The RouterTester’s ability to emulate multiple E-BGP, I-BGP, OSPF and IS-IS sessions creates a realistic network cloud around the System under Test (SUT), providing unprecedented realism to router testing. Any number of routes with a flexible range of attributes can be advertised into the router (or network) under test, building immense and complex forwarding tables within these devices, which will stress the data forwarding abilities of the router under test.

Working in conjunction with the IP performance application, the data forwarding performance of a router can be measured while simultaneously advertising and withdrawing routes. The ability of a router to withstand route flap “storms” as well as the time it takes for a router to converge on new routes can be precisely measured. Questions such as “How much user data is lost when a route changes?” can be answered. By benchmarking a network or router with realistic tests, a router will function and perform reliably when deployed in the real world.

When using the Gigabit Ethernet module on RouterTester, multi-access networks can be simulated, allowing the creation of multiple peer sessions, making it possible for the data forwarding ability of the Router under test to be measured on an Ethernet segment. The RouterTester GbE/4 Test module has four 1Gb 1000-base-SX/LX optical interfaces. Each full-duplex port can generate IP packets encapsulated within an Ethernet frame and analyzes received frames in real-time at up to wire speed. Up to 32 modules can be utilized in a single system, providing an unparalleled Internet-scale test soluti