User Guide for Fault Diagnostics

Transcription

1 User Guide for Fault Diagnostics 29 th January 2007

2 Contents Page Introduction 3 The Fault Diagnostic Process 5 How to Log In to Fault Diagnostics 6 Home Page 7 Get Diagnostic Screen 9 Acknowledgement Screen 11 How to Display Test Results 12 Using the One Shot Check 15 Using the IP Check 22 Using the Incident Log Check 25 Using the Radius Log Check 26 Using the Session Kill Check 29 DSL Status check 31 Suspend/Resume tool 35 Speedtester tool 37 Advanced Services 39 Failure Messages 57 Service Information 58 Glossary 59 2

3 History 60 Introduction How does a xdsl circuit work? The xdsl circuit between the Home Gateway Router (HGR) and the End User (EU) is shown below Block diagram of the ADSL circuit NOTE: SDSL services do not co-exist with any other services including a BT PSTN line. Therefore there is no need for a filter/splitter. The End User s computer/s plug into a combined router and DSL modem or plug into just a modem. This device is normally called a router when it has ethernet interfaces and a modem when it has a USB interface. The router encapsulates IP packets into ATM cells and the modem transmits these cells on the xdsl carrier frequencies. For ADSL, the router/modem connects to the phone line through a filter and splitter arrangement which may consist of one box or several, with microfilters attached to each phone. For a SDSL customer s CPE (eg Router/Filter), connect directly to the BT NTE. For ADSL, the phone line runs from the EU s premises to the telephone exchange where it connects to a DSL Access Multiplexer (DSLAM). For SDSL a copper pair (Metallic Path Facility) runs from the EU s premises to the Exchange where it also connects to the DSLAM. This DSLAM combines ATM cells from different EUs and sends them over the BT ATM network to the Remote Access Server (RAS). The RAS sets up a PPP session with the EU s computer. Here the first authentication is carried out. The EU s login details are checked against the RADIUS database. If the EU is allowed to log on then the RAS forwards the PPP session to the HGR through the BT core IP network. At the HGR another authentication check is carried out on a second RADIUS server. If this authentication passes then the EU is given access to the ISP s own IP network which then connects to the Internet 3

4 What is Fault Diagnostics? The Fault Diagnostics tool on the Wholesale portal enables you to carry out a set of checks and tests on your network, via a single access point. The tools available are: DSL Status Check Incident Log IP Check One Shot Check PM transaction log (Used for Advanced Services only) PTTR test (Performance Test Test Results) Radius Log Check Kill session tool Speedtester DB check Suspend and Resume To open Fault Diagnostics you will need to access the secure area of the BTwholesale.com website ( This handbook describes Fault Diagnostic and takes you through the process of using the application. It is not a detailed Help guide but a general guide to the process of using Fault Diagnostic. 4

5 1 The Fault Diagnostic Process The general process for using Fault Diagnostics is as follows. 1. Log in (see Log In help). 2. Open the Homepage. 3. Select the required Fault Diagnostics tool from the Get Diagnostics section of the Homepage, then click on Ready. 4. The Get Diagnostics screen for that tool will be displayed. Use this screen to configure your test, then click on Ready. 5. The Acknowledgment screen will be displayed. This lets you know whether or not your test has been successful. It also displays two important links. Back to work in progress this return you to the Homepage, from where you can access your test results. Back to (test you are running, e.g. One Shot Check) this returns you to the Get Diagnostics screen for the type of test you are running. You can either start a new test or select a different test tool from the drop down list. The existing test will continue to run in the background if you start another test. 6. To view test results, set the required filters from the Work in progress section of the Homepage, then click on Ready. 7. The Test Results screen will be displayed. This screen lists all the current and recent tests. By clicking on a Test Id, the Test Details screen for that test will be displayed. 8. The Test Details screen displays full result data for an individual test. This screen includes a Hold function which enables you to retain the test results on the system for 48 hours. Figure 1 Fault Diagnostics process 5

6 2 How to Log In to Fault Diagnostics To use Fault Diagnostics you must first open the BTWholesale Homepage ( and log in. If you do not have a username or password, you will need to register, using the Enhanced Service Request screen. This screen is available during registration, or subsequently after log in. When registering, enter I would like full access to the broadband portfolio in the Notes field. Click on Subscribe to other applications and select the Fault Diagnostics tab, click in the box to apply for Fault Diagnostics. Carry out the following to login to Fault Diagnostics. 1. Enter your username and password into the fields below the Login and Registration label. 2. Click on Ready. 3. This will take you to the customer zone homepage. 4. Under Applications click on Fault Diagnostics. 5. The Fault Diagnostics PIN Number screen will be displayed. 6. Enter your PIN number and click on Ready. 7. The Fault Diagnostics Homepage will be displayed. 6

7 3 Home Page Figure 2 Fault Diagnostics Homepage The Fault Diagnosis Homepage is the first screen you will see when you have logged into Fault Diagnostics. It displays general information and enables you to select the diagnostic tool you want to use and gives you access to test results. The three sections of the Homepage are described below. WORK IN PROGRESS This section shows the status of diagnostic checks carried out over a 48 hour period if the results have been held or if the results have not been viewed. NOTE: The following test result filters are only displayed if there are any test results available. The View by drop down list enables you to filter the results to show either: My jobs diagnostic checks carried out by the user. My company s jobs diagnostic checks carried out by all users in the company. There are also Single and Batch Test options, the latter applicable to IP Check results or Session kill results. The results are displayed under three headers: 7

