Using IxExplorer

This chapter describes the requirements for and provides detailed instructions for using IxExplorer, the IxOS graphical use interface (GUI). It contains the following topics:

 

Introducing IxExplorer

The IxExplorer software provided with this product follows the Microsoft Windows Explorer paradigm for a standard, easy-to-use interface. It is assumed that the person using this product is familiar with the Windows user interface and terminology such as ‘double mouse click’ or selecting from context menu to either invoke an action or provide more information.

The IxExplorer software provides complete configuration, control, and monitoring of Ixia resources in the test network.

To establish communication between IxExplorer and each chassis, the Host ID or IP address of each chassis must be known. If you did not collect the Host ID during initial configuration (steps 12-14 in the Initial Configuration section) or the actual IP address assigned to the chassis (step 10 in the Initial Configuration section), the chassis ID information for the chassis can be accessed by selecting the Network Neighborhood icon on the Windows desktop, and selecting Properties from the context menu. In the Network dialog box, select the Identification tab. The chassis ID is located in the Computer Name box.

Once this ID is known, go to the IxExplorer pane in Explore Network Resources window,selct the chassis option in the pane, and select Properties from the context menu. The Host ID or IP address can be entered in the IP Address box. The chassis ID should be set to a unique number with respect to other chassis that you might connect together at your facility.

Once the contact between IxExplorer and the chassis is established, the indicator next to the chassis in the pane goes from red to yellow to green. IxExplorer uses the Microsoft Windows Explorer paradigm for a standard, easy-to-use interface. Users who are familiar with Windows are likely to be able to configure and run a basic transmit-and-capture Ethernet packet stream test within two or three minutes of first power up. IxExplorer configures and controls traffic generation, monitors statistics, views, and decodes captured packets. The scalable interface can be used across multiple chassis concurrently for seamless operation of large configurations.

 

 

 

Packet Streams (Transmit Generation)

Packet Streams are user-defined configurations that allow to define and configure data flows to be transmitted from a port. A Packet Stream configuration contains parameters that control the format of generated frames, such as preamble size, destination and source addresses, packet type identifiers, data payload, packet size, inter-frame gap, forced errors, CRC values, and other frame contents. Stream Control parameters allow to define the relationship of streams to other streams, whether continuous, sequential, interrupt, or end stream, with looping to the beginning of a list of streams. In this way, you can create complex and continuous data flows.

The first time a chassis is powered up after shipment from the factory, each port has default settings for Packet Streams and Capture Filters. The Packet Stream default configuration is to send a continuous stream of valid 64-byte packets with minimum interframe gap, with all zeroes in the destination and source addresses, plus incrementing bytes in the data field. The Capture Filter default configuration allows all packets to be captured. The following tutorials assume that you are using the default configurations. After they are changed, the changes are retained so the tutorials may no longer run as specified.

 

Tutorial # 1: Transmitting Your First Data

In this example, we transmit a continuous 64-byte packet stream, with a destination address of 00 00 00 00 00 00, a source address of 00 00 00 00 00 00, incrementing data bytes, and good CRC values.

The Resources pane appears on the left side of the IxExplorer window. Under Resources on the pane, there is Chassis Chain01, and under this there is Chassis 1. The round indicator on the left side of Chassis 1 should be green, indicating that the IxExplorer software has established communications with the server agent running on the chassis.

To transmit data, do the following:

  1. Double-click Chassis 1, and you see all Cards that are installed in the chassis, labeled by the number of the slot that they occupy.
  2. Select one of the cards to send and receive the packet stream.
  3. Install a jumper cable from port 1 of that card to port 2 of that card. If the card is a 10/100 Mbps Load Module, use an Ethernet crossover jumper cable. If the card is a Gigabit Load Module, use a duplex fiber jumper cable.
  4. Double-click the card in the IxExplorer pane to display the ports for that card.
  5. Select port 1, and select Start Transmit from the context menu.
  6. You are now transmitting your first packet stream from port 1 on the card to port 2 on the card. The indicators on the front of the card reflects this, with the Tx/Coll LED on port 1 lit, and the Rx/Err LED on port 2 lit. Both LEDs should be green, indicating good data. You can stop the packet stream by selecting the card, and selecting Stop Transmit from the context menu.

To look at the packet stream configuration for the stream of packets that you just sent, you can select Packet Streams under the port in the pane, and then double-click packet stream 1 that appears in the window to the right of the pane. This corresponds to the first of the streams of data to be transmitted. When you double-click, a tabbed dialog box opens, which contains all of the user-definable parameters for Packet Streams configuration.

