Avaya ExpertNet Lite Assessment Tool ELAT User manual

ExpertNet™ Lite Assessment Tool
User Guide
May 2008

© 2008 Avaya Inc. All rights reserved.
Notice
While reasonable efforts were made to ensure that the information in this document was complete and
accurate at the time of printing, Avaya Inc. can assume no liability for any errors. Changes and corrections
to the information in this document may be incorporated in future releases.
Documentation disclaimer
Avaya Inc. is not responsible for any modifications, additions, or deletions to the original published version
of this documentation unless such modifications, additions, or deletions were performed by Avaya.

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About this guide
This guide is intended for BusinessPartners and Avaya Associates using the
ExpertNet™Lite Assessment Tool (ELAT) for the first time. It describes how to get
started and how to use ELAT for customers purchasing an IP Telephony solution that
requires an IP Network Readiness Assessment.
About the ExpertNet™ Lite Assessment Tool
ELAT is a software application designed to gather information from an IP network. The
data gathered is used to produce a Network Readiness Assessment report. It is
designed to run for an extended period of time (usually 5 days), in order to see trends
in network performance. The data is summarized graphically and can be included in
the report.
Three types of queries are used to perform the measurements: RTP tests, ping probes
and SNMP GET requests.
● ELAT provides RTP test functionality through the use of Traffic Simulators, which
are installed on remote machines on the customer network.
● ELAT supports two ping protocols: UDP (default) and ICMP. On some networks,
the default UDP protocol may not work. (For example, a firewall may be
configured to block traffic to certain ports.) In such cases, the user can switch
the protocol to ICMP.
● ELAT Controller supports SNMPv1 and SNMPv2 protocols. It collects processor
and layer-3 interface utilization variables from devices on network paths. For the
Controller to be able to retrieve SNMP data, it must be configured with a list of
SNMP community strings.
The ELAT Controller collects Round Trip Time and One Way Delay measurements along
network paths. Network paths can be entered manually by the user, or discovered
automatically. To discover paths automatically, the Controller employs, transparently
to the user, a bundled ExpertNet Discovery Tool. The EDT tool discovers network
topology in a scope configured by the user.

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ExpertNet Lite Assessment Tool Architecture
● ExpertNet™Lite Assessment Tool Controller – Runs on a PC to measure delay
and packet loss and to produce a dataset.
● Avaya Traffic Simulator – A remote agent that is deployed on various PCs on the
customer network to work with the ELAT controller.
● Dataset from the agent in the form of a compressed file is uploaded
automatically or manually to the FTP server.
● ExpertNet™Lite Assessment Tool Server – Analyzes uploaded datasets to
produce graphical representations that can be browsed or included in the
Network Assessment Report.

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Requirements for ELAT Controller
Hardware
● Standard IBM PC-compatible
● Intel x86 CPU or compatible, Pentium 1Ghz performance
● 512MB of RAM for Windows XP
● 3GB free disk space.
Operating System
● Windows XPTM Professional Edition with Service Pack 2
● .Net framework 2.0 preferable.
Network
● 100Mb /s (or greater) Ethernet adapter (NOTE: If multiple NIC’s exist, it is
preferable, but not required, to disable all but one)
Requirements for Avaya Traffic Simulator
Hardware
● Standard IBM PC-compatible
● Intel x86 CPU or compatible, Pentium 1Ghz performance
● 512MB of RAM for Windows XP
● 150MB free disk space.
Operating System
● Windows XPTM Professional Edition with Service Pack 2
● .Net framework 2.0
Network
● 100Mb /s (or greater) Ethernet adapter (NOTE: If multiple NIC’s exist, it is
preferable, but not required, to disable all but one)

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Installing ExpertNet Lite Assessment Tool
Controller
Before installing ELAT, please ensure that all PCs on which ELAT will be installed are
set up as follows:
● Disable screen savers.
● Disable any time synchronization services.
● Check the Power control panel and disable any options that make the PC move
from the active state.
● Verify the current time and date.
● If the Controller PC has time synchronization services enabled, there is a
potential problem of having the Controller PC time roll back to some past time.
To avoid this, disable the time synchronization services during the ELAT run on
the Controller PC.
● Disable virus scan and SMS software.
It is preferable, but not essential, that you:
● Disable all background services, like Office Find, Indexing Service, SETI@home,
etc.
● If you have multiple NICs installed, enable only one NIC and disable all other
NICs.
Obtain the ELAT License File
After purchasing a 30-day ELAT subscription, email the ELAT administrator
([e-mail]) to obtain a license file. When you receive the file
(license.txt), save it in the ELAT config directory (by default it is C:\Program
Files\Avaya\ELAT\config).
BusinessPartners
After you have purchased a 30-day subscription, you can install ELAT on as many
machines as you like at the customer site. Once installed, the license permits 30 days
of usage.
Avaya Engineers
You do not need to purchase a subscription, but can generate one from ESDP directly.