8 Type of test the Fault Diagnostic tool used for the test. New tests that have not been viewed by any user of the system. Total- the total of all tests, both saved and unread. IMPORTANT TIPS This section displays information relevant to the use of Fault Diagnosis. GET DIAGNOSTIC You can select the Fault Diagnostic tool you require from the Get Diagnostic section. The available tools are: One Shot Check - provides a single screen from which an automated suite of tests are carried out. IP Check - a set of functions enabling you to carry out tests on DSL lines. Radius Log Check - classifies broadband sessions into working or non-working sessions based on the data held on BT's Radius platform. Incident Log Check display details of any incidents occurring on a selected Broadband circuit. Kill tool Provides the ability to kill a session, either singularly or as a batch. Performance Tester Test Results tool Displays data collected from the PTTR database. Policy Manager Transaction tool Enables the user to view Advanced Services data DSL status check Displays details of the synchronisation of the circuit between the DSLAM in the exchange and the end users Modem/Router Suspend and Resume Allows the user to Suspend and subsequently Resume an end users service Speedtester Database check Displays data collected from the Speedtester database Once the tool has been selected, click on Ready. The selected tool s Get Diagnostic screen will be displayed. 8

9 4 Get Diagnostic Screen Figure 3 Get Diagnostic Screen (One Shot Check) Once a tool is selected from the Get Diagnostic drop down list in the Fault Diagnosti cs Homepage, the Get Diagnostics screen will be displayed. You can configure your selected test using this screen. The screens are different for each tool, but there are a number of common features. There is a further tool drop down list, which will take you to the Get Diagnostic screen for the selected tool. Both One Shot Check and Radius Log Check incorporate a Calendar function which is used to set the timeframe for the test. 1. To use the calendar, click on the Calendar icon. 2. The Calendar window will be displayed (see figure 4). 3. Select the timeframe for your test from the month drop down list and the date table. 4. Click on Ready. 5. The Calendar window will close and the dates will be displayed in the time frame fields (in the example shown this will be the When did it occur? fields). 9

10 There are three buttons. o o o Back reopens the previous screen. Any entries made into the Get Diagnostics fields will be lost. Reset re-sets the fields to their default settings. Ready starts the test. Figure 4 Calendar window 10

11 5 Acknowledgement Screen Figure 5 Acknowledgement Screen Once a test has been initiated, the Acknowledgement screen will be displayed. This informs you whether or not the test has been successfully launched. The Acknowledgement screen presents you with two main choices. Back to work in progress this will take you back to the Homepage. Once there, you can display the result of your test from the Work in Progress section (see Homepage help). Back to (test you are running, e.g. One Shot Check) this returns you to the Get Diagnostics screen for the type of test you are running. You can either start a new test or select a different test tool from the drop down list. The existing test will continue to run in the background if you start another test. 11

12 6 How to Display Test Results 6.1 WORK IN PROGRESS If you select Back to work in progress from the Acknowledgement screen, you will be taken back to the Homepage. To display test results, click on Single Tests (or Batch Tests) this will display all the results available to view. Figure 6 Work in progress section of the Homepage. Alternatively you can view specific results by using the filters. 1. Set the filters displayed in the Work on Progress section of the Homepage. These are View by and Type of test (see section 3 - Homepage - for a description of these). NOTE: These filters will only be displayed if there are test in progress or completed tests with their results on Hold (see section 7 for an explanation of the Hold function). 2. Once you have set the filters, click on Ready and the Test Results screen will be displayed. 12

13 6.2 TEST RESULTS SCREEN The Test Result screen displays a table of current and recent tests. The following basic information is displayed for each test. Test ID unique identifying code for each test. This is a hyperlink which will display detailed test results for the selected test. Circuit/line number the circuit and line number under test. Test type the type of test carried out. Test date the date the test was carried out. Status the current status of the test. Description- brief textual description of the overall result. Time to deletion the amount of time until the test result is deleted from the system. This is represented by a colour-coded icon. Figure 7 Test Result screen If the details are shown in bold, it indicates that the test has not yet been viewed, if this is the case, this test will still be available to view if the user logs out and then logs back in. 13

14 6.3 DETAILED RESULT SCREEN If you select a test to view, by clicking on its Test Id in the Test Result screen the Detailed Results screen for that test will be displayed (see figure 8). The Detailed Results screen will differ for each test type. However, there are a number of items that are the same for each screen. There is a Hold button allows a user to hold a test result for 48 hours. Selecting Hold will prevent the test from being deleted when the user ends the current session. There are four buttons. o o o o Back reopens the previous screen. Any entries into the Get Diagnostics fields will be lost. Reset re-sets the fields to their default settings. Ready starts the test. Report Fault This link takes you to the eco Broadband screen. Figure 8 Detailed Results screen (for One Shot Check) 14

15 7 Using the One Shot Check The Woosh One Shot Check (OSC) was developed to enable IPStream, DataStream and VideoStream lines to be tested at several layers with one shot. Depending on the technology of the circuit a variety of tests and queries are performed with the aim of providing a fault diagnosis. The One Shot Check (OSC) is an automated test with built in intelligence. It is driven by an algorithm which decides which tests to do based on the answers to questions asked when it starts and also on the results it obtains as it works its way through the series of tests. This means that not all checks and tests are always carried out, only sufficient to make a decision on the likely faulty item or that no fault exists. When the OSC has completed its sequence it then provides a Test Result Interpretation which gives the major findings, conclusions that can be drawn and recommendations for action. Testing a circuit a. Input the circuit identifier, CBUK number or directory number. 15

