HP Introduces Broadband Series Testing for ATM Traffic Policing; New Module for Industry's Leading Test Platform Helps ATM Switch Manufacturers, Network Operators "Police the Police".

PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 18, 1996-- Hewlett-Packard Company today announces it has extended the capabilities of its industry-leading HP Broadband Series Test System (BSTS) platform with the introduction of a new software application for testing and verifying asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) traffic policing.

Based on ATM Forum standards, traffic policing is used by network operators to ensure that customer ATM cell-traffic levels do not exceed the bandwidth agreed on in Quality of Service (QoS) contracts. The HP E4223A Policing and Traffic Characterization Test Application offers a complete solution that enables both ATM switch manufacturers and network operators to verify that the policing functions of network equipment operate correctly.

"As ATM traffic continues to grow and traffic policing becomes increasingly important, it is critical for network operators to be able to verify that the policing functionality provided by ATM switch manufacturers performs to specifications," said Reto Brader, HP IDACOM's broadband traffic policing product engineer. "The HP E4223A application helps to ensure the credibility of network operators with their customers, because it provides them with a key means to verify that policing is being properly applied to customer traffic and that QoS contract requirements are being met."

The HP E4223A is a software application running on the E4209A/B cell protocol processor (CPP) of the HP BSTS and works with all ATM line interfaces supported by the CPP. It provides easy-to-use stimulus-and-response testing capability for both single and dual leaky-bucket traffic policing implementations, as defined by the ATM Forum specifications UNI 3.0, 3.1 and ITUT I.371.

The HP E4223A module allows users to define and generate conforming and non-conforming cell streams for all types of line interfaces using the BSTS's traffic-shaping mechanism. Policing conformance then can be verified on the receiver side by entering specified Generic Cell Rate Algorithm (GCRA) parameters, such as peak cell rate (PCR), cell-delay variation (CDV), sustainable cell rate (SCR) and maximum burst size (MBS). The software also computes and provides counts of tagged cells, discarded cells and discard violations detected during testing.

ATM equipment manufacturers can use the HP E4223A Policing and Traffic Characterization Test Application to test and verify their equipment's traffic policing implementation and performance.

Network operators can use the module to detect traffic policing problems not only for research, but also for troubleshooting applications. For example, it can be used to resolve customer-service issues by verifying that traffic policing is performing properly and traffic contracts are being met.

It also can be used by CPE (Customer Premises Equipment) manufacturers to verify and validate the traffic-shaping implementations of equipment, such as ATM network-interface cards. In addition to testing and verification of ATM policing, the HP E4223A improves the traffic-characterization capabilities of the HP BSTS by calculating QoS parameters -- such as CDV, cell arrival time, cell delay and cell misinsertion -- based on the capture of 131,000 cells.

HP's IDACOM's Broadband Series Test System (BSTS) has the largest installed base of any broadband/ATM testing platform in the telecommunications industry and was recently enhanced to support digital video MPEG-2 testing. IDACOM Telecom Operation manufactures and markets high-speed protocol analyzers and distributed-test systems for designers, integrators and operators of broadband ATM and data communications networks.

U.S. PRICE AND AVAILABILITY

The HP E4223A Policing and Traffic Characterization Test Application is $9,510 and is scheduled to begin shipping March 26.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global manufacturer of computing, communications and measurement products and services recognized for excellence in quality and support. HP has 105,200 employees and had revenue of $31.5 billion in its 1995 fiscal year.

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com. -0-

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