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Install the Controller
Download the ELAT Controller (a 40Mb binary file) from http://support.avaya.com.
The installation typically takes less than 5 minutes. For more detail about installing
the Controller, refer to Appendix A: Installing the Controller and Test Agents.
Launch the Program
After you have installed the ELAT Controller application and copied a valid license file
to the config directory, you can launch the ELAT Controller. To launch ELAT select:
Start > All Programs > Avaya > ExpertNet™Lite Assessment Tool >
ExpertNet™Lite Assessment Tool > Controller. The main window is displayed:

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Configuring the ELAT Controller
To run the ELAT Controller Configuration wizard, select Configuration > Modify
Configuration. You can review all the parameters and accept the defaults or change
any parameter as per your network needs. The most frequently modified parameters
are:
● Data Collection Interval from the General Settings page.
● Community strings from the Read SNMP Community Strings page. (Without
the SNMP community strings ELAT cannot retrieve CPU and other metrics of
devices and the report will not be as detailed.)
● Topology option from the Network Discovery Options page.
Other configuration parameters rarely require modification.
Step 1. General Settings
This page allows to to set up general settings for the tool. Most fields will not need to
be changed.

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* Default values for these fields should never be changed.
Step 2: Network Discovery Options
Each time the user selects Network Paths > Discover Paths menu item from
ELAT’s main menu, the EDT tool discovers the network and leaves behind a topology
file. (The default location is C:\Documents and Settings\<userid>\My
Documents\Avaya\ExpertNet Discovery Tool\topology_files\ topology.vpa).
This file can be reused next time the user wants to discover paths.
Data Collection
Interval Specify the period for which the ELAT Controller will collect data. At the end of this period, ELAT will stop running tests and automatically upload
the data to the Avaya FTP Server. The default interval is 5 days.
Logging Verbosity
Level Select the level of detail the logging subsystem will store in the log file. You can select: None, Low, Medium, and High. The default is High.
Web Server Port Enter the port number of the bundled Web Server for downloading the
RTP Traffic Simulator to remote endpoints. To download the Traffic
Simulator, point the Web browser to http://
<controller_IP_address>:<port_number>
FTP User Name* Enter the user name of the FTP Server account for uploading data to
Avaya.
FTP Password* Enter the password of the FTP server account for loading data to Avaya.
FTP Server* Enter the name of the FTP Server to which the data is uploaded.

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Step 2.1: Location to Start Network Discovery
Steps 2.1 and 2.2 will only display if you selected the Discover Topology option.
Discover Topology Select this option if you want the Controller to discover network
topology from scratch. Steps 2.1 and 2.2 in the Configuration Wizard
are enabled. You must have SNMP access to network routers to use
this option.
Use Existing Topology Select this option if you want the Controller to reuse the existing
topology file from a previous discovery.
No Topology Select this option if you do not want to (or cannot) discover network
paths. The Network Tests > Discover Ping Tests entry in the main
menu bar will be disabled, but you will still be able to add Ping tests
manually. You may want to consider this option if SNMP access to
network routers is not allowed.
Use default gateway Select this option if you want the Controller to use the default gateway
configured on the Controller PC to start network discovery from.
Use this hostname or
IP address Select this option if you want the Controller to use a specified initial gateway to start network discovery from.

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Step 2.2: Parts of Network to Discover
Step 3: SNMP Read Community Strings
Read Community strings are used to retrieve SNMP data from the customer network.
Without the community strings we cannot retrieve retrieve performance criteria (CPU,
interface) from devices.
If your customer does not want to give you the community strings, a workaround is to
ask the customer to create temporary Read community strings that expire or will be
deleted when ELAT has concluded data collection. Once the community strings expire
or are deleted, the community strings in the dataset will no longer be valid and will
not compromise the customer’s network. We recommend "public" or "Avaya" as the
Read community strings. Please have the customer verify that the community strings
will expire after data collection has concluded.
Limit layer 3 discovery
to <n> hops Select this option if you want to limit the scope of network discovery to a specified number of hops (routers) on network paths.
Include network
address ranges larger
than 512
Select this option if you want to scan ranges of network addresses greater
than 512 in search of layer 2 devices. Discovery time may increase
significantly if you select this option.

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If the customer is not willing to allow this level of access you can proceed without read
community strings. Performance criteria data will not be collected.
Add the appropriate SNMP read community strings, and prioritize using Move Up and
Move Down buttons. Select the Prompt for a community string later if none of
these work option if you want a warning to display when a device is discovered that
does not use any of the configured strings.
Deselect this option if the customer has not given you the read community strings.

