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Ultimately, it is
this foundation that allows the CSP
to build an overlay infrastructure
of service performance management
that works in conjunction with element
performance in order to provide a
holistic view of service performance.
Router vendors have
been working on perfecting the art
of service performance testing for
years, with vendors like Cisco leading
the way with their IPSLA capabilities.
As a result, CSP’s can now
quickly and reasonably inexpensively
build an overlay infrastructure of
service performance management probes
leveraging the embedded capabilities
within the routers. For example,
vendor proprietary options exist
like IPSLA that offer a wide array
of service performance tests. CSP’s
also have the option of leveraging
standards like RFC 2925 that offer
a basic set of tests. It is important
to note that the configuration and
on going maintenance of this testing
infrastructure must be taken into
consideration particularly in instances
where the CSP is operating a heterogeneous
network environment. As stated earlier,
it is in these environments that
the need for an overall performance
management application becomes a
necessity in order to achieve desired
results. The performance management
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The appliances should integrate
into the overall service performance
management system to create a
holistic view of service performance
across the entire infrastructure. |
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application
will provide a common aggregation
point between the different
router vendors within the
infrastructure for probe
creation, test administration,
and test data collection.
The application should also
provide a mechanism to automate
these tasks to provide a
solution that can scale to
meet the challenges of the
CSP environment.
At this
point, the CSP should take
the opportunity to re-evaluate
their service performance
management coverage by looking
for areas that need coverage
or need additional depth
of coverage. Once coverage
gaps are identified; they
can then be filled by leveraging
purpose built appliances
that are available on the
market today. These appliances
offer the ability to run
a large number of service
performance tests; however,
they tend to be focused on
voice (VoIP) or video (IPTV)
testing. Accordingly, it
is possible, depending on
the mix of services that
the CSP offers, that multiple
appliance vendors may need
to be deployed in order to
achieve complete coverage.
Another major consideration
with regard to deploying
appliances is the cost. Life
cycle costs can be high depending
on the appliances’ maintenance
cost and where it is deployed
in the infrastructure. By
taking a pragmatic approach
and making efforts to minimize
these costs, the CSP will
ensure they are only purchasing
appliances where they need
them and getting full value
from the data generated.
The appliances should integrate
into the overall service
performance management system
to create a holistic view
of service performance across
the entire infrastructure.
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