Chapter 1 NQA
Configuration
When configuring NQA, go to these sections
for information you are interested in:
l
NQA
Overview
l
NQA
Configuration Task List
l
Configuring
the NQA Server
l
Enabling
the NQA Client
l
Creating
an NQA Test Group
l
Configuring
an NQA Test Group
l
Configuring
the Collaboration Function
l
Configuring
Trap Delivery
l
Configuring
Optional Parameters Common to an NQA Test Group
l
Scheduling
an NQA Test Group
l
Displaying
and Maintaining NQA
l
NQA
Configuration Examples
Network Quality Analyzer (NQA) analyzes
network performance, services and service quality through sending test packets,
and provides you with network performance and service quality parameters such
as jitter, TCP connection delay, FTP connection delay and file transfer rate.
With the NQA test results, you can:
1)
Know network performance in time and then take
corresponding measures.
2)
Diagnose and locate network faults.
I. Supporting multiple test types
Ping can use only the Internet Control
Message Protocol (ICMP) to test the reachability of the destination host and
the roundtrip time of a packet to the destination. NQA is an enhanced Ping tool
used for testing the performance of protocols running on networks.
At present, NQA supports nine test types:
ICMP-echo, DHCP, FTP, HTTP, UDP-jitter, SNMP, TCP, UDP-echo and DLSw.
In an NQA test, the client sends different
types of test packets to the peer to detect the availability and the response
time of the peer, helping you know protocol availability and network
performance based on the test results.
II. Supporting the collaboration
function
Collaboration is implemented by
establishing collaboration entries to monitor the detection results of the
current test group. If the number of consecutive probe failures reaches a
certain limit, NQA’s collaboration with other modules is triggered. The
implementation of collaboration is shown in Figure 1-1.
Figure 1-1 Implementation of collaboration
The collaboration here involves three
parts: the application modules, the Track module, and the detection modules.
l
The detection modules monitor the link status,
network performance and so on, and inform the Track module of the detection
result.
l
Upon receiving the detection result, the Track
module changes the status of the Track object accordingly and informs the
application modules. The Track module works between the application modules and
the detection modules and is mainly used to obscure the difference of various
detection modules to provide a unified interface for application modules.
l
The application modules then deal with the
changes accordingly based on the status of the Track object, and thus
collaboration is implemented.
Take static routing as an example. You have
configured a static route with the next hop 192.168.0.88. If 192.168.0.88 is
reachable, the static route is valid; if 192.168.0.88 is unreachable, the
static route is invalid. With the collaboration between NQA, Track module and
application modules, real time monitoring of reachability of the static route
can be implemented:
1)
Monitor reachability of the destination
192.168.0.88 through NQA.
2)
If 192.168.0.88 is detected to be unreachable,
NQA will inform the static routing module through Track module.
3)
The static routing module then can know that the
static route is invalid.
For the detailed description of the Track module, refer to Track
Configuration.
III. Supporting delivery of traps
Traps can be sent to the network management
server when a test is completed, fails, or a probe fails.
A trap contains destination IP address,
operation status, minimum and maximum Round Trip Time (RTT), probes sent, and
time when the last probe is performed successfully. You can trace network
running status with traps.
I. Test group
NQA can test multiple protocols. A test
group must be created for each type of NQA test and each test group can be
related to only one type of NQA test.
II. Test and probe
After an NQA test is started, one test is
performed at a regular interval and you can set the interval as needed.
One NQA test involves multiple consecutive
probes and you can set the number of the probes.
In different test types, probe has
different meanings:
l
For a TCP or DLSw test, one probe means one
connection;
l
For a UDP-jitter test, the number of packets
sent in one probe depends on the probe packet-number command;
l
For an FTP, HTTP or DHCP test, one probe means
to carry out a corresponding function;
l
For an ICMP-echo or UDP-echo test, one packet is
sent in one probe;
l
For an SNMP test, three packets are sent in one
probe.
III. NQA client and server
NQA client is the device initiating an NQA
test and the NQA test group is created on the NQA client.
