Brix Test Suites offer broad and deep visibility into the performance of VoIP and other IP-based network services through:
- Complete Call Visibility with Brix Tri-Q Analysis
- Comprehensive Active and Passive Testing
- Broad VoIP Protocol and Application Support
- Monitoring of VoIP and Other Converged Network Services
- Testing of VoIP-enabling Infrastructure
COMPLETE CALL VISIBILITY WITH BRIX TRI-Q ANALYSIS
To provide maximum VoIP service visibility, the modular Brix VoIP Test Suites measure all stages of a VoIP call from beginning to end, across both IP and TDM networks. Using the unique Brix Tri-Q Analysis, these tests measure each of the three most important quality-impacting elements of a VoIP call:
- Signaling Quality measures call signaling and setup performance, which represents a person's initial exposure to a VoIP service. When users pick up the phone to make a call, they expect that call to be quickly and reliably established on the first attempt. Brix signaling quality tests measure the performance of the entire signaling infrastructure by initiating and monitoring calls over today's VoIP protocols (e.g., SIP, MGCP, PRI, NCS, etc.), and provide detailed measurements for each call setup step. Signaling quality metrics, such as post-dial delay and registration delay, assist in troubleshooting call setup infrastructure.
- Delivery Quality measures transport performance. Problems such as long latencies, lost packets, and signal strength all contribute to overall call satisfaction. Individually, delivery quality metrics are vital in diagnosing the cause and location of call performance problems across IP and TDM delivery networks and media gateways.
- Call Quality measures a user's overall call experiences. Call quality metrics such as the Mean Opinion Score (MOS), reported on a scale of one (bad) to five (excellent), enable both technical personnel and end users to easily assess call quality on a call-by-call basis. The Brix VoIP Test Suites support the E-Model (ITU G.107), PESQ (ITU P.862), and other emerging call quality industry standards.
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COMPREHENSIVE ACTIVE AND PASSIVE TESTING
VoIP administrators test their networks to achieve a variety of goals, like proactively identifying performance degradations before they impact users, satisfying contractual SLAs, and cost-effectively troubleshooting user-impacting problems when they do occur.
Accomplishing all of these objectives requires a comprehensive testing approach consisting of both active and passive testing. Active tests precisely simulate user-level transactions, while passive tests monitor live, user-generated applications and traffic. The Brix System supports both of these testing methodologies. Brix advises a foundation of active testing complemented by focused passive testing for targeted locations or for specific problems.
Active testing is especially recommended for:
- Providing continuous performance feedback, regardless of user activity
- Catching developing problems before users are impacted
- Testing multiple paths and backup infrastructure from a small number of locations
- Predicting expected service performance prior to new service roll out
While passive testing is most useful for:
- Troubleshooting infrequent or customer-reported problems as they happen
- Viewing network utilization and performance trending without adding extra load
- Proactive capacity planning
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BROAD VOIP PROTOCOL AND APPLICATION SUPPORT
Brix VoIP management solutions deliver in-depth performance visibility regardless of equipment vendor, protocol, or application type. Brix Networks is committed to continuing to develop tests based on industry-standard protocols, as well as those vendor-specific protocols used by its customers. Supported protocols include:
- SIP
- H.323
- MGCP
- PacketCable NCS
- H.248/MEGACO
- Cisco SCCP
- ISDN PRI
- Euro-ISDN PRI
The Brix VoIP Test Suites also provide the insight needed for the applications deployed by the majority of service providers and enterprises:
- IP-based Off-load Networks
- Residential VoIP Services
- VoIP Trunking
- Network-hosted IP Centrex or Messaging
- Managed Enterprise VoIP
- IP PBX and Desktop VoIP
- IP-based Contact Centers
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MONITORING OF VOIP AND OTHER CONVERGED NETWORK SERVICES
In addition to VoIP, today's converged networks support a variety of other services that require comprehensive monitoring. The Brix System also provides tests for the following services:
- IP Video
- Virtual Private Networks (VPN)
- Web-based Applications
TESTING OF VOIP-ENABLING INFRASTRUCTURE
Like any advanced service, VoIP relies on complementary network services and infrastructure. Depending on the type of environment, these services and infrastructure might include DNS for name translation; DHCP for address acquisition; TFTP for equipment configuration and upgrades; VLANs, VPNs, or MPLS for additional network organization, performance, or security features; and QoS for congestion management and traffic shaping. The Brix System provides Test Modules to measure the availability and granular performance of each of these services.
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- Brix Advanced VoIP Test Suites — Comprehensive performance testing for diverse VoIP applications
- Brix Advanced Video Test Suite — Supports full range of video applications
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