed traffic

capability you can generate a complex,

real-world mix of traffic type (voice, video,

and, data), length and profiles (burst vs.

constant), easily determining the impact

of mixture on router performance.

Working in conjunction with the IP

performance application, LSP tunnels are

created and the data forwarding

performance of the labeled packets

traversing those tunnels can be measured.

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Ability to define proprietary

LDP/CR-LDP objects

This is an important feature of the product.

As a part of the QBOL scripting

environment provided, the test engineer

now has the capability to define generic

objects beyond the ones listed in thevarious IETF documents. Such objects

may be used in LDP/CR-LDP messages by

some equipment vendors for the purpose

of network management etc. This feature

allows the flexibility to test out any

proprietary object that may be part of a

specific implementation.

Applicable Standards

LDP Specification (RFC 3036)

MPLS Label Stack Encoding (RFC3032)

Multiprotocol Label SwitchingArchitecture (RFC 3031)

Constraint-Based LSP Setup usingLDP (draft-ietf-mpls-cr-ldp-xx.txt)

Statistics

MPLS LSRs may be concurrently

monitored for statistics. Information such

as the number of inbound, outbound Label

Requests and Label Mapping messages,

open LSP's may be collected.

Online HelpAn extensive online help system provides

complete descriptions and detailed usage

instructions. Dialog-level

context-sensitive help provides rapid

access to the relevant sections of the

online help. A technology reference

section provides a complete library of

background information pertaining to

gigabit and terabit router performance

testing.

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Technical SpecificationsThis section contains the features of the LDP/CR-LDP

Protocol Software that are accessible using the GUI and

Tcl/Tk scripting environment. Simple point and click actions

enable you to dynamically change the environment being

tested. Also, for our power users we have included features

accessible using the QBOL language.

(Note: The features marked with ** will be available in the

second release.)

MPLS (LDP/CR-LDP) Emulation

QA Robot RouterTester

LDP/CR-LDPEmulationParameters

Hold Timer & KeepAlive Timer for sessionestablishment & maintenance.

Messages Supported Hello (multicast (link session) & unicast(targeted sessions))

KeepAlive,Address,Address Withdraw

Initialization

Label Request(LDP & CR-LDP)

Label Mapping(LDP & CR-LDP)

Label Release(LDP & CR-LDP)

Label Withdraw(LDP & CR-LDP)

Notification(Fatal & Advisory)

Label Request Message Fields


Common Header Automatically derived from the Interfacedefinition

FEC User specified values. MAY be Derived fromIGP/BGP SSMs

LSPID** User specified values. MAY be Derived fromIGP/BGP SSMs

Hop Count User specified. If Loop detection enabled and novalue is specified, then set to a defaul t value

Path Vector User specif ied . If Loop detection enabled and novalue is specified, then set to a defaul t value

Explicit Route** May be assigned to be a l ist of Virtual LSRs

Traf fic TLV** User specified. Default for CR-LDP are "BestEffort" traffic parameters

Resource ClassTLV**

User specified

Preemption TLV** User specified

Pinning TLV** User specified

"User defined TLV" ** User specified

Label Mapping Message Fields


Match Criter ia The Label Mapping messages are automaticallyconstructed & send in response to the receivedLabel Requests. Tail end DU LSPs can also beopened. The user specifies MOST of the TLV

specific data using the "Ingress" or the"Egress" descriptors.

FEC User specified values. (Note: MAY be derivedfrom IGP/BGP SSMs for DU mode of operation

or from incoming Label Requests)

LSPID** User specified values. MAY be Derived fromIGP/BGP SSMs

Hop Count User specified. If Loop detection enabled and novalue is specified, then set to a default value

Label Request MsgID TLV

Derived from the received Label Request

Traff ic TLV** Taken from Label Request if the descriptor doesnot have it defined.

Label TLV The Label. MAY be specified by the user for"NULL" labels. Else it is a Label that is extracted

from the Label Manager

Path Vector User speci fied. I f Loop detection enabled and novalue is specified, then set to a default value

User defined TLV ** User specified

Notification Message Fields


Match Criter ia The Notificat ion messages are automaticallyconstructed & send when the LSP's/LDPSession need to be broken. (Note: these

messages are sent in response to the LASTmessage that was send or received for the

LSP/LDP Session).

Status Code User specified value

Label Withdraw/Release Message Fields


Match Cr iteria The Label Withdraw/Release messages areautomatically constructed & send when the

LSP's need to be broken.

