Network Test Solution

Background:

Sigma network test solution is designed for enterprise level basic platform network, which is connected to Internet for network resource share within the enterprise, and the enterprise office automation. The enterprise has its own IP address and domain name with installed emailing system and internal communication. They have built network on their corporate host as an information publicizing platform. A layer 3 switch plays the most critical role of service providing across the whole solution.

Highlights:

• This solution can obtain repeatable, accurate data from real time devices and ensure the continuous effective service operation
• The redundancy design improves network and system robustness and improves operation safety/integrity
• The aggregation of all data and service systems provides employees access to critical information, improving productivity and the decision-making capability
• Prioritized critical service processing helps build up the enterprise?s core competitiveness
• Easy network scalability helps brining down enterprise operation cost

Key points and test solutions:

Application Requirement	Technology in Need	Test Solution
Information quarantine and safety across an enterprise?s divisions	VLAN, ACL	Configure multiple VLANs for different divisions, then the filtering and routing among such VLANs. The purpose is to test the device?s data filtering and routing capability at multiple VLAN communication.
Safe access to internal server	AAA Tacacs/Radius ACL	The test solution simulates multiple users accessing the internal server by frequent and repeated login/logout, stressing the system under test to correctly deny invalid users/traffic, which protects the internal server. The concurrent login is to be completed under certain pressures.
Access to external network and subnetworks within the company	RIP/OSPFv2/ISIS NAT	Performance test on the network router. The enterprise routes are usually limited in number but stressed in traffic. One enterprise may use several routing protocols, should be tested for traffic forwarding between different protocols. Test the source NAT and destination NAT, ensure the visibility of internal server, and internal users? access to external networks.
Network robustness	VRRP	To evaluate the affect of device switching on users/system, and whether the switching will cut down terminal users? service application, or lead to major change of the system performance.
Secure the priority of critical service	QoS Bandwidth limitation ACL	Check if the system can prioritize service traffic and restrict P2P application, e.g. BitTorrent, eMule, and secure the high priority of VoIP traffic, as well as the SMTP and Pop 3 streams.
User authentication	802.1x	Check if the system support access authentication, and possess a certain capability of handling concurrent requests from multiple users.
Network traffic balance and loop prevention	STP/RSTP/MSTP	Check if the Layer 2 access switches support STP/RSTP/MSTP, and when used as MSTP, if the system under test can provide load balance reasonably and effectively.
Management of network configuration	DHCP	Evaluate the system?s capability of providing the DHCP or DHCP relay support.
Requests for video conference and video on demand	IGMP snooping Multicast routing IGMP/DVMRP/PIM-DM/PIM-SM	Evaluate the multicast transmission availability and performance in the system, and observe multiple users? application for the multicast service with IGMPs of varied version.