Active Bandwidth Testing

Active Bandwidth Testing enables you the ability to issue an instant path bandwidth test through public internet WAN link, or to schedule public internet WAN link bandwidth testing to be completed at specific times on a recurring basis. This feature is useful for demonstrating how much bandwidth is available between two locations during new and existing installations, also for testing paths to determine the outcome of setting and confirmation changes, such as adjusting DSCP tag settings or bandwidth Permitted Rates.

To use the active bandwidth testing feature:

1. Navigate to System Maintenance > Diagnostics > Path Bandwidth.

2. Select the desired Path and click Test.

   

   The output displays average bandwidth used as value to set as the permitted rate for the WAN Link minimum and maximum bandwidth results of the test. Along with the ability to test the bandwidth, you can now change the configuration file to use the learned bandwidth. This is accomplished through the Auto Learn option is under Site > Site Name > WAN Links> WAN Link Name > Settings and if enabled, the system uses the learned bandwidth.

The auto-learn feature uses algorithms to detect bandwidth. Testing is performed between a branch and the MCN/RCN (it is expected that the link being tested is smaller than the link being tested against). When a test begins, the branch reserves bandwidth for the two links being tested (branch and MCN/RCN), send a series of short packet bursts, then release the bandwidth. The arrival interval for the packets bursts is monitored, averaged, and used to determine an effective bandwidth for each burst. Any detected value greater than the configured “physical rate” of the WAN Links or any value for which packets were lost during the burst is not used. A test is performed any time the system starts and auto-learn is enabled for a WAN link or if a test is scheduled from the appliance GUI.

You can also schedule recurring tests of path bandwidth in weekly, daily, or hourly intervals.

Note

A history of the path bandwidth testing results is displayed at the bottom of this page and results are archived every 7 days.