Using Service Availability
  • 24 Jan 2024
  • 9 Minutes to read
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Using Service Availability

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Article Summary

This article describes the Service Availability (SA) function and how to set it up in your Metro Ethernet Network. The SA function is used to determine the number of unavailable seconds and other counters for a specific service. You can use the SA function to verify if the service sold to a client meets a specific SLA, with the help of your EMS.

You can define Service Availability instances with one or more SA metrics (criteria) that will be used to determine unavailable seconds. Each criterion has its own threshold. The basic criteria (SA metric) for determining unavailable seconds, as defined in the MEF 10.2 Technical Specification, is the CFM frame loss. The unit supports the following SA metrics:

  • CFM frame loss
  • DMM one- way delay
  • DMM one-way delay variation
  • DMM two-way delay
  • DMM two-way delay variation
  • PAA packet loss
  • PAA one-way delay
  • PAA one-way delay variation
  • PAA two-way delay
  • PAA two-way delay variation
  • SLM near-end frame loss
  • SLM far-end frame loss

Follow these steps to set up Service Availability:

  • Add a Service Availability instance: "Setting Up Service Availability".
  • Add one or more SA metrics: "Setting Up an SA Metric".
  • Put a Service Availability instance into service: "Putting an SA Instance into Service".

Setting Up Service Availability

To configure service availability

  1. Access the page SOAM ▶SA ▶Configuration.
    A summary of all SA instances is displayed.

  2. Click Add to create a new SA instance or click the SA instance name to edit an existing SA instance.

  3. Complete the required fields, then click Apply.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following table.


Note: You must add an SA Metric before being able to put the SA instance into service. See Setting Up an SA Metric.

SA Configuration (SOAM ▶SA ▶Configuration)'

ParameterDescription
IndexUnique identifier assigned to the SA instance.
NameUnique name assigned to the SA instance.
Administrative StateThe SA instance's administrative state:
  • In Service: The SA instance is operational. The Uptime and Unavailable counters are working.
  • Out of Service: The SA instance is not operational. The Maintenance counter is incremented.
Default value is Out of Service.
Operational StateThe operational state of the SA instance:
  • In Service: The SA instance is operational. At least one SA metric is enabled and the Uptime and Unavailable counters are working.
  • Out of Service: The SA instance is not operational. The Maintenance counter is incremented.
  • Out of Service – AU: The SA instance is operational but all metrics are disabled. The Maintenance counter is incremented.
Number of MetricsThe number of metrics associated with the SA instance.
Reporting Period (min)The time over which availability counters are evaluated in addition to the monotonic counters

Possible values: 1–1440 minutes.

Default value: 15.

Availability Window Size (Interval)The number of consecutive Time Intervals (see below) used to assess Service Availability for this instance. Unavailable seconds start to be counted when at least one SA metric threshold is crossed for the Availability window size.

Default value: 10.

HLI Window Size (Interval)The number of consecutive Time Intervals (see below) used to assess High Loss Intervals for this instance. HLI count starts when at least one SA metric threshold is crossed for the HLI window size.

Default value: 3.

Time Interval (Seconds)The interval of time during which the metrics are evaluated.

Supported values are 1, 5, 10, 20 or 60 seconds.

Default value: 1 second.

Notes: When the SA Metric type is set to SLM, the Time Interval must be set to a minimum value of 20 seconds because the SLM module updates its statistic every 10 seconds. It is recommended not to configure a Time Interval of 10 seconds or less for the SLM.

When the SA Metric type is set to CFM, the Time Interval must be set to a minimum value of 20 seconds because the CFM module updates its statistic every 10 seconds. It is recommended not to configure a Time Interval of 10 seconds or less for the CFM.

Client Port Cut-Off Feature

Client Port Cut-off allows the client to configure a network performance threshold below which the client port is automatically disabled in order to advertise the link failure to a peer network.

A user-configurable timer is available to define the time to wait before restoring the link after the network performance has returned to normal. Default value is 120. Range is 0–300 seconds in increments of 1 second.

A user-configurable timer is available to define the time to wait before disabling the client port after the network performance has fallen below the configured threshold. Default value is 0. Range is 0–120 seconds in increments of 1 second.

Deleting an SA Instance

To delete a Service Availability instance

  1. Access the page SOAM ▶SA ▶Configuration.
    A summary of all SA instances is displayed.

  2. Click the SA instance Name to delete.

  3. Click Delete.


Note: This also deletes all SA metrics associated with this SA instance.

Setting Up an SA Metric

An SA metric defines the criteria used to assess any unavailable seconds. You must add one or more SA metrics for each SA instance. SA metrics are valid only for a specific SA instance. You must first create the CFM instance, DMM instance or PAA probe in its corresponding page before setting up the SA metric.


CAUTION: Once an SA metric has been set up with a metric source (a CFM DMM instance, a CFM Packet Loss instance, or a PAA probe), then deleting the metric source will also delete all SA metrics using it. For more information about deleting a CFM DMM instance, a CFM Packet Loss instance or a PAA probe, refer to Deleting a Packet Loss Instance on page 295, Setting Up Delay Measurements on page 288, and to Deleting a Probe on page 261.

To set up a Service Availability metric

  1. Access the page SOAM ▶SA ▶Configuration.
    A summary of all SA instances is displayed.

  2. Click the SA instance Name of the SA instance you want to add or edit the SA metric.

  3. At the bottom of the page, click Add to create a new SA metric or click the SA metric
    Index to edit an existing SA metric.

