Test Plan for Optical Grooming Switches - Light Reading

Test Plan for Optical Grooming Switches
It is required to test a two basic resilience options:- mesh restoration and BLSR/MS-SPRING
rings. To ease understanding of test results, it is proposed to configure the test network into
two basic configurations:-
Configuration A. This will be used to test mesh restoration and linear MSP.
Configuration B. This will be used to test BLSR/MS-SPRINGs
The process used will be as follows:-
Step 1. Vendor installs and commissions configuration A.
Step 2. BTexact perform test cased on configuration A.
Step 3. Vendor installs and commissions configuration B.
Step 4. BTexact perform test cases on configuration B.
Step 5. Review results.
Note the same hardware will be used for configurations A and B.
Within this document the following terms apply:-
Trunks : - line side connections between switches.
Tribs:- client side connections between a switch and a client.
Trails: - circuits set up across the network.
The supplier will install and commission trunks and tribs at commissioning, including the
required resilience options. During testing BTexact will then set up trails over the provided
tribs and trunks.
A mixture of attenuators and fibre reels will be used to interconnect the switches. BTexact
can provide either SC or FC/PC connector patch leads to interconnect the switch and connect
BTexact’s test equipment and fibre spans. If any other type of interface is used on the
supplier’s switches, conversion patch leads to convert to FC/PC (with a minimum length of
2m) should be provided. If attenuators are required when looping back a short-reach interface,
the supplier should provide these.
All installation and commissioning at Adastral Park will be performed by the vendor with
minimal involvement from BTexact. The vendor will be provided with a lab. Two vendors
involved with the Light Reading evaluation will not be expected to share a lab. Typically
BTexact will evaluate vendor A’s product while in parallel vendor B installs and commissions
in a separate lab. On successful completion of installation the vendor will provide BTexact
with a clear, written statement that installation and commissioning is completed successfully
and that testing can proceed. While BTexact will have minimal involvement in installation
and commissioning by the vendor, we will record the duration the I&C process and also our
perception of the ease, rigour and professionalism with which the vendor performs.
The supplier will provide a network management system as would be used to manage a large,
operational network – a craft terminal or element manager alone will not suffice. Easy to use
point-and-click provisioning is a key requirement for carriers and so BTexact will expect to
make extensive use of it throughout the evaluation period. If during a particular test case,
provisioning a particular circuit proves so difficult that it cannot easily be performed by
BTexact within a reasonable time period then this will be used as evidence that point-andclick
provisioning is not user friendly.
The vendor will provide any network management servers and terminals required.
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