16 b. Transaction ID - This is used for Advanced services only and is a unique identifier for any transaction that is requested for the Advanced Services product. Typically, any request for a VOD ( Video on Demand ) or EUSC ( End User Speed Control ) raises a transaction id. c. Select the type of fault from the drop down menu, options available are: - Cannot Connect to RAS CPE Problem (CPE = Customer s Premises Equipment) EU performance problem Used for DSL Max/Advanced services Freeze Frame (applicable only to VideoStream circuits) Intermittent Connection Intermittent connection to Service Provider Low Threshold Breached (LTB) Used for DSL Max No Synchronisation No Web pages Premature QOS session termination Used for Advanced services QOS performance problem Used for Advanced services Slow Speed (Used for ordinary DSL circuits) Transaction request failed Used for Advanced services VP Provision problem Other (used in the case of any fault not listed) d. Select date and time of fault (if known) e. Can this broadband circuit be taken out of service for intrusive testing? This question is referring to the xdsl component only. It does not affect use of the telephone. This means that if the data circuit is not working at all then an intrusive test can be carried out. However, if the End User (EU) is able to use the data circuit the person conducting the test should check with them that it is permissible to momentarily break the data connection. If permission is not given, then this box should be un-ticked to answer no, the default is ticked, to say yes. For ADSL no line tests are carried out if a phone call is in progress. This means that the OSC can be used while the end user is on the phone, but if the algorithm decides that a line test is needed it will not do it. If a line test is required the EU must be told that the call must be terminated and they should not make a call for the next few minutes, or until they are called back. f. Additional boxes on the input screen include Username, this is set to a default of bt_test_user@startup_domain password, URL and IP address. These boxes can be populated with the necessary information to aid the testing of an end users circuit if the local exchange that carries that circuit has the Test Access Matrix (TAM) capability. Typical Results screen Listed below are the typical test results that may be encountered, they have been broken down into sections, as usually, it would be required to scroll down the results screen. 16

17 Test Summary This first section shows a summary of the overall result. Every test result screen ends with a Final test outcome. This gives Major Findings what the tests found Conclusions This shows the conclusion, BT fault, non BT fault or inconclusive. Recommendations what to do next It includes the Broadband data, circuit number, the service profile friendly name, (e.g BT IP stream Home 500 DSL Max) and the service profile (e.g. IPH). Incident analysis summary This section gives an overall Incident analysis, followed by the Fault Report code and service status and information on any trouble tickets. It there are any issues that BT are already aware of, details will be displayed here. 17

18 xdsl IP test This function displays the details of the xdsl IP Test carried out on the circuit. The outcome is summarised at the top of this section. This is followed by three items - Session Domain Name - The user name and domain name being used for the current PPP session. Session Start Time - The start time of the current PPP session Test ID - Click on the Test ID number to display full results of the xdsl IP Test for the circuit. Further information is provided under the heading NTE Details if the circuit is DSL Max enabled or the heading QOS Details if the circuit is QOS enabled (please refer to section X below for further details on Advanced Services results). xdsl Status check (xdsl and xdsl Max) The xdsl Status Check interrogates the DSLAM to find out the status of the xdsl layer. It indicates whether the circuit is in synch, gives the Loop Loss for both frequency bands and the ATM cell count 18

19 for each direction of transmission, there may be occasions when a value of 60? db may be greater than 60dB is displayed; this indicates that an accurate measurement cannot be obtained by the system on any loss equal to or greater than 60dB. The maximum downstream loop loss figures for ADSL are currently set at:- 512K circuit = No max figure 1meg circuit = 62dB 2meg circuit = 47dB The maximum upstream loop loss figures for SDSL are currently set at:- 256K circuit = 43dB 512K circuit = 36dB 1meg circuit = 29dB 2meg circuit = 20dB 2.3meg circuit = 18dB * Please note when testing SDSL circuits the downstream loop loss figure displayed is not accurate and should not be taken into consideration when analysing a fault. Please note that the ATM cell counters are not the same counters as those listed in the results of the full ADSL IP Test so different figures can be expected. If the test request is associated with a DSL Max circuit, the following additional information is provided under BIP interface data. Additional information includes; Current line rate this is the current line rate for the circuit being tested, this information is taken from BBCR at the time of the timestamp. Line rate change timestamp - This is the date and time that the Current Line rate was last updated Maximum Stable Rate Recalculated will be Y (yes) or N (no), this will indicate if the circuit MSR has been changed since installation. Profile timestamp This is the date and time that the profile for this circuit has been set. Maximum Stable Rate This provides an indication of the likely maximum stable line rate that a line will achieve. Fault Threshold Rate the lowest rate which is acceptable for the circuit, if the rate drops below this level, BT will accept a Line Rate (not throughput) fault. Interleaving Flag Will indicate interleaving status of a line, and will be set to On, Off or Automatic. On will indicate interleaving is on, Off will indicate that interleaving is off and will exclude BT from automatically applying interleaving, and Auto will allow BT to automatically apply or remove interleaving as part of fault rectification or line stabilisation. Note: Interleaving is a feature of the ADSL (G.992.1) specification, which can be enabled on any individual line to improve its overall (error) performance and stability. Interleaving effectively introduces powerful error correction algorithms, which in some cases can make the difference between a line working well or not at all. In addition, interleaving can provide a significant improvement in the quality of service experienced by the End User particularly for error sensitive services like video. If the test request is associated with an Advanced Services circuit, there is additional information provided under CIS Interface data, further information is provided in section 15 (Advanced Services) below. 19

