Cable Industry

Why are Operators Struggling to Test vCCAP / vCMTS Infrastructure at Production-Scale?

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Team Nucleus

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Written on

23rd October, 2024

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Introduction


When it comes to deploying virtualised Converged Cable Access Platforms (vCCAP) and virtualised Cable Modem Termination Systems (vCMTS), robust testing is vital to avoid potential pitfalls. The testing environment used to validate these systems can make or break the reliability and performance of a network before it goes live.


Testing environments tend to fall into two main categories: pilot-scale and production-scale infrastructure. Each comes with its own set of challenges, which can affect the accuracy of testing results and, ultimately, the success of a deployment. In this post, we’ll explore these environments, discuss the problems they face, and introduce how Telesoft's Triton Test Tool can help overcome these challenges.


Pilot-Scale Test Infrastructure: Key Challenges


A pilot-scale test environment is a smaller setup—typically involving fewer than 1,000 modems, fewer than 10 Remote PHY Devices (RPDs), and typically just one lab facility. This might include a singular vCCAP or vCMTS instance. While this can provide a convenient and manageable test platform, there are some notable limitations:


Limited Test Capability

Pilot-scale environments can’t fully replicate the complexity of a real-world network. Real network conditions, traffic patterns, and user behaviour may not be accurately simulated, meaning certain issues could remain hidden.



Inability to Test at Production-Scale

With fewer devices and less traffic, it’s difficult to put new services and features under the same level of strain they would experience in a full production environment. This can lead to an incomplete understanding of how well they’ll perform when under live-deployment conditions.



Risk of Incomplete Validation

A limited number of devices means certain performance issues might go undetected. This increases the risk that an update or new service could face problems when deployed at scale, potentially leading to service disruptions.



Underutilisation of Resources

Virtualised platforms offer excellent scalability, but pilot-scale testing may not fully take advantage of this. The potential benefits of dynamic scaling, which could be critical in a production environment, may not be fully explored or validated.



Production-Scale Test Infrastructure: Key Challenges


On the other end of the spectrum is production-scale testing, which involves simulating a real-world network with over 20,000 modems, more than 100 RPDs, and multiple vCCAP and vCMTS instances. While this setup offers more accurate testing, it also comes with its own challenges:


High Capital Expenditure (CAPEX)

Building and maintaining a production-scale test environment requires a significant investment in hardware, infrastructure, and software. The costs of creating a testing setup that mirrors a live network can be prohibitive.



High Operating Expenditure (OPEX)

Once the production-scale environment is up and running, the operational costs remain high. These include power, cooling, and staffing expenses, all of which add up over time. This can make it difficult to maintain a test facility that offers long-term value.



Resource Intensive

Managing a production-scale environment requires significant technical resources and skilled personnel. The complexity of operating such an extensive infrastructure increases the likelihood of errors, making it both time-consuming and expensive to maintain.



Complexity of Operations

The sheer scale of the operation makes it harder to manage, troubleshoot, and configure. Ensuring that the test environment accurately reflects real-world production networks adds another layer of difficulty.



Risk of Downtime

With a larger, more complex environment, the chances of misconfigurations or failures grow. Any downtime in the test environment can lead to delays in service launches or, worse, unexpected problems when those services are deployed live.


Triton: Telesoft’s Solution to Testing Challenges


Telesoft’s Triton Test Tool provides a comprehensive solution to the challenges faced by both pilot-scale and production-scale test environments. By using Triton, operators can conduct load testing, scalability testing, and performance validation for vCCAP and vCMTS infrastructure before live deployment. Triton combines two powerful components—the Triton Device Simulator and the Triton Traffic Generator—to streamline and enhance the testing process.


Triton Device Simulator



  • Scalability: Triton can simulate up to 100 virtual Remote PHY Devices (RPDs) and 20,000 virtual Cable Modems per appliance, making it flexible enough for both small- and large-scale testing.



  • Customisation: It enables users to create custom environments, with fully configurable virtual devices tailored to specific test cases.



  • Unified Solution: Multiple appliances can be combined into a single, cohesive testing setup, allowing for seamless scaling from pilot-scale tests to production-scale environments.



Triton Traffic Generator



  • Stateful Traffic Generation: The Triton Traffic Generator can produce up to 200 Gbps of upstream and downstream traffic simultaneously, putting network infrastructure under real-world conditions.



  • Performance Monitoring: It tracks key metrics such as latency, jitter, packet loss, and connection failures, ensuring that the infrastructure performs as expected.



  • DOCSIS Compliance: Triton supports the latest DOCSIS standards, including DOCSIS 3.1 and 4.0, along with security protocols like BPI+, ensuring compatibility with modern network technologies.



Key Benefits of Triton



  • Enhances Test Capability: By simulating real-world conditions at both small and large scales, Triton provides comprehensive test coverage.



  • Ensures Infrastructure Capability: Triton validates the performance and scalability of the infrastructure, ensuring it can handle the demands of live deployment.



  • Improves QoS & Customer Experience: By identifying and addressing performance issues during testing, Triton helps operators deliver a better quality of service to end users.



  • Reduces CAPEX & OPEX: Triton allows for testing without the need for large-scale physical hardware, helping reduce both capital and operational expenses.



  • Increases Speed-to-Market: Triton speeds up the testing and validation process, allowing operators to deploy new services faster and more confidently.



  • Lowers Carbon Footprint: The reduction in physical infrastructure also means a smaller environmental impact, as Triton leverages virtualisation to reduce power consumption and cooling requirements.



Conclusion


Testing vCCAP and vCMTS infrastructure requires a careful balance between pilot-scale and production-scale setups. While both have their strengths, they also present unique challenges that can complicate the process of ensuring reliable network performance. Telesoft’s Triton Test Tool offers a solution that bridges the gap between these environments, providing a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective way to validate infrastructure before live deployment.

By improving the testing process, Triton helps operators avoid costly mistakes, ensure quality of service, and accelerate the launch of new services, all while reducing both financial and environmental costs.

NUCLEUS

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