NQA server processes the test packets sent
from the NQA client, as shown in Figure 1-2. The NQA server makes a
response to the request originated by the NQA client by listening to the
specified destination address and port number.
Figure 1-2 Relationship between the NQA
client and NQA server
In most NQA tests, you only need to
configure the NQA client; while in TCP, UDP-echo and UDP-jitter tests, you must
configure the NQA server.
You can create multiple TCP or UDP
listening services on the NQA server, with each listening service corresponding
to a specified destination address and port number. The IP address and port
number specified for a listening service on the server must be consistent with
those on the client and must be different from those of an existing listening
service.
After you create a test group and enter the
test group view, you can configure related test parameters. Test parameters
vary with the test type. For details, see the configuration procedure below.
To perform an NQA test successfully, make
the following configurations on the NQA client:
1)
Enable the NQA client;
2)
Create a test group and configure test
parameters according to the test type;
3)
Perform the NQA test through the nqa schedule
command.
4)
View test results using the display or
debug commands.
For TCP, UDP-jitter or UDP-echo tests, you
need to configure the NQA server on the peer device.
Complete these tasks to configure NQA.
Before performing TCP, UDP-echo or
UDP-jitter tests, you need to configure the NQA server on the peer device. The
NQA server makes a response to the request originated by the NQA client by
listening to the specified destination address and port number.
Follow these steps to configure the NQA
server:
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To do…
|
Use the command…
|
Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enable the NQA server
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nqa server enable
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Required
Disabled by default.
|
|
Configure the UDP or TCP listening function
on the NQA server
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nqa server { tcp-connect | udp-echo } ip-address
port-number
|
Required
The IP address and port number must be
consistent with those configured on the NQA client and must be different from
those of an existing listening service.
|
Configurations on the NQA client take
effect only when the NQA client is enabled.
Follow these steps to enable the NQA
client:
|
To do…
|
Use the command…
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Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enable the NQA client
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nqa agent enable
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Optional
Enabled by default.
|
One test corresponds to one test group. You
can configure test types after you create a test group and enter the test group
view.
Follow theses steps to create an NQA test
group:
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To do…
|
Use the command…
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Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
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system-view
|
—
|
|
Create an NQA test group and enter the
NQA test group view
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nqa entry admin-name operation-tag
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Required
|
The ICMP test is used to test reachability
of the destination host according to the ICMP-echo reply or timeout
information.
Follow these steps to configure the
ICMP-echo test:
|
To do…
|
Use the command…
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Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enter NQA test group view
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nqa entry
admin-name operation-tag
|
—
|
|
Configure the test type as ICMP-echo and
enter test type view
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type icmp-echo
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Required
|
|
Configure the destination address for a
test operation
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destination ip ip-address
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Required
By default, no destination IP address is
configured for a test operation.
|
|
Configure the size of probe packets sent
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data-size size
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Optional
100 bytes by default.
|
|
Configure the string used to fill a probe
packet
|
data-fill string
|
Optional
The string of fill characters of a probe
packet is the string corresponding with the ASCII code 00 to 09 by default.
|
|
Specify the IP address of an interface as
the source IP address of an ICMP-echo request
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source interface interface-type interface-number
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Optional
By default, no interface address is
specified as the source IP address of ICMP probe requests.
If you use the source ip command
to configure the source IP address of ICMP-echo probe requests, the source
interface command is invalid.
The interface specified by this command
must be up. Otherwise, the probe will fail.
|
|
Configure the source IP address of a
probe request
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source ip ip-address
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Optional
By default, no source IP address is
specified.
If no source IP address is specified, but
the source interface is specified, the IP address of the source interface is
taken as the source IP address of ICMP probe requests.
The source IP address must be that of an
interface on the device and the interface must be up. Otherwise, the probe
will fail.
|
|
Configure the next hop IP address for an
ICMP-echo request
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next-hop ip-address
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Optional
By default, no next hop IP address is
configured.
|
|
Configure common optional parameters
|
Refer to Configuring Optional Parameters Common to an NQA Test
Group
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Optional
|
The DHCP test is mainly used to test the existence
of a DHCP server on the network as well as the time necessary for the DHCP
server to respond to a client request and assign an IP address to the client.
