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Category: Fabric Test Automation Suite

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Fabric Test Automation Suite

Unlocking Deep Network Observability: Lessons from the Field

When it comes to modern networking, what you can’t see can hurt you. At Aviz Networks, we make the invisible visible—before problems escalate. In a recent bootcamp, we explored how deep observability empowers teams to reduce troubleshooting time, achieve compliance, and build more resilient infrastructure. Through a customer case study, a partner perspective, and a full-stack demo, we showed how organizations are moving from reactive to proactive network operations.

What Happens When Visibility Fails? A Real-World Crisis Unpacked

Frank Vincentelli, CTO of managed service provider Integrated IT, shared a powerful story. After upgrading the infrastructure for a mid-market customer, his team faced a major network outage with no clear root cause. Multiple vendors pointed fingers. Logs were incomplete. Visibility was limited.
With Aviz’s platform—including the Open Packet Broker (OPB) and Aviz Service Nodes (ASN)—Frank’s team was able to rule out false leads and identify the actual source of failure.
Because Aviz embeds lightweight agents within switches, telemetry continued even when the network was down. Once connectivity was restored, historical data flowed in, providing the “X-ray vision” they needed.

“The product is excellent—but it’s the people behind it that made the difference, with Aviz, we transitioned from a dysfunctional vendor relationship to one that’s transparent and proactive.”

Frank Vincentelli, CTO of managed service provider Integrated IT

Why Openness Matters: A Partner’s View from the Field

Joel Winland, Field CTO at Source Code, discussed their strategic alignment with Aviz. Source Code, a global system integrator with nearly $1 billion in revenue, builds both edge and cloud-scale infrastructure. What they needed was a software partner as open and flexible as they are.
Aviz fit that need. Built on open-source principles—including full support for SONiC—Aviz allows customers to choose the hardware, NOS, and deployment model that best fits their architecture. No vendor lock-in. No black boxes. Just choice and control.

Comparison table highlighting Aviz’s advantages across open-source support, AI-driven insights, vendor neutrality, observability depth, and cost efficiency.

How Does Aviz Deliver End-to-End Observability? A Look Inside the Stack

The Aviz platform is composed of three tightly integrated components:

  • Open Packet Broker (OPB): A high-performance, white-box-based traffic management fabric. OPB handles traffic filtering, replication, aggregation, slicing, labeling, and tunneling. It supports granular filtering from L2–L4 and enables advanced capabilities such as GTP header parsing for 5G environments and symmetric load balancing.
  • Aviz Service Nodes (ASN): These x86-based software appliances perform deep packet inspection, metadata extraction, KPI generation, application identification, and deduplication. ASN works for both telco (4G/5G) and Enterprise, , providing Application and per-user/session visibility and reducing tool overhead by filtering out redundant, high, and low-risk traffic.
  • Network CoPilot (NCP): An AI-powered, on-premises assistant built on open-source LLMs. NCP allows users to query real-time network data using natural language. It’s RAG-enabled, privacy-safe (runs locally), and avoids hallucinations by relying strictly on verified telemetry.

All of this is managed through Flow Vision, a centralized GUI and single pane of Glass that simplifies traffic orchestration, rule configuration, tunnel management, and health monitoring across OPB and ASN nodes.

End-to-end observability flow showing how Aviz processes traffic from Cisco ACI and 5G sources through OPB and Service Nodes for correlation and export.
Workflow showing how Aviz enables application-level visibility by processing tapped data center traffic through OPB and Service Nodes for analysis and export.
Aviz deduplication workflow showing how redundant packets are removed in real time before traffic is forwarded to analytics tools.

Where Does It Shine? Real-World Use Cases Demonstrated

  • Telco Observability: GTP-C and GTP-U correlation at scale, per-user/session KPIs, and 5G SA/NSA analytics.
  • Application Visibility: Dashboards for bandwidth usage, OS/device profiling, geolocation, and threat detection.
  • Data Center Deduplication: 90%+ reduction in traffic from TAPs before it hits monitoring tools—preserving compute and reducing false positives.
  • Natural-Language Queries: Ask questions like “What applications are most used by 5G users?” and receive accurate, traceable answers from NCP.

Is it Built to Scale? Absolutely.

The entire stack is hardware-agnostic and SONiC-ready. OPB supports platforms from Broadcom (Trident, Tomahawk) and NVIDIA (Spectrum 1/2/3). 400G is deployed in production today, and 800G+ support is in active qualification—ensuring that your observability scales with your network.

Conclusion: Visibility Isn’t a Luxury. It’s a Lifeline.

If you’re operating without full network visibility, you’re operating at risk. Aviz Networks offers a scalable, AI-integrated observability stack that empowers NetOps teams to identify issues early, resolve them quickly, and operate with confidence across multivendor environments.

Join our next bootcamp with NVIDIA on June 12 for a deep dive into AI-Powered Networking with Spectrum-X.

Explore how the Open Packet Broker (OPB) delivers real-time traffic filtering, load balancing, and deep observability across disaggregated environments.

Open Packet Broker
Categories
Fabric Test Automation Suite

Everything You Need to Know About Network Link Optics

Ethernet cables connected to network switch, close up

Optical communication networks are, literally, the backbones of the information superhighway. They have been providing the conduits over which broadband data is delivered worldwide, at the actual speed of light. Hundreds of millions of miles of deployed optical fiber interconnect continents, nations, cities, neighborhoods, and private homes. Behind this backbone comes a suite of complementary optical subsystem components that are pivotal to the operation and management of these networks. These optical microsystems directly interact with the optical signal and – through functionality afforded by design – are able to filter, switch, attenuate, and adapt the optical communication channels carried by the network.

One of the major optical microsystem applications is the optical transceiver. In simple words, an optical transceiver is a device that converts data to light and vice versa to be transmitted and received across optical fibers. Imagine these devices to be traffic merge points in an interstate highway system that takes in off-highway city traffic and links them into super-speed highway traffic. Just as the proper functioning of traffic merges is necessary for the seamless functioning of a highway system, continuous observability of thousands of these devices at scale becomes a must-have for network administrators.

In this blog, we will demystify optical transceiver-based link optics from an engineering perspective. Besides that, we will also highlight the ways Aviz ONES is leveraged by network teams to continuously observe, investigate and triage in real-time, thereby alleviating their time, cost, and resource burdens.