20 Access Speed Consistency Check The Access speed check data is only displayed if a fault report of Low Threshold Breached is selected from the drop down menu. This check will display information on: - Downstream line rate - The most recent recorded downstream line rate of that circuit (This information may be up to 1 hour old) in Kbits/sec. Fault threshold rate The lowest connect rate at which a circuit is considered acceptable within the contractual agreement. Connection rate below this threshold can be reported as a Low Threshold Breached fault. (Please refer to handbook for further information) Maximum stable rate Re-set (Y/N) N means the rate has not yet been calculated, Y means the rate has been re-calculated. A circuit may be reset by BT during the fault finding process. Copper Line Test This section shows details of the copper line test. For ADSL the Copper Line Test will only run if there is no phone call in progress. If the test operator has the EU on the phone the OSC can still be used and it is quite likely that the line test will not be required if the phone line is working for telephony. However if the OSC decides to run a line test this will fail. Should this happen it is recommended that the operator end the phone call and then retest the circuit. When the OSC is started the line test will be made intrusive to the data circuit, if intrusive testing is not required, the can this broadband circuit be taken out of service for intrusive testing box must be un ticked. The default is intrusive. If the line test is non-intrusive certain line faults are hidden from the Line Test System by the filters in the DSLAM, however most faults will be seen. For a thorough test of the line, intrusive testing is recommended when initiating the OSC. If the data circuit still works (EU is reporting high error rate for example) then the EU should be asked for consent before the test is made intrusive. Test Access Matrix (TAM) Test 20

21 If TAM and test head technology exists in the BT exchange, this enables the One Shot Check to carry out very accurate testing, but in order to use this technology the test must be intrusive. A summary of the TAM tests are as follows:- Modem This test checks for tones from the DSLAM DSL Shows that the test head can sync with the line card. ATM - ATM ping to the RAS via a VC for IP or to the SP equipment for Datastream. PPP The test head logs on to BT_test@startup_domain. 21

22 8 Using the IP check Testing a circuit a. Input the circuit identifier, CBUK number or directory number. b. Select Single test, History check or Batch test. c. Click ready. 22

23 Typical result screen A brief description of these results, reading from the top is as follows:- The unique test number, Make a note of this if you want to pick this test off the Historic Tests list or if you want to report a problem. Where the IP PPP session terminates (should be the Home Gateway). Status of the ATM link from RAS to DSLAM. The user name and domain. When the current login session started followed by its duration. The result of a ping test from the Diagnostic System, through the internet and the ISP s network then through HGR, RAS and xdsl line to the End User s modem/router. 23

24 Readings of the ATM cell counters and the IP packet counters before and after the test. Calculated cell and packet rates. An IP packet rate of between 0.5 and 2.0 will usually be due to the ping tests. Rates higher than that will indicate that the circuit is being actively used by the End User Batch testing Batch testing allows you to test a number of circuits automatically. This is done by uploading a list of CBUK numbers to be tested as a batch. The file containing the CBUK numbers of the circuits to be tested should be in Comma Separated Variable (CSV) format. Create a.csv file containing the CBUK circuits you wish to test and save it to a suitable area. The file should be created using excel or notepad. The file should only contain CBUK numbers, nothing else. E.G In cell A1 enter CBUK cell B1 enter CBUK etc Click the Batch test button. Select the file for uploading by clicking on 'Browse' and navigating to the location of the saved.csv file. If the test request is associated with an Advanced Services circuit, additional information is provided, further details are listed below in section 15 (Advanced Services) 24

25 9 Using the Incident log check Testing a circuit a. Input the circuit identifier, CBUK number or directory number. b. Click ready Typical result screen If the circuit had a fault that was associated to an Incident, the details would be displayed in the screen above. 25

26 10 Using the Radius log check Testing a circuit a. Input the circuit identifier, CBUK number or directory number. b. Select the time and date, if required. c. Click ready. 26

27 Typical result screen The radius log result screen will display Service ID, Circuit ID, Available service selection name and fault time. Circuit Status This table displays information about the current usage of the circuit. The headings below are set against the number of times they have occurred. Working - The session is working as normal. Worked - The session has been working, but is now stopped. Logon - Successful logon. Test - The session is connected to a test session on Home Gateway. RAS - The session is connected to the Remove Access Server (RAS). Reject - The service provider rejected the session, for example, due to invalid password or user ID. 27

28 1045 In valid log on - The BT Platform Radius has NOT authenticated this user to the <ispdomain>.this is seen if the user enters startup instead of <anyname>@startup_domain 1083 Barred Attribute value - The BT Platform Radius has NOT authenticated this user to the <ispdomain>. User is barred from the <ispdomain> entered. Could be a misspelling or an attempt to connect to a domain that the user does not have authority to access. This message type occurs with Barred all services - The BT Platform Radius has NOT authenticated this <username>@<ispdomain> The BT Platform Radius has NOT authenticated this user to the Home Gateway. User is barred access to the named Home Gateway. This message type occurs with 1083 The radius log also displays details of log on ID, start time, duration, traffic in and traffic out. Latest and earliest log on attempts are also displayed. The look back period for the Radius Log check is for the past 3 days. 28

29 11 Using the Session kill Check The BT session kill tool has been developed by BT to allow Service Provider s to kill sessions either singularly or as a batch, the tool would typically be used to kill stale" sessions or to allow the Service provider to force users off for any other reason. Testing a circuit a. Input the circuit identifier, CBUK number or directory number. b. Select Single test, History check or Batch test. c. Click ready. The Batch kill facility is the same operation as mentioned in Section 8 Using the IP Check 29

30 Note:You must confirm or decline to Kill a session. This is to prevent killing the incorrect circuit which may result in a fault being raised by the end user. Typical results screen The screen below is for a successful session kill. 30

31 12 Using the DSL Status Check The BT ISP xdsl status check tool is a tool which will enable service provider s to check the status of the xdsl link between the End users Modem and the Digital Subscriber Line Access Multiplexer (DSLAM) in the exchange Input screen a. Input the circuit identifier, CBUK number or directory number. b. Click ready. 31