I. Configuration prerequisites
Before performing a DHCP test, you need to
configure the DHCP server. If the NQA (DHCP client) and the DHCP server are not
in the same network segment, you need to configure a DHCP relay. For the
configuration of DHCP server and DHCP relay, refer to DHCP Configuration.
II. Configuring the DHCP test
Follow these steps to configure the DHCP
test:
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To do…
|
Use the command…
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Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enter NQA test group view
|
nqa entry
admin-name operation-tag
|
—
|
|
Configure the test type as DHCP and enter
test type view
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type dhcp
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Required
|
|
Specify an interface for a DHCP test
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operation interface interface-type interface-number
|
Required
By default, no interface is specified to
perform a DHCP test.
The interface specified by the source
interface command must be up; otherwise, the test fails.
|
|
Configure common optional parameters
|
Refer to Configuring Optional Parameters Common to an NQA Test
Group
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Optional
|
As DHCP test is a process to simulate address allocation in DHCP,
the IP address of the interface performing the DHCP test will not be changed.
The FTP test is mainly used to test the
connection with a specified FTP server and the time necessary for the FTP
client to transfer a file to or download a file from the FTP server.
I. Configuration prerequisites
Before the FTP test, you need to perform
some configurations on the FTP server. For example, you need to configure the
username and password used to log onto the FTP server. For the FTP server
configuration, refer to File System Management Configuration.
II. Configuring the FTP test
Follow these steps to configure the FTP
test:
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To do…
|
Use the command…
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Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enter NQA test group view
|
nqa entry
admin-name operation-tag
|
—
|
|
Configure the test type as FTP and enter
test type view
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type ftp
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Required
|
|
Configure the destination address for a
test operation
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destination ip ip-address
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Required
By default, no destination IP address is
configured for a test operation.
The destination IP address for a test
operation is the IP address of the FTP server.
|
|
Configure the source IP address of a
probe request
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source ip ip-address
|
Required
By default, no source IP address is
specified.
The source IP address must be that of an
interface on the device and the interface must be up. Otherwise, the test
will fail.
|
|
Configure the operation type
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operation {
get | put }
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Optional
By default, the operation type for the
FTP is get, that is, obtaining files from the FTP server.
|
|
Configure a login username
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username name
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Required
By default, no login username is
configured.
|
|
Configure a login password
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password password
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Required
By default, no login password is
configured.
|
|
Specify a file to be transferred between
the FTP server and the FTP client
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filename file-name
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Required
By default, no file is specified.
|
|
Configure common optional parameters
|
Refer to Configuring Optional Parameters Common to an NQA Test
Group
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Optional
|
The HTTP test is used to test the connection
with a specified HTTP server and the time required to obtain data from the HTTP
server.
I. Configuration prerequisites
Before performing an HTTP test, you need to
configure the HTTP server.
II. Configuring the HTTP test
Follow these steps to configure the HTTP
test:
|
To do…
|
Use the command…
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Remarks
|
|
Enter
system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enter NQA
test group view
|
nqa entry admin-name operation-tag
|
—
|
|
Configure
the test type as HTTP and enter test type view
|
type
http
|
Required
|
|
Configure
the destination address for a test operation
|
destination
ip ip-address
|
Required
By
default, no destination IP address is configured for a test operation.
The
destination IP address for a test operation is the IP address of the HTTP
server.
|
|
Configure
the source IP address of a probe request
|
source
ip ip-address
|
Optional
By
default, no source IP address is specified.