Optical Transceiver – Engineer’s Definition

‍An Optical transceiver is used to convert electrical signals to optical light signals and optical signals to electrical signals. It is a hot-swappable device that can be plugged into a networking device that can send and receive data. Optical transceivers come in different forms and dimensions called Form Factors which support different speeds and distances. Data center networks can be copper-based connections, fiber-based connections, or a combination of copper and fiber cables called hybrid connections, and transceivers can receive and transmit data in both copper and fiber optic cables.

Why Fiber over Copper

Fiber Copper
Made up of glass fiber Made up of copper wire
Carries data in the form of light Carries data in the form of electric signals
Offers higher bandwidth Offers lower bandwidth
Transmission speed is faster Transmission speed is slower
Low latency High latency
Installation cost is high Installation cost is less
Attenuation is very low Attenuation is high
Fiber is thin and light, easily breakable Copper is heavier and thick, difficult to break
More resistant to corrosive materials Prone to corrosive materials
More reliable, and durable Less reliable, and durable
Large life span Small life span
Not affected by electrical/magnetic interface Affected by electrical/magnetic interface
More secure – no leakage of light and are difficult to tap Less secure – leakage of signals and easy to tap
No Crosstalk problem problem Prevalent to Crosstalk problem
High noise immunity  Low noise immunity
Charge carriers are photons, which do not carry any charge, so they do not get affected Charge carriers are electrons, which carry a negative charge, so they get affected when they move in a wire

Standard Form Factors

The form factor states the physical dimensions of a transceiver which varies in size and shape depending on the speeds and protocols supported. Optical transceiver manufacturers design optics according to the Multisource Agreement (MSA). This is a standard for ensuring that the same form-factor transceivers from different vendors are compatible in size and function for interoperability with different vendor optics.

Type Speed
SFP 1G
SFP+ 10G
SFP28 25G
SFP56 50G
QSFP+ 40G
QSFP28 100G
QSFP56 200G
QSFP-DD 400G
OSFP/QSFP-DD 800G

SFP – Small Form-factor Pluggable

QSFP – Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable

QSFP-DD – Quad Small Form Factor Pluggable Double Density

OSFP – Octal Small Form-factor Pluggable

Transceiver Standards are based on the speed of the optics. Let’s take 100G transceivers that have different form factors CFP, CFP2, CFP4, CXP, and QSFP28. QSFP28 is the newest version of the 100G Optical transceiver. QSFP28 is a widely used 100G transceiver because of its high performance, lower power consumption, and higher density.

QSFP28

 Industry Standards Mode Distance Connector
QSFP28 Industry Standards Mode Distance Connector
100GBASE-SR4 IEEE 802.3bm, QSFP28 MSA, SFF-8665, SFF-8636, RoHS, CPRI, eCPRI MMF 100 m MTP/MPO-12
100GBASE-SR10 IEEE 802.3ba MMF 150m MTP/MPO-24
100GBASE-LR4 IEEE 802.3ba 100GBASE-LR4, IEEE 802.3bm, QSFP28 MSA, SFF-8665, SFF-8636 SMF 10km LC Duplex
100GBASE-ER4 IEEE 802.3ba, QSFP28 MSA Compliant SMF 40km MTP/MPO-12
100GBASE-ZR4 QSFP28 MSA Compliant SMF 80km LC Duplex
100GBASE-DR IEEE 802.3cd 100GBASE-DR Specification compliant SMF 500m LC Duplex
100GBASE-FR 100G Lambda MSA 100G-FR Specification compliant SMF 2km LC Duplex
100GBASE-LR 100G Lambda MSA 100G-LR Specification compliant SMF 10km LC Duplex
100GBASE-PSM4 100G PSM4, QSFP28 MSA Compliant SMF 500m MTP/MPO-12
100GBASE-CWDM4 IEEE 802.3ba, IEEE 802.3bm, SFF-8665, SFF-8636, 100G CWDM4 MSA, QSFP28 MSA SMF 2km LC Duplex
100GBASE-4WDM QSFP28 MSA Compliant SMF 10km LC Duplex
100GBASE-DWDM IEEE 802.3bm, QSFP28 MSA, SFF-8636, SFF-8024 SMF 80km CS Duplex
100GBASE-BiDi QSFP28 MSA Compliant SMF 20km LC Simplex
100G CLR4 100G CLR4 Industry Alliance SMF 2km CS Duplex

SR – Short Range

LR – Long Range

ER – Extended Range

ZR – Ze Best Range

LRM – Long Reach Multimode

PSM – Parallel Single Mode Fiber

WDM – Wavelength division multiplexing

CWDM – Coarse wavelength division multiplexing

DWDM – Dense wavelength division multiplexing

BiDi – Bidirectional optical transceiver

The Fanout

A high-speed port is broken into multiple low-speed ports are called Breakout Ports or Breakout cables. For example, a switch with a 400G port can be connected to 4x100G ports using breakout cables. Breakout cables are also called “fanout” cables.

Rate Technology Breakout Capable Electric Lanes Optical Lanes
10G SFP+ No 10G 10G
25G SFP28 No 25G 25G
40G QSFP+ Yes 4x 10G 4x10G, 2x20G
50G SFP56 No 50G 50G
100G QSFP28 Yes 4x 25G 100G, 4x25G, 2x50G
200G QSFP56 Yes 4x 50G 4x50G
2x100G QSFP28-DD Yes 2x (4x25G) 2x (4x25G)
400G QSFP56-DD Yes 8x 50G 4x 100G, 8x50G

Aviz ONES & The Optical Transceiver

Open Networking Enterprise Suite (ONES) is a network management and support application that offers the industry’s only multi-vendor, a multi-NOS solution that delivers Orchestration, Visibility, and Assurance – enabling SONiC adoption in new or existing deployments. ONES consumes telemetry from switches running SONIC, and other NOSs such as NVIDIA Cumulus Linux, Arista EOS, or Cisco NX-OS, and delivers deep insights into the link optics with information on

  • Inventory metrics for speed, type, breakout, lanes, manufacturer, etc.
  • Health metrics based on Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) telemetry, an industry standard to access operating parameters of transceivers such as Tx Power, Rx Power, Temperature, Supply Voltage, Laser Bias Current, and much more.

This information is collected across any platform and the data is normalized to provide a unified view of the network fabric. ONES provides critical information on faulty transceivers in the fabric with drilled-down capabilities to identify the root cause of failures. An example of how deep ONES can go in terms of providing visibility for optics inventory and operational health is below.