 

 

Parameters

Usage

Preamble Size

Variable from 2-255 bytes

Data Pattern

Wide range of user-definable patterns

Frame Size

Variable from 12-65535 bytes

DA/SA

Definable, with many increment and decrement options

Protocol

802.3 or Ethernet V.2 formats, IP type (more types in the future)

UDF 1, 2, 3, 4

User-defined fields with many pattern and size options

Insert Time Stamp and Port ID

For packet tracking purposes and other data analysis

Force Errors

Bad CRC, no CRC, alignment (10/100 only), dribble (10/100 only)

 

 

Parameter

Usage

Enabled Features

Continuous packet, continuous burst, stop after this stream, advance to next stream, go to any stream with or without a count

Inter-Packet Gap

From below minimum to many seconds

Inter-Burst Gap

From below minimum to many seconds

Inter-Stream Gap

From below minimum to many seconds

 

It is very informative for a new user to experiment with these packet stream parameters and view the capture view results.

 

 

 

Using Capture

The Capture View shows the data captured on a port. The settings of the capture filter for that port determine which packets are shown in the capture view (more on this later). The capture view window is split into three panes, top downwards. The top pane is a list that contains columns for a frame index number, a time stamp, the destination address, the source address, the packet data, the frame length, and the error status of the frame. The middle pane contains a text decode of the contents of the packet selected in the top window. The bottom pane contains the hexadecimal byte display of the contents of the selected packet.

 

 

Tutorial # 2: Capturing Your First Transmitted Data

In this example, we take a look at the actual packets that are transmitted when we run the packet stream in tutorial #1. We will be referring to the same card and ports as used in that tutorial.

  1. Select port 2, and select Start Capture from the context menu.
  2. Select port 1, and select Start Transmit from the context menu.
  3. Select port 1 again, and select Stop Transmit from the context menu.
  4. Select port 2, to highlight it.
  5. To the right of the pane, you see four items: Capture view, Filters, Packet Streams, and Statistics. Double-click Capture View.
  6. A window opens that displays the packets captured on port 2 when port 1 transmitted its packet stream. You have just captured your first packet stream.

 

Filters and Triggers

Comprehensive filters and triggers allow to capture and count received packets based on configurable matching conditions such as destination address, source address, data payload pattern matches, and packet error types. There is a trigger to start capture, and filter to define what is allowed into the capture buffer once the trigger occurs. There are also four user-definable statistics counters that may be configured using the same matching conditions as the trigger and filter definitions. Double-click the Filter, Statistics, Receive Mode option in the right pane. The dialog box as shown in the following figure appears.

 

 

Statistics

The Statistics feature of IxExplorer allows to view all or a subset of the statistics available for chassis ports. Statistics for multiple ports can be displayed side-by-side for greater insight into overall traffic patterns. To view the statistics for a single port, double-click Statistics under the port on the pane as shown in the following figure.

 

 

 

 

Statistics Counters

The counters that appear in the statistics windows for each type of Load Module are the ones that are applicable to the Load Module type. For example, there are collision counters for 10/100 Load Modules, but not for Gigabit Load Modules, since there is no such thing as a collision on Gigabit Ethernet. All counters are 64-bit values. The Rate column shows the count rate values for each counter in increments per second.

A complete listing of all items displayed in the statistics windows for different modes of operation can be found in the Ixia Platform Reference Guide.

 

Multiple Statistics View

To display multiple ports statistics side-by-side, select Statistic Views in the pane and select New from the context menu. This opens a window where you can select the ports to view statistics for in a side-by-side display. On the left side of the window, highlight the desired ports using either the shift-select or control-select methods, and then select Add to place them in a list on the right side of the window. Select OK. The statistics window appears.

The default counters in this view are only the counters that are common to both 10/100 and Gigabit Load Modules. If you want to include counters that do not appear in this view by default (for example, Collisions), you can add them to the view. From a statistics window that does contain the desired counter, you can drag-and-drop the counter into the multiple ports statistics view window. Also, the rate counters do not appear by default, and they can be added in the same way. If you want to re-order the list of counters in the window, you can re-arrange them as desired using the same drag-and-drop method.

 

Port Properties

To change or view the configuration of a port, select the port on the pane and select Properties from the context menu. This allows to view and configure parameters such as loopback, port speed, duplex mode, MII register settings, and other port-specific operating characteristics.

 

Useful Tricks

To copy a port’s properties from one port to another, select a port and drag it on top of another port on the tree.

To start packet streams on all of the ports on one card, select the card in the pane and select Start Transmit from the context menu. Similarly, you can stop packet streams, and start and stop capture for all ports on a card.

To start packet streams on all ports on all cards in a chassis, select the chassis in the pane and select Start Transmit from the context. Similarly, you can stop packet streams, and start and stop capture for all ports on all cards in a chassis.

To rearrange the statistics counters in a statistics view, select and drag the counters to the desired location. In this way you can arrange the statistics counters into any order desired.