iPCA Management
This section describes the iPCA management feature, including the definition, benefits, functions, principles, and key indicators of the feature.
Definition
Huawei quality measurement solution is based on Packet Conservation Algorithm for Internet (iPCA) technology developed by Huawei. iPCA implements packet loss monitoring and fault location on a connectionless IP network by coloring real service packets and partitioning the network. It allows a network to perceive service quality and quickly locate faults. In addition, iPCA breaks the limitation of traditional measurement technologies.
Benefits
The iPCA of eSight detects the real IP service packets on the network to enable the network administrator to monitor the network quality in a simple and real-time manner. This feature helps users detect network quality in real time and quickly locate service packet loss points. In addition, all the detection is based on the real IP packets of the network, which does not increase the burden on the network.
Functions
Enterprise IP networks carry complicated and diversified services, and network applications closely relate to routine operation of enterprises. Packet Conservation Algorithm for Internet (iPCA) provides device-level, network-level, and service flow packet loss measurement on enterprise campus networks. It marks on real IP service packets transmitted on networks; therefore, network administrators can easily monitor network quality and quickly locate faults without increasing load on the networks.
Device-level Detection (Including Device Detection and Link Detection)
iPCA-capable devices are deployed on the enterprise campus network. iPCA can be performed on these devices and Layer 2 direct links between the devices. eSight provides a network topology to show whether unicast IP packets are lost in this area in real time. If packet loss occurs, eSight can show the device where packets are lost, the packet loss ratio, and the number of lost packets. eSight provides the following iPCA functions:
- Displays the latest packet loss measurement result of the devices and links in the topology view.
- Reports an alarm when the device or link packet loss measurement result exceeds the preset threshold.
Device-level detection is supported only in V300R010C00CP5030 and earlier versions.
Network-level Detection
The branch networks of an enterprise are connected through a carrier's network. The egress device of each branch functions as a CE to connect to the carrier's network. The enterprise needs to evaluate service quality on the carrier's network. When service quality degrades, the enterprise network administrator needs to check whether the problem is caused by the carrier's network. iPCA network-level monitoring is deployed on the egress devices of the campus network to monitor service quality of the carrier's network.
Network-level topology detection is supported only in V300R010C00CP5030 and earlier versions.
Packet Loss Measurement for the Unicast IP Service
If the quality of key services in an enterprise degrades, the network administrator needs to determine whether the problem occurs in application servers, terminals, or network devices. If packet loss occurs, the administrator must quickly check where the packets are lost, on a node or a link. The Telepresence service is used as an example here to describe how to measure and locate packet loss on a network.
- Configure network-level measurement on the interfaces of two switches that are connected through Telepresence servers and terminals to check whether packet loss occurs. If no packet is lost, the problem occurs on Telepresence terminals.
- The administrator needs to check the terminals. If packet loss occurs between the Telepresence server and terminal, check which node or link has lost the packets.
- Check the packet loss measurement results of devices on the service forwarding path to quickly locate the faulty node.
Only V300R010C00CP5030 and earlier versions support packet loss detection for unicast IP service flows.
Principle
The iPCA quality measurement mechanism is simple. A measured system is in the normal state if the following condition is met: Number of packets arriving at the system + Number of internally generated packets = Number of packets leaving the system + Number of packets internally terminated by the system. If this condition is not met, some packets have been dropped in the system.