Conclusion

Link availability is critical for any network operations, as the failure of a network link is the primary source of customer-impacting issues in the majority of cases. Hence, optics telemetry monitoring is a must-have in data center monitoring solutions to (a) understand link issues due to transient or permanent failures and (b) proactively identify the optics that are likely to fail and fix them ahead of time. Aviz ONES provides deep insights into optics to achieve the above goals. The optics data collected by ONES can also be extremely useful in qualifying optics before purchase decisions are made. Contact us to learn more about how Aviz can help with Optics Monitoring for your SONiC network.

FAQs

1-What is an optical transceiver and how does it work in a network?

An optical transceiver is a device that converts electrical signals to optical signals and vice versa, enabling data transmission over fiber optic cables. These hot-swappable modules are plugged into switches or routers and are essential for enabling high-speed connectivity in data centers and carrier networks. They support various form factors (e.g., SFP, QSFP) and data rates ranging from 1G to 800G.

Fiber optics are preferred over copper due to their higher bandwidth, faster transmission speeds, lower latency, better noise immunity, and greater security. Unlike copper, fiber transmits data as light, making it more efficient over long distances with minimal signal loss or electromagnetic interference, which is especially critical in high-performance environments like hyperscale data centers.

Aviz ONES offers deep optics observability by collecting real-time telemetry from SONiC and other NOS platforms. It tracks inventory (type, speed, lanes) and health metrics (Tx/Rx power, temperature, voltage, bias current) using Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM). ONES normalizes this data across vendors and platforms, enabling teams to identify failing optics, triage faults, and make informed purchase decisions all from a unified dashboard.

Optics fanout, also known as breakout, allows a high-speed port (like 400G) to be split into multiple lower-speed connections (like 4x100G). This is done using breakout cables, optimizing port utilization and enabling flexible topologies in spine-leaf architectures. Fanout support varies by transceiver form factor and is crucial in scalable network designs.

Optical telemetry provides critical insights into the real-time health of transceivers by monitoring metrics like transmit/receive power, temperature, voltage, and laser bias current. Proactive monitoring helps identify transient faults or failing optics before they cause link degradation or downtime. Tools like Aviz ONES empower network teams to troubleshoot faster, reduce MTTR (Mean Time to Repair), and ensure high service availability across multi-vendor, SONiC-based environments.

Optical transceivers come in various form factors such as SFP, SFP+, QSFP+, QSFP28, QSFP56, QSFP-DD, and OSFP. Each supports different speeds ranging from 1G (SFP) to 800G (OSFP/QSFP-DD). These form factors follow MSA standards for size and compatibility across vendors, making them essential building blocks for scalable, high-speed network infrastructure.

Multimode fiber (MMF) supports shorter distances (up to 150m for 100GBASE-SR10) and uses cheaper optics, while single-mode fiber (SMF) supports longer distances (up to 80km for 100GBASE-ZR4). The choice of MMF vs. SMF depends on deployment needs—MMF for intra-data center links, SMF for long-range, high-speed backbone connections.

Aviz ONES collects Digital Optical Monitoring (DOM) data such as Tx power, Rx power, temperature, voltage, and laser bias current. This telemetry is vendor-normalized and shown in a unified dashboard to identify degraded or failing optics proactively, helping avoid unplanned downtime and optimize transceiver lifecycle management.

Yes. ONES provides detailed optics inventory and historical health trends that help teams evaluate performance across different vendors and models. This visibility helps qualify optics before procurement, ensuring only reliable transceivers are used—saving costs and reducing operational risk.

ONES is vendor- and NOS-agnostic. It works across SONiC, NVIDIA Cumulus Linux, Arista EOS, and Cisco NX-OS, collecting optics telemetry from all environments. This allows operators to maintain visibility and observability during transitions to SONiC or in hybrid multi-vendor setups, ensuring operational consistency and reducing tool sprawl.

 

Categories
Fabric Test Automation Suite SONiC

Single click SONiC evaluations and POCs

Learn how FTAS can do it for you!

Why Should Organizations Consider SONiC?

In today’s rapidly evolving networking landscape, organizations are seeking greater flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. SONiC (Software for Open Networking in the Cloud) has emerged as a leading open-source platform for building and managing data center networks.

SONiC empowers network operators to break free from vendor lock-in, reduce operational costs, and accelerate innovation. By providing a vendor-agnostic, open-source framework, SONiC offers unprecedented flexibility and control over network infrastructure.

What Makes Evaluating SONiC So Challenging?

While SONiC offers numerous benefits, evaluating and deploying it can be a daunting task due to several challenges :

  • 1. Multiple Vendors: The diverse vendor landscape for SONiC hardware and software can complicate the evaluation process. Different vendors offer varying levels of support, features, and performance.
  • 2. Multiple SONiC Flavors: The existence of community and vendor-specific SONiC distributions introduces additional complexity. While community SONiC offers flexibility, vendor-specific versions often provide additional features and support.
  • 3. Complexity of Network Configurations: SONiC's flexibility and extensive feature set can lead to complex network configurations. This requires careful planning and testing to ensure optimal performance and reliability.
  • 4. Need of SONiC Expertise: Effective SONiC evaluation and deployment demands specialized knowledge and skills. This can be a significant barrier for organizations without in-house SONiC expertise.
  • 5. Volume of Features: The sheer volume of features and capabilities offered by SONiC can make it overwhelming to evaluate and configure. It requires a deep understanding of networking concepts and SONiC's specific implementation.

How to Accelerate SONiC Evaluations with FTAS

  • 1. Accelerated Testing: FTAS automates a wide range of tests, including Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality, high-availability features, and security protocols. This significantly speeds up the evaluation process.
  • 2. Enhanced Reliability: FTAS rigorously tests SONiC configurations to ensure optimal performance and stability. By identifying and addressing potential issues early on, FTAS helps to minimize risks.
  • 3. Faster Deployment: FTAS accelerates firmware and SONiC image qualification processes by automating testing and validation. This significantly reduces time-to-market for new features and fixes.
  • 4. Continuous Validation: FTAS can be integrated into your CI/CD pipeline to provide continuous validation and ensure the highest quality standards. By automating testing and validation processes, FTAS accelerates development cycles and reduces the risk of introducing defects.
  • 5. Day 2 Feature Testing: FTAS covers a wide range of day 2 features such as software upgrades, configuration changes, and troubleshooting, ensuring smooth operations and minimal downtime.
  • 6. Resilience Testing: FTAS rigorously tests the system's stability in the face of reboots, container crashes, and link events at scale, ensuring business continuity and minimal service disruptions.
  • 7. Scalability Testing: FTAS evaluates the scalability of SONiC deployments by testing the system's ability to handle increasing workloads and traffic volumes.
  • 8. Stress Testing: FTAS subjects the SONiC network to extreme stress conditions to identify performance bottlenecks and potential failure points, ensuring the system's robustness and reliability.

