Multicast Testing
Multicast enables a single data stream to be replicated in the network and delivered to multiple recipients. The technology is finding its way to every home as an efficient method for video distribution used, for instance, by Triple Play and Video on Demand providers.
Financial institutes are also using multicast technologies to facilitate trading rooms and analysts' data exchange. Multi-player gaming and even complex military simulations are all further examples of applications of multicast technologies.
The technology offers obvious benefits, but introduces challenges that are unique to this environment and are not experienced in the unicast domain.
Network design, protocol implementation, performance and interoperability are entirely specific to the multicast domain and must be tested with a specific set of methodologies.
EANTC's testing portfolio includes:
- Router Testing for: Packet replication, IGMP, group and PIM neighbor scalability, IGMP snooping, RP failover, aggregate multicast throughput (RFC3918)
- End user experience testing: Tests including IGMP Join/Leave latency, Stream integrity
- Network solutions: fitting multicast into your specific network architecture to include the latest developments in multicast support in L3VPNs (2547bis) and VPLS
- Conformance testing of IPv4 and IPv6 Multicast enabled network equipment.
We also offer performance tests based on RFC 3918 - "Methodology for IP Multicast Benchmarking". The different standardized test scenarios of the RFC evaluate the following performance aspects:
- Distributed/Accumulated Throughput
- Latency
- Mixed Class Throughput
- Aggregated Groups Throughput
- Scaled Groups Throughput
- Group Join/Leave Delay
- Group Capacity