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Step 4: SNMP Settings
On this page you can set values for SNMP requests sent on the network. These
settings rarely need to be changed.
Poll Interval of Single
Node Poll interval defines the interval for sending SNMP requests to a single node on the network. The default Poll Interval is 120 seconds.
Maximum Total
Number of Polls/Sec Used to set network throttling by limiting the number of SNMP requests per second sent to all nodes. This setting takes precedence over Poll
Interval: if Poll Interval is too small, it is automatically recalculated by
the Controller to satisfy the Maximum Total). Default setting is 2 polls
per second.
Number of Request
Retries Defines the number of times the SNMP request is sent to a network device if the response does not arrive within the period set in the
Request Timeout field. The default setting is 1.
Request Timeout
(secs) Defines how many seconds the Controller will wait for a response to an SNMP request before sending a retry. The default setting is 5 seconds.

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Step 5: Ping Settings
On this page you have the option to change the default settings for Ping tests run on
the network. Again, these settings rarely need to be modified.
Average Number of
Polls/Sec Determines the frequency of sending ping probes to the network. The default setting is 1 ping per second.
Packet Size (bytes) Used to set the size of the packets sent by the Controller. The value is in
the byte size of the ping packet, without IP and Ethernet headers. The
default setting is 180 bytes.
Request Timeout
(secs) Defines how many seconds the ELAT Controller will wait for a response to a ping before it qualifies the packet as lost. The default setting is 1
second.
Diff Serv Code Point Defines the Differentiated Services Code Point of the IP Packet. By
default this value is 46 (Expedited Forwarding).

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Step 6: RTP General Configuration
On this page you have the option to change the default settings for RTP tests run on
the network. All RTP tests that are added automatically will use these settings. You
can manually add further RTP tests with different settings when the Wizard settings
are configured.
Codec Defines the Codec of the RTP test calls. This will alter the rate and size of
packets being sent between Traffic Simulators in order to emulate the G.711
and G.729 codecs.
Diff Serv Code Point Defines the Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) of the IP Packets of RTP
test calls. Routers will treat packets differently depending on the DSCP value
set in outgoing packets. By default this value is 46 (Expedited Forwarding).
Voice Payload Size
(ms) Defines the Voice Payload size of the RTP packets of a test call (in milliseconds). Must be a multiple of 10.
Number of
Simultaneous Calls Defines the number of RTP test calls to execute simultaneously for a single test. The default value for this setting is 2. Measurements for each call can
only be taken in one direction. When two or more calls are configured, half of
them originate at the Controller and half at the test agent so data is collected
in both directions providing a more complete assessment of the network than
if a single call were run.
Test Duration Defines the duration of each RTP test call (in seconds).
Automatically Create
RTP Tests Check this box to allow the Controller to automatically create new RTP test Calls from the Controller to the RTP Traffic Simulator as the simulators
register.
SNMP Polling Check this box to allow the Controller to enable SNMP polling for RTP test
calls.
Discover Paths Check this box to allow the Controller to use traceroute to discover the paths
between the Controller and the Traffic Simulators during RTP test calls.
Protocol Select a traceroute protocol to be used to discover routers on the test path.
The default setting is UDP.

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Step 7: RTP Ports Configuration
In this page you must configure the port settings that will be used against the test
agents.
RTP Ports Range Defines the starting port for the range of ports which can be used for RTP
tests. The typical range for RTP tests used by Avaya is 2048 to 3390, but any
other range between 1024 and 65535 can be used. The range needs at most
100 unobstructed ports to operate correctly.
RTP Ports Range End Defines the ending port in the range used for RTP tests.
Command Port Defines the port used by the Avaya Traffic Simulator to receive commands.
The default is port 50000. If this is changed, the same change must be made
in the Local Command Port field in the Remote Traffic Simulators

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Install and Configure the Avaya Traffic
Simulator
Installing the Avaya traffic Simulator
Install the Avaya Traffic Simulator on each remote endpoint you want to test. Each
remote endpoint MUST be on the same Voice VLAN on which the VoIP equipment will
be eventually installed. Each Traffic Simulator will take approximately 2 minutes to
install.
See Appendix A: Installing the Controller and Test Agents for information on installing
the test agents.
Configuring the Avaya Traffic Simulator
When you restart the PC after installing the Traffic Simulator, the application icon will
display in your taskbar. The icon displays in red if the tool is not running and in green
if it is. Configure the test agent using the following process:
1. Double-click the icon in the task bar.
2. Ensure the IP address in the ExpertNet Controller field is the IP address of the
PC with the controller installed.
3. In the Local Command Port field, enter the port number that will be used to
receive commands. This value should match the Command Port value in step 7
of the ELAT Configuration Wizard and should not be changed unless required by
the network or firewall configuration.
4. Adjust the log level as appropriate for your needs. Setting this value to max may
have an adverse effect on the accuracy of results. Setting it to max would only be
required whenever there is a problem that requires debugging by support
engineers for ELAT.
5. Click OK.
When the test agents are configured thay should autmatically register with the
Controller. An RTP test will be automatically created for each end-point. These will
display in the network Paths View. This will be explained in detail in the next
section.