How Does FTAS Keep Your Networks at Par with Quality Standards?

Aviz Networks’ Fabric Test Automation Suite (FTAS) is a powerful tool designed to ensure the quality and reliability of SONiC networks. By automating testing and validation processes, FTAS helps organizations accelerate deployment, reduce operational costs, and minimize risks.

FTAS helps maintain network quality by:

  • 1. Standardized Testing: Ensuring consistent quality across different vendor hardware and software.
  • 2. Automated Testing: Reducing manual effort and accelerating testing cycles.
  • 3. CI/CD Integration: Integrating with CI/CD pipelines for continuous validation.
  • 4. Performance, Reliability, and Scalability Focus: Ensuring networks meet demanding requirements.
  • 5. Detailed Reporting and Analysis: Providing insights for optimization and troubleshooting.
  • 6. Evolving with Industry Needs: Adapting to real-world challenges and customer feedback.
FTAS development is driven by the real-world use cases of Aviz Networks’ customers, ensuring that it meets the needs of modern data center and cloud environments.

Supported Protocols

FTAS supports a wide range of protocols essential for modern data center networks:

  • 1. Layer 2/Layer 3 Protocols:
  • Ethernet
  • IP (IPv4/IPv6)
  • 2. Overlay Protocols:
  • VXLAN
  • EVPN
  • 3. Control Plane Protocols:
  • BGP
  • STP
  • LACP
  • MLAG
  • 4. Other Protocols:
  • QoS

What are the new features in FTAS 3.1?

The latest FTAS 3.1 release brings a host of new features and enhancements to further streamline your SONiC evaluation and deployment process:
  • 1. QoS Testing: Comprehensive testing of Quality of Service (QoS) features to ensure optimal network performance.
  • 2. Stress Testing: Rigorous stress testing to validate the stability and scalability of your SONiC network under heavy load.
  • 3. EVPN/L2VXLAN Enhancements: Expanded coverage of EVPN and L2VXLAN features, ensuring seamless Layer 2 and Layer 3 network virtualization.
  • 4. More SNMP Coverage: Enhanced SNMP monitoring and troubleshooting capabilities for better network visibility and control.
  • 5. Fast Reboot Testing: Rigorous testing of fast reboot mechanisms to minimize downtime during software upgrades and reboots.
  • 6. Platform CLI Coverage: Comprehensive testing of platform-specific CLI commands to ensure compatibility and functionality.
  • 7. More Verifications in Resilience Testcase: Increased verification depth in resilience testing to identify and mitigate potential single points of failure.

How to Use FTAS

By leveraging FTAS, you can accelerate your journey to SONiC, reduce risks, and achieve a more agile and efficient network. Start your SONiC evaluation today with FTAS.

To use FTAS, please contact Schedule a Call with Our Team to Delve into FTAS. For comprehensive information before the scheduled call, visit our FTAS product page.

FAQs

1. What makes SONiC evaluation difficult for enterprises exploring open networking?

SONiC evaluation can be complex due to:

  • Multi-vendor variability in hardware and features
  • Multiple SONiC flavors (community vs vendor-specific)
  • Extensive configuration options and networking feature sets
  • Need for deep SONiC expertise in-house
  • Lack of standardized testing tools across deployments

Aviz’s Fabric Test Automation Suite (FTAS) accelerates SONiC adoption by:

  • Automating Layer 2/3, HA, and QoS testing
  • Speeding up firmware and SONiC image qualification
  • Enabling CI/CD-based continuous validation
  • Supporting day-2 operations, including upgrades and troubleshooting

 FTAS offers full lifecycle validation through:

  • Resilience testing (reboots, link failures, container crashes)
  • Stress and scalability testing to evaluate real-world performance
  • QoS and EVPN/VXLAN validation
  • Fast reboot and SNMP visibility tests

FTAS is designed for heterogeneous data centers because it:

  • Supports standardized testing across vendors
  • Provides platform-specific CLI coverage
  • Automates interoperability checks in SONiC ecosystems
  • Evolves based on real customer deployments and feedback

FTAS dramatically speeds up SONiC evaluation by automating key network tests and validations. It reduces manual efforts and delivers rapid results through:

  • Automated Layer 2/3 functionality tests
  • High availability (HA) and security protocol validation
  • Continuous integration with CI/CD pipelines

Reduced time-to-market for new network features

An automated network testing suite:

  • Validates Layer 2/3, QoS, and overlay protocols before production
  • Repeats tests consistently across hardware vendors
  • Reduces manual config mistakes that can cause downtime
  • Provides detailed logs for rapid troubleshooting and compliance

Continuous validation ensures that:

  • Each new SONiC update or config change won’t break critical data flows
  • Upgrades and patches integrate smoothly with live workloads
  • Performance remains predictable for AI and high-throughput applications
  • Operations teams catch issues before they impact end-users

A high-quality operation tool should test resilience against:

  • Node reboots and container restarts
  • Link failures and flapping connections
  • Rapid scale-up of traffic loads
  • Recovery behavior under stress to verify high availability

Yes — automation frameworks reduce POC time by:

  • Running standardized tests on various switches and NICs
  • Validating interoperability between different vendor ASICs
  • Checking vendor-specific CLI compatibility
  • Delivering consistent reports to compare hardware options quickly

Network observability works hand-in-hand with testing by:

  • Capturing real-time telemetry during test runs
  • Highlighting bottlenecks and packet drops immediately
  • Feeding results back to CI/CD pipelines for automatic retesting
  • Enabling data-driven insights for capacity planning and tuning
Categories
Fabric Test Automation Suite SONiC

FTAS 2.3 and SONiC: Elevating Data Center Interconnect Quality with EVPN and VXLAN

Fabric Test Automation Suite (FTAS) – a solid set of test cases designed with precision to assess SONiC’s readiness for deployment is ever evolving. Our ongoing dedication to getting better has shaped FTAS, growing with valuable customer input and incorporating new features in sync with the latest SONiC releases.

Exciting news on our journey – FTAS 2.3 is now live! This version comes with a bunch of improvements, all geared towards making SONiC assessment even better and smoothing out pre-deployment testing. Let’s dive into what’s new and how it can elevate your testing experience!