  4. Complete the required fields, then click Apply.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following table.

SA Metric (SOAM ▶SA ▶Configuration ▶[SA instance] ▶[SA metric index])

ParameterDescription
Index

Metric Index

The unique identifier assigned to the SA metric.
NameThe unique name assigned to the SA metric.
Type

Metric Type

The SA metric type.

Possible values are:

  • CFM packet loss
  • DMM on- way delay
  • DMM one-way delay variation
  • DMM two-way delay
  • DMM two-way delay variation
  • PAA packet loss
  • PAA one-way delay
  • PAA one-way delay variation
  • PAA two-way delay
  • PAA two-way delay variation
  • SLM near-end packet loss
  • SLM far-end packet loss
Src name

Metric Source Name

The name of the metric source. For example, if the Metric type is a PAA packet loss, the Metric source name must be the name of an existing PAA probe.
Src index

Metric Source Index

The unique identifier assigned to the metric source.
ThresholdThe threshold above which the metric will be declared unavailable for the associated SA time interval. Value is expressed as either a percentage or in microseconds.

For a packet loss metric, the threshold (expressed as a percentage) represents the percentage of lost packets that is tolerated during the SA time interval.

For a delay or delay variation metric, the threshold (expressed in microseconds) represents the maximum value that is tolerated during the SA time interval.

Deleting an SA Metric

To delete a Service Availability metric

  1. Access the page SOAM ▶SA ▶Configuration.
    A summary of all SA instances is displayed. For more information on specific parameters, refer to the table above.

  2. Click the SA instance Name of the SA instance you want to delete the SA metric.

  3. Click the SA metric Index you want to delete.

  4. Click Delete.

Putting an SA Instance into Service

Once you have configured the SA Metrics, the SA instance must be put into service.

To put an SA instance into service

  1. Access the page SOAM ▶SA ▶Configuration.

  2. Click the Name of the SA instance you want to put into service.

  3. Select In Service from the State drop-down list.

  4. Click Apply.

Viewing SA Counters

Two sets of SA counters are available:

  • Periodic: This set of counters provides the results for the current period.
  • Monotonic: This set of counters provides the results since the SA instance was created or since the last reset.

To eliminate transient results or to reset the counters, click one of the Clear Statistics buttons.

To view a summary of all Service Availability counters

  1. Access the page SOAM ▶SA ▶Counters.

  2. Click an SA instance Name to view the detailed counters for this SA instance and its metrics.

For more information on specific parameters, refer to the following two tables.

SA Counters (SOAM ▶SA ▶Counters)

ParameterDescription
IndexUnique identifier assigned to the SA instance.
NameUnique name assigned to the SA instance.
UptimeElapsed time since the SA instance was created.
Maintenance TimeThe total period of time during which the state was either Out of Service or Out of Service-Autonomous.
AvailabilityService Availability = (1 - (number of unavailable Δt / number of Δt)) * 100 where Δt is Time Interval. Expressed as a percentage.
PeriodThe current reference period number.
Period TimeThe starting time of the current reference period.
ValidityThe SA counters validity can have four values:
  • Valid: The SA counters are valid
  • Adjusted: A change occurred in the configuration of a reporting period, which may impact the service availability calculation.
  • Pending: The counters were reset in the middle of a time interval.
UptimeThis counter increments during the maintenance interval. This counter is reset to zero when one of the following conditions occur:
  • Device reboot
  • Counter reset (you clear the statistics)
UnavailableThis counter increments for every unavailable second, and only when the SA instance state is IS. Unavailable seconds start to be counted when at least one SA metric threshold is crossed for the Availability window size. This counter is reset to zero when one of the following conditions occur:
  • Device reboot
  • Counter reset (you clear the statistics)
MaintenanceThis counter increments for every second the SA instance is in the state Out of Service or Out of Service - Autonomous.
Number of GapsThe number of times the SA instance changed from available to unavailable.
Largest GapThe longest interval of time during which the SA instance was unavailable.
CHLI TimeThis counter increments for every second for which the SA instance is in the high-loss interval state.

This counter is reset to zero when one of the following conditions occur:

  • Device reboot
  • Counter reset (you clear the statistics)
CHLIThe ratio (expressed as a percentage) of high-loss intervals divided by the uptime minus the sum of maintenance time and unavailable time.

CHLI = Number of high-loss intervals / (Uptime - Maintenance - Unavailable)

Metric Counters (SOAM ▶SA ▶Counters)

ParameterDescription
IndexUnique identifier assigned to the SA metric.
NameUnique name assigned to the SA metric.
UnavailableThis counter increments for every unavailable second. The count starts when at least one SA metric threshold is crossed for the Availability window size. This counter is reset to zero when one of the following conditions occur:
  • Device reboot
  • Counter reset (you clear the statistics)
HLIThis counter increments for every high-loss interval. This counter is reset to zero when one of the following conditions occur:
  • Device reboot
  • Counter reset (you clear the statistics)
ValidityThe SA counters validity may have one of the following four values:
  • Valid: The SA counters are valid
  • Invalid: Only used for the history file counters, it indicates an incomplete period was stored.
  • Adjusted: A change occurred in the configuration of a reporting period, which may impact the service availability calculation.
  • Pending: The counters were reset in the middle of a time interval.

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