The source
IP address must be that of an interface on the device and the interface must
be up. Otherwise, the test will fail.
|
|
Configure
the operation type
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operation { get | post }
|
Optional
By
default, the operation type for the HTTP is get, that is, obtaining
data from the HTTP server.
|
|
Configure
the website that an HTTP test visits
|
url url
|
Required
|
|
Configure the
HTTP version used in the HTTP test
|
http-version
v1.0
|
Optional
By
default, HTTP 1.0 is used in an HTTP test.
|
|
Configure
common optional parameters
|
Refer to Configuring Optional Parameters
Common to an NQA Test Group
|
Optional
|
The TCP port number
for the HTTP server must be 80 in an HTTP test. Otherwise, the test will fail.
You are not recommended
to perform an NQA UDP-jitter test on ports from 1 to 1023 (known ports).
Otherwise, the NQA test will fail or the corresponding services of this port
will be unavailable.
Delay jitter refers to the difference
between the interval of receiving two packets consecutively and the interval of
sending these two packets. The procedure of a UDP-jitter test is as follows:
l
The source sends packets at regular intervals to
the destination port.
l
The destination affixes a time stamp to each
packet that it receives and then sends it back to the source.
l
Upon receiving the packet, the source calculates
the delay jitter, and the network status can be analyzed.
I. Configuration prerequisites
A UDP-jitter test requires cooperation
between the NQA server and the NQA client. Before the UDP-jitter test, make
sure that the UDP listening function is configured on the NQA server.
II. Configuring the UDP-jitter
test
Follow these steps to configure the
UDP-jitter test:
|
To do…
|
Use the command…
|
Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enter NQA test group view
|
nqa entry
admin-name operation-tag
|
—
|
|
Configure the test type as UDP-jitter and
enter test type view
|
type udp-jitter
|
Required
|
|
Configure the destination address for a
test operation
|
destination ip ip-address
|
Required
By default, no destination IP address is
configured for a test operation.
The destination IP address must be
consistent with that of the existing listening service on the NQA server.
|
|
Configure the destination port for a test
operation
|
destination port port-number
|
Required
By default, no destination port number is
configured for a test operation.
The destination port must be consistent
with that of the existing listening service on the NQA server.
|
|
Specify the source port number for a
request
|
source port port-number
|
Optional
By default, no source port number is
specified.
|
|
Configure the size of a probe packet sent
|
data-size size
|
Optional
100 bytes by default.
|
|
Configure the string of fill characters
of a probe packet sent
|
data-fill string
|
Optional
The string of fill characters of an ICMP
probe packet is the string corresponding to the ASCII code 00 to 09 by
default.
|
|
Configure the number of consecutive packets
in a UDP-jitter probe
|
probe packet-number
packet-number
|
Optional
10 by default.
|
|
Configure the interval for sending
consecutive packets
|
probe packet-interval packet-interval
|
Optional
20 milliseconds by default.
|
|
Configure the time for waiting for a
response in a UDP-jitter test
|
probe packet-timeout packet-timeout
|
Optional
3000 milliseconds by default.
|
|
Configure the source IP address of a
probe request in a test operation
|
source ip ip-address
|
Optional
By default, no source IP address is
specified.
The source IP address must be that of an
interface on the device and the interface must be up. Otherwise, the test
will fail.
|
|
Configure common optional parameters
|
Refer to Configuring Optional Parameters Common to an NQA Test
Group
|
Optional
|
The number of probes made in a UDP-jitter test depends on the probe
count command, while the number of probe packets sent in each probe
depends on the probe packet-number command.
The SNMP query test is used to test the
time the NQA client takes to send an SNMP query packet to the SNMP agent and
then receive a response packet.
I. Configuration prerequisites
The SNMP agent function must be enabled on
the device serving as an SNMP agent before the SNMP test. For the configuration
of SNMP agent, refer to SNMP Configuration.
II. Configuring the SNMP test
Follow these steps to configure the SNMP
test:
|
To do…
|
Use the command…
|
Remarks
|
|
Enter system view
|
system-view
|
—
|
|
Enter NQA test group view
|
nqa entry
admin-name operation-tag
|
—
|
|
Configure the test type as SNMP and enter
test type view
|
type snmp
|
Required
|
|
Configure the destination address for a
test operation
|
destination ip ip-address
|