32 Results screen A brief description of these results are listed below. Circuit In Sync - A circuit is in synchronisation, the exchange equipment has sensed and synchronised with the customer's modem, and the modem is therefore ready for use. NTE In Service - The customer's connection point, the Network Termination Equipment, is working. NTE Power On - The NTE power supply is connected and working. NTE Bypass Not Activated - The NTE is still in-line. The NTE can be taken out of line for testing purposes. MUX In Service - The Multiplexer Card at the exchange supporting the circuit is in operation. Outcome summary A brief summary and test result. UPSTREAM AND DOWNSTREAM LINK INFORMATION Data indicating the status of the links making up the circuit in each direction. Upstream from the customer to the exchange. 32

33 Downstream from the exchange to the end user s circuit. The table headings are as follows. Loop Loss - The total signal loss on the circuit. The maximum downstream loop loss figures for ADSL are currently set at:- 512K circuit = No max figure 1meg circuit = 62dB 2meg circuit = 47dB The maximum upstream loop loss figures for SDSL are currently set at:- 256K circuit = 43dB 512K circuit = 36dB 1meg circuit = 29dB 2meg circuit = 20dB 2.3meg circuit = 18dB Please note when testing SDSL circuits the downstream loop loss figure displayed is not accurate and should not be taken into consideration when analysing a fault. Note: SNR Margin - The acceptable margin for noise levels. The noise margin should be no less than 6dB, a noise margin above 20dB is good. Errored Seconds - The amount of time taken up by errors on the circuit. HEC Errors - Header Error Correction - HEC is the process of validating the protection for the contents of the first four bytes of each ATM cell. This result shows if any errors are returned for this validation. Cell Count - The Cell Count counts the number of cells in each leg of the circuit. The purpose of this tool is to ascertain whether or not the service is working by counting and comparing the upstream and downstream flow rate over a specified time period. Speed Potential speed at which the circuit is working, expressed in terms of rate of data flow through each leg of the circuit. (This is not a speed test) If the circuit is not in sync no figures are available when there is no communication with the End User s modem. In some cases the one-line result will state that the modem is not powered up. However this specific information is not always available and a result of Not in sync can be due to the power being off. Additional DSL Max information Additional information is displayed for DSL Max circuits, this includes:- 33

34 Current line rate - The most recent recorded downstream line rate of that circuit (This information may be up to 1 hour old) in Kbits/sec. This information will be displayed even if the End user is disconnected. Line Rate change Timestamp The date and time at which the rate was set. Maximum stable rate Recalculated (Y/N) N means the rate has not yet been calculated, Y means the rate has been re-calculated. A circuit may be reset by BT during the fault finding process. Profile Timestamp The date and time that a profile has been changed (if applicable). This will have been changed to improve service performance and stability. (This information may be up to 24 hours old) Maximum stable rate Shows the maximum stable rate which has been achieved during the first 10 days of the service. Fault threshold rate The lowest connect rate at which a circuit is considered acceptable within the contractual agreement. Connection rate below this threshold can be reported as a Low Threshold Breached fault. (Please refer to handbook for further information) Interleaving Can be applied to the DSLAM to reduce errors. This will help with line stability. 34

35 13 Using the Suspend and Resume tool The Authority (BT or SP) that suspends a service is the only authority that can resume service, i.e. a SP cannot resume service suspended by BT and vice versa. There is an audit trail that records every suspension and resumption request. The One Shot Check has been updated to identify the use of this tool. This tool will allow Service Provider s to request: An URGENT SUSPEND A STANDARD SUSPEND A RESUME SERVICE NOTE: If a service has been suspended, it must be resumed to allow the end user to connect. Input screen The input screen must be completed by entering the Service Id or the Circuit Id and the action that is being requested. The drop down menu ACTION REQUIRED has three options:- 1. Standard suspend This option will suspend the service but may take several hours. 2. Urgent suspend This option will suspend the service in approximately 20 minutes. 3. Resume This option will resume service in approximately 2 minutes. 35

36 Results screen 36

37 14 The BT Speedtester database tool The Speedtest database tool will allow Service Provider s to interrogate the speedtester database. NOTE:The end user must use Internet explorer when using the speedtester, any other browser cannot be relied upon to display the correct results. The One Shot Check can also interrogate the same database but the search period is predefined. This tool will allow Service Provider s to request data held in the speedtest database using a search period of up to 30 days. Input screen The input screen must be completed by entering the circuit number and by entering the search period from 1 to 30 days. Results screen 37

38 Start Date/time this is the time and date the speedtest was run by the EU. DS Throughput Kb/sec This is the result in Kilobits/sec. DS Throughput KB/sec This is the result in KiloBytes/sec IP address This shows the IP address. Browser This displays the EU browser. Operating system shows the operating system. Eg Windows XP 38

39 15 Advanced Services Introduction This section of the user guide is for Advanced Services only and is intended for ISPs and their assurance staff dealing with the Advanced Services product. The aim of this guide is to provide an overview of Advanced Services diagnostics features and their use, to enable SPs handle End User s service complaints effectively and quickly. Advanced Services is a BT product offering which allows SP s to control service throughput in near real time, it also allows SP s to request assured rate service in near real time. BT s assurance systems have undergone lot of changes to provide diagnostics and assurance for Advanced Services. The aim of this guide is to inform the SP s of all the new assurance functions that are available in support of Advanced Services, describe the service they provide, how to use them and how to interpret their results. Advanced Services test and diagnostics functions The One Shot Check Fault Report Codes (FRC) There are four new FRC s added to the One Shot Check for advanced services namely 1 End User Performance Problem (EPP) - This FRC is to be used in situations where the EU service is working (e.g. they can browse the web), but are unhappy with the service performance throughput e.g. their download is too slow, their internet broadcast is constantly interrupted etc. 2 Quality of Service session Performance Problem (QPP) - This FRC is to be used where the desired QoS session is activated on the EU line, but isn t delivering the expected throughput. 3 Transaction Request Failed (TRF) This FRC is to be used where a Service provider transaction request into BT for their EUs advanced services is failed as a result EU does not have requested advanced service. 4 Premature QoS Termination (PQT) This FRC is to be used where EUs assured rate session is terminated prematurely. EU session may have ended due to BT s network fault or Service provider s issues. Following Portal screen shot shows this new Advanced Services FRCs i.e. EPP, QPP, TRF and PQT in drop down menu along with other existing FRCs. 39

