GL’s Comprehensive SONET/SDH Testing and Analysis Solution

Welcome to GL's latest newsletter, where we discuss our solutions for Synchronous Optical Networking (SONET) and Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) carrying channelized TDM (T1, E1) traffic, and Unchannelized ATM and PoS traffic – SonetExpert™, a tester for high-speed OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4, OC-48/STM-16, and OC-192/STM-64 networks. An important feature permits auto detection of the SONET/SDH structure and constituents.

SonetExpert™ Channelized and Unchannelized Analyzer

SonetExpert™ Channelized and Unchannelized Analyzer

Overview

GL’s SonetExpert™ is a powerful network testing tool designed to analyze, monitor, and test SONET/SDH networks. The software monitors the network in real-time and provides detailed analysis, reporting features of various types of SONET/SDH channels including STS-1, STS-3c, STS-12c, STS-48c, and STS-192c. The software provides a graphical user interface and is accessed through the web browser.

With its advanced capabilities, the tool can effectively analyze SONET/SDH networks, including channelized and unchannelized interfaces. The tool offers scanning and detection of incoming SONET/SDH traffic, ATM/PoS features, which allow in-depth analysis of ATM/PoS networks. It also supports test and measurement capabilities, such as Bit Error Rate Testing (BERT) to evaluate the performance of the network.


SonetExpert™ Channelized Analyzer

GL's SonetExpert™ Channelized Analyzer comprises of hardware and software for capturing, monitoring, simulating, and analyzing protocols over SONET-SDH links. SonetExpert™ analyzer along with SFP+ based optical ports supports Channelized SONET and SDH mapping of T1/E1 payload. In this mode, SonetExpert™ supports direct access to all 336 T1 or 252 E1 channels on an OC-12/STM-4 line for analysis and simulation – all within a single PC. Its main advantage is that any of the T1/E1 or DS0 test requirements can be met without resorting to electrical access and time-consuming cabling and setup.

SonetExpert™ Channelized Analyzer

SonetExpert™ Unchannelized Analyzer

GL's Portable or Rackmount SonetExpert™ Unchannelized Analyzer is capable of SONET/SDH testing over OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4, OC-48/STM-16 and OC-192/STM-64 transports. SonetExpert™ can perform unchannelized BERT testing over OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4, OC-48/ STM-16 and OC-192/STM-64 SONET/SDH rates. It treats the entire OC-3 to OC-192 as a single big pipe and sends/analyses BERT traffic for the entire pipe i.e., using concatenated STS-3c/STS-12c/STS-48c/STS-192c signals.

This helps to test and qualify the entire SONET/SDH Pipe as a whole, before delving into smaller pipes carried within. The tool provides a user-friendly interface and can be controlled via a web-based user interface. Overall, the unchannelized analyzer is a valuable tool for network operators, service providers, and equipment manufacturers.

SonetExpert™ Unchannelized Analyzer

SonetExpert™ Unchannelized SCAN Application

The key feature of GL’s SonetExpert™ Unchannelized tool is its SCAN feature which scans incoming SONET/SDH traffic, analyzes the frames, detects, and reports the structure of the incoming traffic, down to the T1/E1 level.

The application identifies the various sub pipes within the main pipe, and the entire structure of each sub pipe right down to the T1/E1 level. This feature is particularly useful for network operators and service providers who need to quickly identify different channel types and troubleshoot network problems.

SonetExpert™ Unchannelized SCAN Application

SonetExpert™ ATM and PoS Protocol Analysis

Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) Protocol Analyzer

GL's SonetExpert™ ATM Protocol Analyzer is used to analyze and decode different ATM protocols such as ATM, AAL2 Protocols (CPS SDU, and SSCS), AAL5 (CPCS), UNI, and others across U plane and C plane of UNI and NNI interface. The analyzer can also decode ATM frames constituting Classical IP over ATM, or CIP based networks, and traditional SS7 Stack (ISUP, SCCP, MAP, CAMEL (CAP), etc.) over ATM. The ATM Analyzer can capture, decode, filter, and reassemble AAL according to user-defined virtual path identifier or virtual channel identifier.

SonetExpert™ ATM and PoS Protocol Analysis


Packet over SONET (PoS) Protocol Analyzer

GL’s SonetExpert™ PoS Analyzer captures a host of PoS protocols exchanged between the two nodes over SONET and provides useful analysis, which includes the distribution of protocols, protocol fields, frame lengths, and frame status. The user can obtain a detailed analysis of the protocol and can perform various statistical measurements.

Packet over SONET (PoS) Protocol Analyzer

Key Features

  • 2x channelized OC-3 STM-1/OC-12 STM-4 SONET/SDH interfaces per SonetExpert™ for simulating and monitoring in both directions
  • Configure the number of T1 E1 channels to multiplexed or demultiplexed to/from OC-3/12 STM-1/4
  • Analyze or emulate voice, data, fax, protocols, analog and digital signals, including echo and voice quality
  • Supports BERT over Raw SONET/SDH for OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4, OC-48/STM-16, and OC-192/STM-64
  • Supports BERT over PoS and ATM on OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4
  • Monitors and reports various SONET/SDH Alarms (Section/Path/ Line as well as BERT Alarms) in real time
  • Provides Loss of Signal and Loss of Frames Hardware Alarms indication, Service logging, External Clock, Line and Diagnostic Loopback options, Through mode and Port Swap Cross-port options
  • Protocol analysis provides detailed analysis of higher layer protocols (for PoS and ATM) and decode of SONET/SDH frames in real time on both ports simultaneously
  • Provides options to capture Raw SONET/SDH or PoS/ATM wirespeed (OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4) traffic on 2 ports simultaneously to a file on hard disk, with hardware filtering and timestamping
  • Supports playback of captured Raw SONET/SDH or PoS/ATM wirespeed traffic (for OC-3/STM-1 and OC-12/STM-4) traffic on 2 ports simultaneously from a file on hard disk, with highly accurate timing (as captured in the traffic file)
  • SCAN feature gives a complete overview of the incoming SONET/SDH traffic in an easy and intuitive graphical display and helps technicians to quickly identify the structure of unknown SONET/SDH traffic
  • Web interface allows multiple users to connect to a single web server and independently run tests on different hardware units

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