Avaya Media Gateway G250, Administration Manual

Page: 469 / 840

Configuring and monitoring CNA test plugs
Issue 5 June 2008 469
Configuring and monitoring CNA test plugs
The Converged Network Analyzer (CNA) is a distributed system for real-time monitoring of IP
networks, using active measurements. The CNA supports various network tests including
connectivity tests with pings, topology tests with traceroute, and QoS tests with synthetic RTP
streams. Within a CNA system, test plugs are the entities that execute the tests, according to
instructions from CNA schedulers, and return the results. For more information about
administrating the CNA system, see
IM R3.0 Converged Network Analyzer (CNA)
Configuration , 14-300284.
CNA test plug functionality
When activated, test plugs present themselves to the CNA system in a process called
registration . During registration, a test plug uses a fingerprint certificate to authenticate the CNA
scheduler, and publishes its IP address and active ports.
The schedulers are software components running on single board computers called
chatterboxes . Schedulers are responsible for initiating tests, coordinating tests, and collecting
the test results.
For redundancy and load sharing, CNA systems usually include multiple chatterboxes and,
therefore, multiple schedulers. However, since the schedulers distribute test plug registration
parameters among themselves, a test plug only has to register with a single scheduler. Test
plug administrators typically configure multiple schedulers addresses, for redundancy.
You can configure a list of up to five scheduler IP addresses. The test plug attempts to register
with the first scheduler on the list first, and then moves down the list as necessary if the
registration is unsuccessful.
When the test plug registers with a scheduler, the test plug provides the scheduler with its IP
address, and two UDP port numbers, called the control port and the RTP echo port. The test
plug IP address is the IP address of the interface on which the PMI is configured.
Test plug actions
Once registered, the test plug listens for test requests on the control port. When the test plug
receives an authenticated and validly formatted test request from the scheduler, the test plug
performs the following:
●
Injects any one of the tests specified in the test request into the network
●
Performs the specified test using the parameter values passed in the test request
●
Upon successful completion of the test, sends the test results to the analyzer of the
chatterbox whose IP address is designated in the test request