40 Additional OSC functions for AS The following new OSC functions are added for Advanced Services - 1 Transaction Request Failed (TRF) 2 Performance Tester Test Results Analysis (PTTRA) 3 DSLAM-ADQ profile consistency check 4 List recent transactions (LRT) 5 Premature QoS Termination (PQT) 6 OSC test history summary 1. Transaction Request Failed (TRF) Advanced Services enables the ISP to alter the service configuration in near real time. In order to do this, the ISP is required to submit a request transaction via the published interface. The TRF FRC is to be used by the ISP in situations where the request transaction they have submitted has failed for reasons outside the ISPs domain. When the OSC is executed with TRF FRC, the ISP is presented with the reason for the failure and advised what action to take next. WOOSH TRF OSC output screen is shown below, from the screen shot, it is clear that the transaction was found to be successful hence its Success Code is set to True and there is nothing displayed against Reason Code and Reason Description columns. 40

41 This information below will be replicated by the Fault Diagnostics application but a screen shot is not currently available. Another, WOOSH TRF OSC output screen is shown below, from the screen shot, it is clear that the transaction request has failed by reading the test result summary. Further information can be obtained by clicking on the blue hyperlinks. 41

42 2. Performance Tester Test Results (PTTR) In situations, where the end user (EU) is experiencing a poor performance problem i.e. their service is working, but they believe their download to be too slow or their internet broadcast is stuttering etc, the ISP must request the EU to performance test their service using the BT Performance Tester [1] at the time when the poor performance is being experienced before accepting the fault. The performance tester will determine for the EU whether there is an actual performance related problem with their service, or whether their experience is just a consequence of Best Effort internet during busy periods or heavy traffic load on the content server they are trying to access. If the Performance Tester does conclude that there is a problem with the service, it will request the EU to raise this as a performance fault with the ISP. On request of a performance fault, the ISP should execute the OSC using EPP FRC (for poor performance for Max/EUSC/EUSC over Max.) and QPP (for poor performance for 1WQoS). The PTTR function within the OSC will indicate to the ISP the nature of the fault and where it lies. If the PTTR function indicates that the problem is with BT, then the ISP should raise this fault with BT for resolution. PTTR function will indicate in its results whether PT test results are for End Users Best Effort service or Assured Rate service. Portal screen shot of PTTR function results is shown below - Note: Performance Tester tests pass/fail thresholds for different services are documented in appendix A. The following table shows the action ISPs need to take based on Test-1, Test-2 and Test-3 pass/fail conditions Test1 Test2 Test3 Description Service Provider action NA NA NA No performance tests were conducted by End User. Please request End User to conduct performance tester tests. 42

43 Test1 Test2 Test3 Description Service Provider action Fail Fail Pass HG/TA overload or problem in the colossus appears to be causing the performance problem. Problem identified, please report this into BT as an EPP fault. Fail Fail Fail The performance problem is in BTs access VP or EU LAN/PC. Please report it to BT that all performance tester results are failed. 3. DSLAM-ADQ profile consistency check This function is only applicable where Advanced Services is provided over the Max infrastructure. It is not applicable where Advanced Services is provided over the fixed infrastructure. This function is executed for FRC s EPP and QPP. The Max product set is rate adaptive. This means that the access sync rate will not be set to a fixed value e.g. 2Mbps, but will rate adapt depending on the quality of the line at sync time. This means that the sync achieved may be 2Mbps, 6Mbps or even 256Kbps, all depending upon the distance of the EU from the serving exchange and the performance characteristics of the line at sync time. In some situations the performance characteristics of the line may change to an extent that it impacts the throughput of the service. In this situation, a new profile needs to be applied to the DSLAM. However, there could be a delay of up to 30 minutes for this change to filter through the systems and whilst in this transitional state, the End User could experience noticeable poor performance. The output of this function will indicate if the service is in a transitional state of changing profiles i.e. DSLAM and ADQ profiles inconsistent or DSLAM and ADQ profiles consistent. If the DSLAM and ADQ profiles are inconsistent, then the ISP should not raise a fault into BT, they should wait for the transitional state to complete and then ask the EU to re-boot their router and if after this there is a performance problem, then the SP should execute the OSC again and follow the process. WOOSH result output screen when this function is executed and DSLAM-ADQ profiles are consistent is shown below This information below will be replicated by the Fault Diagnostics application but a screen shot is not currently available. Advanced Services DownStream Line Speed Limit, gives current capped speed if service is capped else the default_policy_speed. WOOSH results output screen when this function is executed and DSLAM-ADQ profiles are inconsistent is shown below This information below will be replicated by the Fault Diagnostics application but a screen shot is not currently available. ADQ Access Speed and DSLAM Access Speed are inconsistent and OSC stops. 43

