Performance Management for MPLS-Based Networks

Cisco IOS IP Service Level is widely used when network performance measurement and SLA monitoring data such as jitter statistics, packet loss, and RTT are required within an IP-based network. Cisco IOS IP Service Level collects network performance information in real time: response time, one-way latency, one-way jitter, one-way packet loss, voice quality measurement, and other network statistics. It also provides unidirectional and bidirectional measurements and supports measurements per class of service. Also available are proactive notification and threshold violation monitoring for jitter, packet loss, latency, and connectivity. All Cisco IOS Service Level performance statistics are available in the SNMP MIB modules.

In addition, Cisco IOS Service Level provides unique tools that allow monitoring of MPLS Layer 3based VPNs. Cisco Auto IOS Service Level adds capabilities, such as simplifying the deployment and configuration of the Cisco IOS Service Level probes whenever performance measurement and SLA monitoring for an MPLS Layer 3 VPN infrastructure are required. The extended features include automatic generation of probes to measure performance between MPLS PE routers, proactive monitoring of the MPLS network, and automatic optimization of probe scheduling giving a better scan coverage time. Cisco IOS Service Level uses UDP probes based on LSP ping/trace tools for connectivity and performance measurement (operations that can be configured under Cisco IOS Service Level MPLS LSP monitor are echo, pathEcho, jitter, and pathJitter).