FEC User specifies values, or can be derived fromrelevant messages

LSPID** User specifies values, or can be derived fromrelevant messages

Label TLV The Label. MAY be specified by the user for"NULL" labels. Else it is a Label that is extracted

from the Label Manager

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AnalysisStatistics can be displayed and saved. Update intervals can be

specified in seconds, with a minimum of one second.

Numerical, graphical and snapshot save to file representation

is available.

Capture and Decode

Ethereal with LDP/CR-LDP and MPLS Label decode capability

is included with the software, and has been enhanced to

provide decoding for IS-IS extensions.

Performance Data for RSVP

All Performance Data was tested using the software Version

4.0 due out June 1, 2001.

Global Statistics


Open LSPs Total Number of LSPs open

Inbound/Outbound Statistics


Label Request Messages

(cumulative count, rate)

Number of Label Requests received

Label Mapping messages


Number of Label Mappings received

Label Release messages(cumulative count, rate)

Number of Label Releases received

Label Withdraw messages


Number of Label Withdrawsreceived

Rate of LSP Establishment Value of LSP establishment rate

Notification messages


Number of Notification messagesreceived

Note: Holdtimer and Keepalivetimers are used to track theHello and the KeepAlivemessages related to the LDPsession

MPLS Protocol Software


OpenLSPs

700 MHz, 256 MB GbE

128 MBOC3/12/48

32 MB

LSPSetupRate

1600/s

Data being collected

LSPsreliablyestablished

200,000

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Copyright Agilent Technologies, Inc. 2001Specifications subject to changeDecember 1, 2001.

5988-2983EN, Rev B

United States:

Agilent TechnologiesTest and Measurement Call Center

P.O. Box 4026Englewood, CO 80155-40261-800-452-4844

Canada:

Agilent Technologies Canada Inc.5150 Spectrum WayMississauga, Ontario

L4W 5G11-877-894-4414

Europe:

Agilent TechnologiesEuropean Marketing OrganisationP.O. Box 999

1180 AZ AmstelveenThe Netherlands(31 20) 547-2323

United Kingdom

07004 666666

Japan:

Agilent Technologies Japan Ltd.

Measurement Assistance Center9-1, Takakura-Cho, Hachioji-Shi,Tokyo 192-8510, JapanTel: (81) 426-56-7832

Fax: (81) 426-56-7840

Latin America:

Agilent Technologies

Latin American Region Headquarters5200 Blue Lagoon Drive, Suite #950Miami, Florida 33126

U.S.A.Tel: (305) 269-7500Fax: (305) 267-4286

Asia Pacific:

Agilent Technologies19/F, Cityplaza One, 1111 King's Road,Taikoo Shing, Hong Kong, SAR

Tel: (852) 3197-7777Fax: (852) 2506-9233

Australia/New Zealand:

Agilent Technologies Australia Pty Ltd347 Burwood HighwayForest Hill, Victoria 3131

Tel: 1 -800-629-485 (Australia)Fax: (61-3) 9272-0749Tel: 0-800-738-378 (New Zealand)

Fax: (64-4) 802-6881

Agilents RouterTester system

Agilents RouterTester system offers a

powerful and versatile test platform to

address the evolving test needs of

metro/edge platforms, core routers and

optical switches. RouterTester provides

Network Equipment Manufacturers and

Service Providers with the industrys leadingtools for wire speed, multiport traffic

generation and performance analysis of

todays networking devices.

Warranty and Support

Hardware Warranty

All RouterTester and QA Robot hardware is

warranted against defects in materials and

workmanship for a period of 3 years from the

date of shipment.

Software Warranty

All RouterTester and QA Robot software is

warranted for a period of 90 days. The

applications are warranted to execute andinstall properly from the media provided.

This warranty only covers physical defects in

the media, whereby the media is replaced at

no charge during the warranty period.

Software Updates

With the purchase of any new system

controller Agilent will provide 1 year of

complimentary software updates. At the end

of the first year you can enroll into the

Software Enhancement Service (SES) for

continuing software product enhancements.

Support

Technical support is available throughout the

support life of the product. Support isavailable to verify that the equipment works

properly, to help with product operation, and

to provide basic measurement assistance for

the use of the specified capabilities, at no

extra cost, upon request.

Ordering Information

To order and configure the test system

consult your local Agilent field engineer.

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