44 4. List recent transactions (LRT) This is a function which will be executed for all advanced services FRC s. When the OSC is executed, this will display the AE records and NPADQ records as shown below, by clicking on the relevant hyperlink, further information is displayed for the last five transactions. These five latest transactions are request transactions, sent from ISP to BT or notification transactions sent from BT to ISP or both, depending upon date stamp-time stamp of the transaction. This function displays latest transactions of End User sessions which are already ended or currently in progress. All transactions details will not be shown in the displayed list of latest 5 transactions; however, a few important fields will be displayed. The further probing for each transaction for more details can be done using Policy Manager Query tool. When an advanced services related fault is reported to ISP by their End Users, ISPs can use this function to get pre and post conditions of that fault and based on it take a decision as to whether it is really a BT fault and if they need to escalate it to BT. By clicking on the hyperlinks, further A.S. information will be displayed, below is an example of the information displayed when clicking on the AE Records link. Below is an example of further information displayed when the NPDAQ Records link is clicked. 44

45 5. Premature QoS Termination (PQT) This FRC will be used when the end user assured rate session has ended prematurely and did not come to end as per its normal course. The reason for premature termination of end user could be BT network equipment or BT network fault. This OSC helps ISPs to determine if the PQT their end users experienced was due to a BT network related issue or it was not a PQT and it s an ISP issue which they need to deal with themselves. When this OSC is executed it will give reason and reason description for ISPs regarding the cause and nature of PQT their end users experienced. Based on the PQT reason, SP s can decide whether to report a PQT fault to BT or not. WOOSH results output screen when this OSC is executed and it was not a PQT is shown below This information below will be replicated by the Fault Diagnostics application but a screen shot is not currently available. 6. OSC test history summary This OSC function will retrieve the historical tests summary over the previous 30 days for a particular end user. This summary will include the following fields for each historical OSC test record. OSC title or name Date, timestamp Test executed by (SP) This section displays the message that comes in case the QoS session is terminated prematurely. Each record will be a link. Clicking the record will fetch the detailed test results and display the OSC output for that test in a separate window. OSC test history summary will provide ISPs details of OSCs they conducted in the near past hence fault recurrence; pattern of performance issues/faults can be identified. Policy Manager (PM) Transaction tool Advanced Services enables ISPs to submit transaction requests in order to alter the service configuration in near real time. This standalone tool provides a list of transactions based on input date. If no date is given, current date-timestamp will be taken as default. The number of transactions the user wants to see in the output window is user configurable. This tool will give service providers an insight into the success/failure status of their requested transactions. Additionally, this tool also presents notification transactions. A notification transaction is one where BT sends a notification transaction to the ISP to inform them of an event that has occurred. This can 45

46 range from a QoS session terminating naturally to a QoS session terminating due to problem in the network. Service providers can view request or notification or request and notification transaction they want to view with the help of drop down filter menu on this tool s front end. Portal screen shot for PM Transaction Log Tool is given below a. Input the circuit identifier, CBUK number or directory number. b. Input a Transaction ID c. Input the Maximum number of results otherwise all results up to a maximum of twenty will be displayed. d. Select Transaction category either Request or Notification e. Click ready A typical Portal output screen shot of PM Transaction tool is shown below. 46

47 By clicking on the hyperlink under date of test, further details are shown as below. Again, further details can be displayed by clicking on the hyperlink for AE Records as shown below. Typical results screen 47

48 The Transaction log may include:- Transaction ID The unique identifying code for a bandwidth-increase transaction Customer ID The customer s unique O/M number Performance Tester Test Results (PTTR) The PTTR tool is used to interrogate the PTTR database and display to the Service provider any speed tests that have been carried out by the end user using the BT Performance tester tool. This tool will only display results for DSL Max circuits or Advanced Services circuits. The information shown by this tool is different from the PTTR function within the OSC, in that, PTTR function presents the analysis of the performance test metrics, whilst this tool presents the actual performance test metrics themselves. This tool will display performance tester test results metrics based on type of service i.e. Best Effort or Assured Rate. This tool is intended for 2nd/3rd line support. The PTTR screen shot is shown below - Input screen Input the circuit number and select the operation. In the above screen shot, the PTTR will only display the basic test pass/fail information unless the Operation option is selected. If SPs want to reset performance tester logs they can reset it clicking Reset button shown in above screen shot. For getting performance test metrics, SP s need to click on the Detailed button. Screen shots of Detailed Test Results screen is shown below Results screen 48

49 Following table explains parameters of performance test metrics ATTRIBUTE TESTID TAPID Start Date/Time Test duration Policy Type (Default/Temporary) Policy ID Infrastructure Type (C+ C++ HG/LTS) Profile Rate Test File Size File Transfer AVERAGE DESCRIPTION Unique test ID created by Performance Tester The test access point from which the test was performed e.g. TAP1, TAP2 or TAP3 The date/time in DD/MM/YY:HH:MM at which the test was started The duration of the test in seconds. Indicates whether the applied policy at the time of testing is Default or Temporary. ID of The active policy during testing This determines the transport mechanism over which the EU is provided. This is the throughput supported by the active profile at the time of testing. This is the size of the test file used for testing. Average throughput per session for the file transfer. 49