Let’s delve into the key enhancements introduced in FTAS 2.3

Data Center Interconnect

Data Center Interconnect (DCI) harmonizes a sophisticated integration of advanced technologies. EVPN (Ethernet VPN), VXLAN (Virtual Extensible LAN), and MCLAG (Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation Group) collectively contribute to the intricate network orchestration. EVPN dynamically manages control plane operations, VXLAN extends virtual networks seamlessly, and MCLAG ensures redundancy and load balancing. This technical synergy within DCI forms a robust infrastructure, addressing the challenges of interconnected data centers. Each technology plays a pivotal role in achieving fluidity and resilience in the overall network composition.

Based upon the customer deployments, the FTAS latest release is packed with new test cases to enhance the existing coverage.

BGP-EVPN with VXLAN

VXLAN EVPN facilitates seamless communication in data centers by extending Layer 2 connectivity over a Layer 3 network. This technology ensures efficient management of virtualized workloads, enabling dynamic learning and distribution of MAC and IP addresses. With its scalable and flexible approach, VXLAN EVPN is instrumental in modern data center deployments, providing a reliable solution for network virtualization and resource optimization.

EVPN/VXLAN Topology

Here are the VXLAN EVPN scenarios covered in FTAS 2.3

Feature Test Scenario
BGP-EVPN-VXLAN EVPN VXLAN Configuration and verification
EVPN VXLAN for known unicast, BUM traffic (eBGP) with RIF
EVPN VXLAN for known unicast, BUM traffic (eBGP) with SVI
EVPN VXLAN for known unicast traffic (eBGP) with link events and router failure - RIF
EVPN VXLAN for known unicast traffic (eBGP) with link events and router failure - SVI
EVPN VXLAN for known unicast traffic (eBGP) with link events and router failure - RPCH
Symmetric IRB with EVPN eBGP-RIF (eBGP)
Symmetric IRB with EVPN iBGP-RIF (iBGP)
Symmetric IRB with EVPN iBGP-SVI
Symmetric IRB with EVPN eBGP-RPCH
Symmetric IRB with EVPN iBGP-RPCH
Asymmetric IRB with EVPN eBGP
Asymmetric IRB with EVPN iBGP

MCLAG

MCLAG (Multi-Chassis Link Aggregation) enhances data center reliability by creating a resilient, redundant network. In the event of a switch failure, MCLAG seamlessly transfers traffic to a backup switch, preventing downtime. This technology ensures high availability, load balancing, and simplified network design, making it indispensable for critical applications where continuous connectivity is paramount.

L2 MCLAG
L3 MCLAG

FTAS 2.3 covers following MCLAG use cases based upon the customer deployments.

Deployment Test Scenario
L2 MCLAG MCLAG-L2 Steadystate with portchannel and vlan on peer link
MCLAG-L2 Member Link Down
MCLAG-L2 Peer Link Down
MCLAG-L2 Active Reboot
MCLAG-L2 Standby Reboot
L3 MCLAG MC-LAG L3 validation using portchannel configuration
MC-LAG L3 validation, Bring down the member link of Spine1
MC-LAG L3 keepalive link down
MCLAG-L3 Active Reboot
MCLAG-L3 Standby Reboot

ECMP Scaling & Resilience

ECMP (Equal-Cost Multipath) optimizes network performance by distributing traffic across multiple paths of equal cost. In data center scenarios, ECMP enhances load balancing, increases bandwidth utilization, and ensures fault tolerance. This technology is particularly valuable in modern, dynamic environments where efficient resource utilization and high availability are crucial for delivering reliable and responsive services.

The support for ECMP scalability was added in FTAS 2.2. Based upon further customer use cases, FTAS 2.3 adds the support for eBGP to ECMP scalability. 

Here is the list of ECMP eBGP scalability scenarios added in FTAS 2.3

Test Scenario Description
ECMP Scalability - eBGP support Scalability to 16 ECMP paths and 32K eBGP routes
Scalability to 32 ECMP paths and 64K eBGP routes
Scalability to 64 ECMP paths and 128K eBGP routes
Scalability to &lt number of leaf1 ports > ECMP paths and 1K eBGP routes per path

Summary

FTAS 2.3 is here, packed with enhancements for seamless SONiC assessment. The latest release introduces new VXLAN EVPN scenarios, covering various test cases for efficient data center communication. Additionally, MCLAG use cases ensure resilient, redundant networks for critical applications, preventing downtime during switch failures. 

FTAS 2.3 also extends support for ECMP scalability with eBGP, enhancing network performance and fault tolerance. Explore the specifics of these upgrades, from VXLAN EVPN configurations to MCLAG and ECMP eBGP scalability scenarios. Elevate your testing experience with FTAS 2.3’s comprehensive coverage and improved capabilities.

Schedule a Call with Our Team to Delve into FTAS. For comprehensive information before the scheduled call, visit our FTAS product page.

FAQs

1. What is the role of FTAS 2.3 in validating SONiC-based Data Center Interconnect (DCI) architectures?

FTAS 2.3 offers a comprehensive set of test cases covering EVPN, VXLAN, MCLAG, and ECMP scenarios, ensuring that SONiC deployments are fully validated for data center interconnect use cases. It helps assess network scalability, redundancy, and resilience in real-world conditions before production rollout.

FTAS 2.3 introduces extensive test cases for VXLAN EVPN scenarios, enabling thorough validation of Layer 2 over Layer 3 connectivity, MAC/IP address learning, link failure recovery, and router failure handling — essential for modern, virtualized data center fabrics.

FTAS 2.3 covers L2 MCLAG and L3 MCLAG test cases, including steady-state validation, member and peer link failures, active/standby reboots, and keepalive link monitoring, ensuring high availability and fault tolerance in multi-chassis link aggregation setups.

 FTAS 2.3 expands ECMP testing by adding eBGP-based scalability scenarios, validating support for up to 128K routes and up to 64 ECMP paths, ensuring that SONiC can efficiently handle dynamic, high-bandwidth, load-balanced data center traffic environments.

FTAS 2.3 provides enterprises with a robust, customer-driven testing framework to validate SONiC readiness, optimize network resilience, guarantee scalability, and minimize deployment risks  accelerating time-to-production and boosting overall confidence in SONiC adoption

Yes, FTAS 2.3 includes specific test cases that simulate link events, router failures, and peer link down conditions across VXLAN EVPN and MCLAG topologies, helping enterprises validate SONiC’s resilience and fast recovery under real-world failure conditions.