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Adding RTP Tests and Ping Tests -
Populating the Network Paths View
Add RTP Tests
About RTP Paths
An RTP path is a route from the ELAT controller to an edge PC that has the Avaya
Traffic Simulator installed. RTP paths can optionally be tracerouted. As metrics are
collected for RTP paths, they will be displayed in the Delay, Jitter and Loss columns.
If RTP paths are tracerouted, the routers discovered are represented in the Path
Details View for any selected path. By contrast, an RTP path without traceroute is
a route from the Controller to a target device through a "cloud" of unknown network
nodes.
Adding RTP Tests Automatically
RTP tests can be created for endpoints that have the Traffic Simulator installed,
running, and configured. RTP tests will automatically be created for these endpoints as
they register if the Automatically Create RTP Tests option is selected in Step 6 of
the Wizard. These RTP tests will use the default settings configured in the Wizard.
Adding RTP Tests Manually
If the Automatically Create RTP Tests option is not selected, or if you want to add
multiple RTP tests with different parameters to the same endpoint, you can you the
Add RTP Tests option to manually add tests.
Creating multiple tests to the same endpoint can be useful for determining if varying
the values can yield different results. For example adding a test to the same endpoint
and then changing the codec or the DSCP value could improve the RTP test results.
To add a new RTP test, select Add RTP Test item from the Network Paths menu or
click the toolbar icon .
Please follow on-screen instructions and context-sensitive help available in the Add
RTP Test dialog.

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TProtocolSelect a traceroute protocol to be used to discover intermediate routers on
To Endpoint Select an endpoint to which the RTP test is to be created. If Traffic
Simulators are connected and registered with the Controller, they will
be available in the drop-down menu for use in making new RTP tests
Codec Defines the Codec of the RTP test calls. This will alter the rate and size
of packets being sent between Traffic Simulators in order to emulate
the G.711 and G.729 codecs.
Diff Serv Code Point Defines the Differentiated Services Code Point (DSCP) of the IP Packets
of RTP test calls. Routers will treat packets differently depending on the
DSCP value set in outgoing packets. By default this value is 46
(Expedited Forwarding).
Voice Payload Size Defines the Voice Payload size of the RTP packets of a test call (in
milliseconds). Must be a multiple of 10.
Number of
Simultaneous Calls Number of equivalent VoIP calls for a selected codec in a single test. The default value for this setting is 2. Measurements for each call can
only be taken in one direction. When two or more calls are configured,
half of them originate at the Controller and half at the test agent so
data is collected in both directions providing a more complete
assessment of the network than if a single call were run.
Test Duration Defines the duration of each RTP test call (in seconds).
Discover Path Check this button if you want the Controller to discover intermediate
routers on the path to the endpoint.
Protocol Select a traceroute protocol to be used to discover intermediate routers
on the path to the selected endpoint.
SNMP Polling Check this button if you want the Controller to collect SNMP statistics
for devices on this path.

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Add Ping Tests
About Ping Paths
A ping path is a route from the ELAT controller to any edge device. Ping paths may
optionally be tracerouted.
Like RTP paths, if Ping paths are tracerouted, the routers discovered are represented
in the Path Details View for any selected path. In this display it will show their ingress
and egress interfaces along with other information. The last IP address on the path
always belongs to a Layer 2 edge device. By contrast, a ping path without
traceroute is a route from the Controller to a target device through a "cloud" of
unknown network nodes.
Adding Ping Tests Automatically
If routers on your network are SNMP-enabled and you know their read community
strings, the best option is to let the ELAT Controller discover network paths
automatically. To do so, select Discover Ping Tests from the Network Tests menu
or click the toolbar icon .
The Controller discovers all subnets within a range defined in Parts of Network to
Discover page of the Configuration Wizard. An initial Ping is sent from the Controller
to all end-points in those subnets. When you complete and close the wizard, select
Network Tests > Discover Ping Tests to automatically add Ping tests in the
Network Paths View for all of the endpoints that respond to the initial Ping.
Adding Ping Tests Manually
If you cannot discover paths automatically, or you want to add paths leading to
subnets that could not be discovered, select Add Ping Test item from the Network
Paths menu or click the toolbar icon .