50 ATTRIBUTE DESCRIPTION THROUGHPUT/SESSION This is measured from the PT. MAX VC THROUGHPUT/PERIOD Max VC throughput per period measured from B-RAS VC DURATION ABOVE AVERAGE The number of period samples for which the VC throughput was above the session average throughput. AVERAGE VC THROUGHPUT/SESSION This is the average throughput for the test duration measured from the B-RAS. This is not the same as FT AVERAGE THROUGHPUT which is measured on the performance tester. VC DURATION BELOW AVERAGE The number of period samples for which the VC throughput was below the session average throughput. MIN VC THROUGHPUT/PERIOD Min VC throughput per period measured from B-RAS +1 VC throughput Stability index Average throughput of the dense distribution of per period throughput measures above the session average. -1 VC throughput Stability index Average throughput of the dense distribution of per period throughput measures below the session average. Data Delivery Severity This is the percentage of actual average throughput/session received by the EU as a function of the profile rate. VC data delivery index 1/((FTAverageThroughput / AverageVCThroughput/Session)*100) MAX VP THROUGHPUT/PERIOD Max VP throughput per PERIOD measured from B- RAS. This is the VP over which the EU is provisioned. VP duration above average The number of SAMPLES for which the VP throughput was above the VP session average throughput whilst the test was in progress. AVERAGE VP THROUGHPUT/SESSION This is the average VP throughput for the test duration measured from the B-RAS. VP duration below average The number of SAMPLES for which the VP throughput was below the VP session average throughput whilst the test was in progress. MIN VP THROUGHPUT/PERIOD Min VP throughput per PERIOD measured from B- RAS. This is the VP over which the EU is provisioned. +1 VP throughput Stability index Average throughput of the dense distribution of per second throughput measures above the session average. -1 VP throughput Stability index Average throughput of the dense distribution of per second throughput measures below the session average. MAX VC PACKET DROPS/PERIOD Max VC packet drops per period measured from B- RAS VC PACKET DROPS ABOVE AVERAGE The number of SAMPLES for which the VC packet drops was above the session average packet drops on the VC. AVERAGE VC PACKET This is the average VC packet drops for the test DROPS/SESSION duration measured from the B-RAS. VC PACKET DROPS BELOW AVERAGE The number of SAMPLES for which the VC packet drops was below the session average packet drops on the VC. MIN VC PACKET DROPS/PERIOD Min VC packet drops per PERIOD measured from B- RAS ATM ERRORED SECONDS This is the Errored Second counter corresponding to the LCSS EU port on the DSLAM. The measurement must be taken either before the test or after and thresholded against good and poor values for different 50

51 ATTRIBUTE DESCRIPTION access rates. ATTENUATION and MARGIN This is the LINE ATTENUATION MEASURE corisponding to the LCSS EU port on the DSLAM. The measurement must be taken either before the test or after and thresholded against good and poor values for different access rates. Test Result Interpretation (TRI) Outcome of the TR interpretation as described below (P/F). FTTR Further TAP tests required (Y/N) xdsl IP Test (Additional Advanced Services information) The xdsl IP test tool has been available for some time, however, it has been enhanced to also present QoS related performance information for Advance Services/1WQoS as long as an active QoS session is in progress at the time of executing the xdsl IP tool. Portal screen shot for xdsl IP Test Tool is given below - The following table explains parameters mentioned in above screen shots Parameter Description Packet Drops (cumulative) Input Input packet drops obtained at ATM level Packet Drops (cumulative) Output Output packet drops obtained at ATM level 5 minute Rates (cumulative) Input Input packet drops for 5 minutes 5 minute Rates (cumulative) Output Output packet drops for 5 minutes Rate Traffic coming into the router per Service policy per EU session Offered Rate Rate per 30 seconds Transmission Rate Traffic sent to the EU per Service policy per session Dropped Rate (Congestion) Traffic dropped by router as a result of more traffic than and EU service policy allowance Dropped Rate (P olicing) Traffic dropped per EU Service Policy per session 51

52 xdsl status check (Additional Advanced Services information) This tool has been enhanced to display extra information for Advance Services/1WQoS and MAX circuits. Portal screen shot for xdsl Status check tool is given below Additional information includes; QOS Feature Identifier This is the Default profile for the line. "Default" here means the speed set for the line when there's no active EUSC or QoS session. This default profile can be set by the SP (either at provision time or subsequently through ADQ) or if it's not set then it will be calculated by ADQ as the highest profile the line can support. It can be '0' if ADQ has no configured value. Downstream Assured Speed Reservation This is the service that the End User is buying from the Service Provider. QOS Active This will be "Yes" if there is an active Assured Rate QoS session on the line at the time the command is run. Downstream Line Speed Limit This gives the speed of service, i.e. the maximum that the line will support. Downstream Line Speed Throttle This is the applied rate set by the SP. i.e. The speed the end user is buying from the Service Provider. Downstream Assured Speed Limit This is the maximum amount of QOS traffic that the line will support. If the test request is associated with an Advanced Services circuit, the following additional information is provided. 52

53 Traffic Class List and QOS Features Status List hyperlinks will display; Session Identifier Is the unique identifying number allocated to this session Default Time Limit The time allocated for this QOS session (Maximum 5 hours) Time Elapsed The time elapsed for this QOS session Time Remaining The time remaining for this QOS session 53

54 54

55 The following table explains parameters that may be displayed when using the xdsl status check. Parameter Current line rate Line rate change timestamp Maximum Stable Rate Recalculated (Y/N) Profile timestamp Maximum Stable Rate Fault Threshold Rate Interleaving QoS Feature Identifier Downstream Assured Speed Reservation QoS Active Downstream Line Speed Limit Downstream Line Speed Throttle Description It is the most recent recorded downstream line rate of that circuit (this information may be up to 1 hour old) in Kbps. This information will be displayed even if the end user is disconnected. The date and time at which the line rate of set. Y means the line rate has been re-calculated, N means line rate has not been calculated. A circuit may be reset by BT during the fault finding process. The date and time that a profile has been changed (if applicable). This will have been changed to improve service performance and stability. This information may be up to 24 hours old. It shows the maximum stable rate which has been achieved during the first 10 days of the service. The lowest connect rate at which a circuit is considered acceptable within the contractual agreement. Connection rate below the threshold can be reported as a Low Threshold Breached fault. This shows interleaving scheme applied. Interleaving is applied to the DSLAM to reduce errors. This helps in line stability. QoS feature Downstream assured rate Tells whether QoS is active on the line, Yes If active, No Not active Maximum Downstream Line speed Advanced Services downstream line speed limit 55