FTAS 2.3 enables testing across hardware platforms from different vendors running SONiC, verifying protocol consistency, scalability, and failover behavior. This ensures enterprises can confidently build multi-vendor, open networking fabrics without facing hidden interoperability challenges.

Absolutely. With support for 64-way ECMP, 128K routes, and robust EVPN/VXLAN and MCLAG validations, FTAS 2.3 is well-suited for high-density AI/ML workloads that require massive bandwidth, low latency, and resilient connectivity between compute nodes and storage fabrics.

FTAS 2.3 supports testing common data center topologies such as Leaf-Spine, Clos networks, EVPN-VXLAN overlays, L2 and L3 MCLAG setups, and ECMP-scaled fabrics — covering both traditional and modern cloud-scale architectures.

By systematically validating routing convergence, failover handling, load balancing, and scalability before production rollout, FTAS 2.3 identifies potential configuration or performance gaps early, reducing the chances of unexpected network outages after deployment.

 

Categories
Fabric Test Automation Suite

FTAS 2.2 Release: Unveiling New Features, Technical Enhancements, and Test Cases

What New Features Does FTAS 2.2 Offer for SONiC Testing?

Enhanced Testing of SONiC NOS with BGP NetOps, Dual Stack and ECMP coverage

What is FTAS (Fabric Test Automation Suite)?

Fabric Test Automation Suite (FTAS) is a virtual machine containing an extensive array of test cases. FTAS aims to validate essential features and functions of SONiC NOS for Fabric Deployment Readiness. The test cases focus on qualifying the fabric across functions, features, scale, day-2 operations, and chaos scenarios.

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Fig.1. FTAS Architecture
Fig.1. FTAS Architecture

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FTAS evolves continuously, incorporating customer feedback and integrating new features from the latest SONiC releases. In a significant stride forward, we’re thrilled to announce the unveiling of FTAS 2.2 in our ongoing journey.

Exploring FTAS 2.2 Enhancements: A Brief Overview

Fabric Test Automation Suite (FTAS) is a robust collection of test cases meticulously crafted to evaluate SONiC’s preparedness before deployment. Our continuous commitment to improvement has led to FTAS evolving based on customer insights and the integration of new features into the latest SONiC releases.

In our progressive journey, we are thrilled to announce the launch of FTAS 2.2. This version brings forth a range of enhancements aimed at further optimizing SONiC assessment and streamlining pre-deployment testing.

Let’s delve into the key enhancements introduced in FTAS 2.2:

  • Improved Test Cases: FTAS 2.2 boasts refined test cases tailored to comprehensively evaluate SONiC’s functionalities, ensuring a more robust assessment process.
  • Enhanced Performance Metrics: We’ve implemented enhanced performance metrics in FTAS 2.2 to provide more detailed insights into SONiC’s performance, facilitating better decision-making during deployment.
  • Expanded Compatibility Testing: FTAS 2.2 extends its compatibility testing suite to encompass a wider range of network configurations, ensuring SONiC’s readiness across diverse environments.
  • User-Centric Interface Updates: With a focus on user experience, FTAS 2.2 introduces interface updates, making it more intuitive and user-friendly for seamless test execution and analysis.
  • Day-2 NetOps Functionality Testing Support: Enhancing tools for post-deployment network operation tests.
  • Dual Stack & Graceful Restart Scalability Testing Support: Tools to test scalability for IPv4/IPv6 coexistence and network device restart.
  • ECMP Scalability Testing Support: Focus on testing Equal-Cost Multi-Path routing efficiency.‍
  • Improved Root Cause Analysis: Streamlined troubleshooting for identifying and resolving rare network issues faster.

What are the new features and improvements that FTAS offers?

Use Cases Covered 

Based upon the customer deployments, the FTAS latest release is packed with new test cases to enhance the existing coverage.

Layer 3

BGP NetOps

BGP is often used for node and link drain during NetOps operations, as it provides a mechanism for the controlled removal of routes from a network. When a node or link is being drained, BGP can be used to gradually decrease the amount of traffic flowing through that node or link, while ensuring that the remaining traffic is still able to reach its destination. This is accomplished by updating BGP routing tables to reflect the new topology of the network.

The latest addition to FTAS is coverage of Day-2 NetOps operations like link drain and node drain using route maps. This coverage has been added based upon the existing customer use cases and will be expanded with future releases. 

Test ScenarioDescription
BGP NetopseBGP multi-AS config, adjacency, route convergence and data path using routed interface
eBGP multi-AS route convergence and data path testing using loopback
Node drain/restore by applying deny/permit route-maps
Link drain/restore by applying deny/permit route-maps
Node drain with IPv6 traffic
Link drain with IPv6 traffic
Node drain using prefix-lists
Link drain using prefix-lists
Node drain/restore using AS path prepend
Link drain using AS path prepend

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Sample topology used for BGP NetOps use cases
Fig.2.Sample topology used for BGP NetOps use cases

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The test cases perform various operations on this topology like node drain & restore using route maps, prefix lists and AS path prepend. 

Similarly we have link drain/restore operations using route maps, prefix lists and AS path prepend. 

Dual Stack & BGP Graceful Restart

FTAS 2.2 also adds dual stack scalability and BGP Graceful Restart coverage. The dual stack coverage involves testing prefix,host and LPM routes to different scale limits. The BGP Graceful Restart involves testing the BGP graceful restart functionality under various failure conditions.

Test ScenarioDescription
Dual StackBGP dual stack scale for 4K prefix routes
BGP dual stack scale for 16K prefix routes
BGP dual stack scale for 32K prefix routes
BGP dual stack scale for 64K prefix routes
BGP dual stack scale for 128K prefix routes
BGP dual stack scale for 32K host routes
BGP dual stack scale for 32K LPM routes
BGP dual stack scale for 32K prefix routes with subnet mask
Graceful RestartBGP graceful restart with dual stack scale to 32K prefix routes
Enable/disable BGP graceful restart with dual stack scale to 32K prefix routes
BGP graceful restart with dual stack scale to 32K prefix routes and docker restart
BGP graceful restart with dual stack scale to 32K prefix routes and kill BGP process

ECMP Scalability

In the latest FTAS release, we have also added validating the device functionality with various ECMP path and route scalability combinations. Here are various scenarios covered in FTAS 2.2:

Test ScenarioDescription
ECMP Scale16 ECMP paths and 32K routes
32 ECMP paths and 64K routes
64 ECMP paths and 128K routes
Scalability to the “device ports” ECMP paths and 1K routes per path

Besides the feature and scalability enhancements, the latest release has also added the coverage of Dynamic Port Breakout feature. Dynamic Port Breakout in SONiC enables the administrator to change the breakout mode of the port without having to change the HWSKU/Profile of the device which requires device reboot. This FTAS release has basic coverage of Dynamic Port Breakout testing. This coverage is going to increase in future releases. 

In previous FTAS releases, SONiC resilience was tested with port-channel configurations on DUT links. Thanks to valuable customer feedback, these tests can now be conducted without the need for port-channel configurations as well

Enhanced Failure Analysis

We pay close attention to the inputs from FTAS users. These users feed us data about how easy or difficult it is to operate FTAS UI and the changes they would like to see to make their experience better.  FTAS 2.2 introduces significant enhancements aimed at elevating the user’s debugging experience to new levels of efficiency and effectiveness.

Recognizing the significance of tech support data in pinpointing elusive failures, our latest release introduces a mechanism to automatically collect tech support dumps for all devices whenever a test case encounters a failure. Access the tech support dump within the test report folder for the corresponding run.

Similar to tech support, collection of syslogs also helps in the root-cause analysis of the failures. Our latest release collects the syslogs for all DUTs for each test case. Like tech support dumps, the syslogs are also saved in the test report folder. 

Likewise FTAS 2.2 has another useful enhancement to display DOM information to debug port issues. This data is captured in the test log whenever we encounter port issues e.g. if the port fails to activate in a test case. In some corner cases, these port issues may not be easily reproducible. Hence it is important to capture as much data as possible as and when the failure occurs during the run. The DOM data along with Syslog and Tech Support dump comes handy in narrowing down the underlying cause. This helps us release the SONiC image without corner case issues.

FAQs: Frequently Asked Questions About FTAs 2.2

How does FTAS 2.2 differ from the previous versions?

  • Coverage of BGP Netops
  • Increased dual stack scalability coverage
  • Increased ECMP scalability coverage
  • Auto collection of information to assist in debugging – techsupport bundle, syslog, DOM output

How does it help you achieve your goals and meet your expectations?

  • Support for testing Day-2 NetOps functionality
  • Support for testing Dual Stack & Graceful Restart scalability
  • Support for testing ECMP scalability
  • Easier and faster root cause analysis of the corner cases

Conclusion:

At Aviz, we’re dedicated to continually improving FTAS to empower your SONiC deployment process. Stay tuned for more updates on our journey to enhance SONiC assessment and deployment readiness.

We actively gather inputs and feedback from our customers regarding the extended coverage, incorporating this information into our approach to enhance product usability and debug capabilities

Schedule a call with our team to delve into FTAS. For comprehensive information before the scheduled call, visit our FTAS product page.

Categories
Fabric Test Automation Suite SONiC

FTAS 2.0: Enabling Customer Driven Quality Standards for Multi-Vendor SONiC Deployments

The Importance of Quality Standardization in Community SONiC Based Networks

While traditional network deployments rely on proprietary solutions from switch vendors for quality assurance, the shift towards community SONiC presents a challenge: maintaining high-quality standards without turning SONiC into a proprietary system. The solution? FTAS (Fabric Test Automation Suite).

FTAS empowers customers to manage the diversity of community SONiC with a simple, one-click quality check. It enables data centers to transition to Community SONiC confidently, ensuring that any vendor’s switch aligns perfectly with their specific requirements through standardized and automated FATS test cases.

The evolution of FTAS from its initial focus on a few vendors and use cases to the more comprehensive FTAS 2.0 highlights our commitment to expanding support and adapting to a wider range of customer needs. This advancement underscores our dedication to fostering standardized quality assurance in the Community SONiC ecosystem.

FTAS (Fabric Test Automation Suite) Overview

Overview of Aviz Networks’ Fabric Test Automation Suite (FTAS)

Four-device topology for testing scenarios in FTAS

The Fabric Test Automation Suite by Aviz Networks is a groundbreaking testing solution, combining the consistency of SONiC’s CLI with advanced testing methodologies. It represents a significant advancement in switch testing, catering to the complex demands of modern network fabrics with a commitment to quality and performance. Following are a few innovations we have done with FTAS.

  • Comprehensive Testing: Using SONiC CLI: FTAS leverages the uniformity of SONiC’s Command Line Interface across various vendors, enabling extensive and thorough testing of switch functionalities. This ensures a robust validation of core switch operations within complex network infrastructures.
  • Integration with Jenkins for CI/CD Testing: The suite is compatible with Jenkins, facilitating a ready-to-use Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline tailored for Network Development Operations (NetDevOps). It supports testing on both physical switches and GNS3-based virtual appliances, enhancing its versatility as a true virtual system.
  • In-depth Fabric Analysis: FTAS is specifically designed for detailed analysis of switch behavior within network fabrics. It uses SONiC’s consistent CLI to explore and understand intricate fabric interactions, highlighting the suite’s capability for detailed network scrutiny.
  • Tailored for Modern Network Needs: The suite is developed with a focus on the evolving requirements of contemporary networks. It offers a flexible and adaptable toolset, poised to address the dynamic nature of modern network technology landscapes.
  • Focus on Performance, Reliability, and Scalability: Aviz Networks has a clear mission with FTAS – to enhance network performance, reliability, and scalability through rigorous and comprehensive testing. This focus ensures networks are not just meeting but exceeding performance expectations.
  • Commitment to On-going Excellence: FTAS embodies Aviz Networks’ dedication to providing high-quality testing solutions. It ensures optimal network performance and resilience, showcasing the company’s commitment to excellence in network testing.

Optimizing Test Cases and Quality Quest Across the Entire SONiC Ecosystem with Major Vendors

Open Networking Experience (ONE Center): SONiC evaluation sandbox for diverse hardware.

Aviz Networks has always taken an inclusive and comprehensive approach working with all of our partners. Community comes with diversity and with that it comes with a lot of heavy lifting which is required to do normalization for complex test cases. Below is the high level process we used to achieve a standardized test suite which can now work on all the vendors registered in ONE center, and hence available for customers to to POC or setup a CI/CD lab of their own and start on NetDevOps journey.

  • Selective Test Case Automation: The team at Aviz Networks embarked on an automation journey, carefully selecting key test cases for automation. This selection process was thorough, ensuring that the chosen test cases were crucial for the automation objectives – typically selected by high value customer use cases.
  • Rigorous Cross-Platform Testing: The automated test cases were subjected to intensive testing across various platforms available in the Aviz lab. This included a range of platforms from industry leaders such as Cisco, NVIDIA, Edgecore, Wistron, and others, ensuring a comprehensive testing process.
  • Platform Independent (PI) Test Suite: A significant number of these test cases were identified as platform-independent. They demonstrated consistent behavior across all tested platforms. These were grouped into the Platform Independent suite, making them versatile for execution on any platform within the ecosystem.
  • Identification of Platform Dependent (PD) Test Cases: Some test cases showed variations in behavior across different platforms. This was due to differences in the outputs of show commands or the support of different feature sets by various switches. These test cases were categorized as Platform Dependent, acknowledging their specific applicability to certain platforms.

In summary, the optimization of test cases across the SONiC ecosystem at Aviz Networks involved a strategic selection and categorization of test cases, ensuring effective automation across a wide range of platforms. This process led to the creation of both Platform Independent and Platform Dependent test suites, accommodating the diverse nature of the testing environment and the specific characteristics of different platforms.

Customer Guide to Accessing and Using FTAS

FTAS serves a dual role, catering to both switch vendors and end customers with its versatile applications. It’s a dynamic tool, continuously evolving to incorporate the latest in SONiC community developments.

For Switch Vendors

  • R&D and Product Development: Utilized in the research and development phase, FTAS aids in crafting high-quality SONiC solutions.

For End Customers

  • Proof of Concept (POC) Testing: As a subscription service, it enables end customers to conduct POCs. This facilitates testing of multi-vendor SONiC solutions, helping in informed decision-making regarding vendor selection.
  • CI/CD Lab Management: FTAS is also instrumental in managing Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) labs, streamlining NetDevOps processes for efficient SONiC deployment.

Continuous Enhancement

FTAS is not static; it’s a ‘living entity’ that regularly integrates new use cases, platforms, and updates from the SONiC community. This ensures users always have access to the most advanced and comprehensive tools available.

If you are looking for a comprehensive and easy-to-use testing solution for your SONiC network, then FTAS is the perfect option for you. For more detailed information about the supported suites and their configurations, visit: FTAS Test Suite Configuration


FTAS Reporting Mechanism: Delivering Comprehensive Test Insights

Test Execution report- user-friendly HTML format with detailed test results and logs for transparent and efficient testing experience
Overview of the FTAS Test Results – Execution Report

The Next Level of Testing: Introducing FTAS 2.0 and its Exciting Features

Working with customers and partners, we focused on below three items in FTAS release 2.0: 

  • Making it more robust for the existing use cases and adding new test cases as per new customers
  • Adding more platforms for higher speeds and feeds and also new ASICs/Platforms
  • Making the test cases more flexible so custom test cases can be executed

Detailed list for 2.0 release can be found here

Conclusion

FTAS is an invaluable asset for corporations exploring SONiC or switch vendors seeking enhanced support. It revolutionizes testing by offering comprehensive coverage with reduced effort and expense. By eliminating the need for extensive teams, complex test planning, and manual execution, FTAS streamlines the testing process. It ensures accurate, efficient outcomes at a fraction of the traditional cost and effort.

Ready to explore? Book a demo with us on FTAS, and how it works?

FAQs

1.How does FTAS standardize quality testing across different SONiC vendors?

FTAS standardizes quality testing by using SONiC’s consistent Command Line Interface (CLI) to automate test cases across different switch vendors. It provides a platform-independent suite of test cases, ensuring that switches from various vendors can be tested under the same quality standards, leading to a seamless and interoperable multi-vendor SONiC deployment.

Platform Independent (PI) test cases are those that perform consistently across different platforms, while Platform Dependent (PD) test cases are tailored to specific platforms and may show variations in behavior due to vendor-specific implementations. FTAS categorizes test cases into PI and PD to ensure accurate testing across diverse platforms within the SONiC ecosystem.

FTAS is continuously updated to incorporate the latest SONiC community developments. It regularly adds new use cases, platforms, and test cases, ensuring that users always have access to the most advanced tools. This ongoing enhancement ensures that FTAS remains adaptable to the ever-evolving requirements of modern network technologies.

FTAS provides user-friendly, detailed test execution reports in HTML format, offering transparency and efficiency in understanding test results. These reports include comprehensive logs, making it easy for users to track performance, identify issues, and ensure that SONiC deployments meet the necessary quality standards.

FTAS 2.0 introduces several new features, including enhanced support for existing use cases, additional platforms for higher speeds and new ASICs, and improved flexibility for executing custom test cases. These updates ensure that FTAS 2.0 can address the evolving needs of customers and vendors, supporting more advanced and diverse SONiC deployments.

6. What is FTAS 2.0 and how does it improve SONiC deployments?

FTAS 2.0 is an enhanced version of the Fabric Test Automation Suite, designed to ensure consistent, high-quality performance across multi-vendor SONiC environments. It automates and standardizes test cases, providing detailed insights into switch behavior and fabric interactions. FTAS 2.0 improves upon the original by supporting more platforms, adding new test cases, and allowing greater flexibility for custom testing.

 FTAS simplifies the testing and quality assurance process for multi-vendor SONiC deployments by providing a one-click quality check for any vendor’s switch. It ensures that switches meet specific requirements through standardized, automated FATS test cases, making it easier for data centers to transition to SONiC confidently.

Integrating FTAS with Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines streamlines testing within the NetDevOps process. This integration ensures continuous testing of SONiC deployments, enabling automated validation and faster identification of issues. FTAS is compatible with Jenkins, facilitating automated testing across both physical switches and virtual appliances.

 For switch vendors, FTAS supports research and development by validating SONiC solutions before deployment. It ensures the solutions meet the quality standards required for successful multi-vendor SONiC deployments. For end customers, FTAS enables Proof of Concept (POC) testing, which aids in informed decision-making when selecting vendors and evaluating SONiC solutions.

FTAS plays a crucial role in NetDevOps by automating the testing and validation of SONiC deployments. It integrates seamlessly into CI/CD pipelines, allowing customers to conduct continuous testing, track quality metrics, and enhance their network operations with minimal manual intervention. This ensures that network deployments are efficient, reliable, and scalable.

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FTAS 2.0: Enabling Customer Driven Quality Standards for Multi-Vendor SONiC Deployments

The Importance of Quality Standardization in Community SONiC Based Networks While traditional network deployments rely on proprietary solutions from switch vendors for quality assurance, the shift towards community SONiC presents a challenge: maintaining high-quality standards without turning SONiC into a proprietary system. The solution? FTAS (Fabric Test Automation Suite). FTAS empowers customers to manage the […]