Create/Edit a Performance Test

Overview

This page explains how to create and edit individual Performance tests on Highlight. For service providers with a requirement to add multiple tests (20 or more) there is an alternative process which is explained on the Bulkloading Performance Tests page.

Highlight can carry out a variety of different performance tests. For more details on performance tests and why they are used, see our Performance test information page in our Functionality section.

Performance testing is supported on Cisco devices for all test types, and on Juniper devices on all but MOS.

Watch our performance test videos for ICMP Ping and MOS

Edit Watch: Performance tab

This dialog shows a list of all performance tests on the selected bearer. Details for each test are displayed down the right when a test is selected.

Use to create a new test, see sections below for details

Create new test: Initial dialog

This dialog allows you to select the type of test you wish to run, which falls into 5 categories

Reachability: ICMP: Tests if a remote device responds and measure round trip delay
UDP: Measures network delay between locations
Application availability: TCP Open: Determines if application is active (“listening”)
Web performance: HTTP: Time to receive the first web page response
HTTPS: Time to receive a complete web page
Network performance: Precision delay: Measure realistic jitter and delay statistics
Voice: MOS: Assess a network path for voice quality


based on...: The list of test templates available is filtered according to the test type selected above. Use a test template if creating multiple tests with common parameters. Alternatively create a test with No template. If no templates exist for your selected test type, then this drop-down will be disabled.

moves to the next step

Create/Edit dialog - Source tab

For all tests other than HTTPS, use this dialog to set up a test either on the current device or on a different device.

For HTTPS tests, the Source tab states
Agent must be installed and configured for web testing to create an HTTPS test
Find out more about agents

The two From options This device or Another device are only available when the test is first created, not on edit.

Performance Test Source tab — Create **From this device** and **From another device** for SNMP v2c, not yet validated

SNMP v2c

From This device

Device IP: Defaults to the parent watch IP address (Non-editable)
RO Community: Defaults to the parent watch SNMP community string (Non-editable)
RW Community: Defaults to the folder setting, change if necessary

From Another device

Device IP: Use "Add new device", or select a previously used device from the drop-down
New device address: Appears if "Add new device" selected for Device IP
Add the IP address of the device which will run the test
RO Community: Defaults to the parent watch SNMP community string, edit as needed for the new device (Required)
RW Community: Defaults to the folder setting. edit as needed for the new device (Required)

SNMP v3

From This device

Device IP: Defaults to the parent watch IP address (Non-editable)
Security Level: Defaults to authPriv (Non-editable)
Username: Must be fewer than 32 characters and may not contain ,\' or " (Required)
Auth key: Must be fewer than 32 characters and may not contain ,\' or " (Required)
Select MD5 (default) or SHA1
Priv key: Must be fewer than 32 characters and may not contain ,\' or " (Required)
Select DES (default) or AES 128

From Another device

Device IP: Use "Add new device", or select a previously used device from the drop-down
New device address: Appears if "Add new device" selected for Device IP.
Add the IP address of the device which will run the test
Security Level: Defaults to authPriv (Non-editable)
Username: Must be fewer than 32 characters and may not contain ,\' or " (Required)
Auth key: Must be fewer than 32 characters and may not contain ,\' or " (Required)
Select MD5 (default) or SHA1
Priv key: Must be fewer than 32 characters and may not contain ,\' or " (Required)
Select DES (default) or AES 128

If changing the SNMP version on edit, the test automatically disables and needs to be validated before it can be enabled

Before the test will run in Highlight the device needs to be validated. The test is Disabled (top right) until the device has been successfully validated.
Click Validate now

The result will either be

Device successfully configured
This device can be used for performance tests

and the test will be automatically Enabled and can then be Disabled if required

Device not validated
Validation failed

and the test will remain Disabled with no toggle available

When a test is Disabled :

data is not collected for the test
alerts cannot be sent nor colours changed (green to amber for example)
the strip chart for the test is not displayed
the performance chart (on the details page) is not displayed

Move next to the Target tab, or to update the details for this test

Available on edit only and deletes the performance test

Create/Edit dialog - Target tab

Test template field indicators

A blue background on a field indicates the value has been applied from a template. This can be overridden.

ICMP Ping, UDP Echo, TCP Open, Precision delay and MOS tests

Target IP: Add the IP address of the device you are testing to
Description: Add an optional description which will appear in the Details page, reports and alerts
Target port: (ICMP Ping and MOS) Field is empty and greyed out (non-editable)
(UDP Echo and Precision delay) If required change the UDP port from the default of 7. Note that the target device will need additional configuration if changed.
(TCP Open only) Add the application port on the target device you are checking is active
Source IP: Add the IP address to use as the source in the test, which may differ from the default of the watch IP.
Description: Add an optional description which will appear on the Details page, reports and alerts
Test frequency: If required change the frequency from the default displayed
VRF (optional): If testing over a specific virtual network add the VRF name
DSCP: if required select the packet marking required using DSCP or IP Precedence settings

HTTP tests

Target URL: Add the web address of the service you are testing to
Description: Add an optional description which will appear in the Details page, reports and alerts
Target port: Field is empty and greyed out
Source IP: Add the IP address to use as the source in the test, which may differ from the default of the watch IP.
Description: Add an optional description which will appear on the Details page, reports and alerts
Test frequency: If required change the frequency from the default displayed
VRF: If testing over a specific virtual network add the VRF name
DSCP: if required select the packet marking required using DSCP or IP Precedence settings

HTTPS tests

For HTTPS tests which are run from an Agent, the Target tab is the first displayed once the test type is selected

Target URL: Add the web address of the service you are testing to. This can be either https:// or http://
Description: Add an optional description which will appear in the Details page, reports and alerts
Target port: Field is empty and greyed out
Source: Add an optional description which will appear on the Details page, reports and alerts
Test frequency: Fixed at 180 seconds
VRF: Field is empty and greyed out

Move next to the Thresholds tab, or to update the details for this test

Available on edit only and deletes the performance test

Create/Edit dialog - Thresholds tab

The Thresholds tab varies according to what test has been selected. All required fields on this tab (marked with *) have a default entry so the test can be saved without further changes. Default values for each test type are listed on the performance test information page.

Test template field indicators

A blue background on a field indicates the value has been applied from a template. This can be overridden.

Thresholds

The threshold values can impact heat tiles and therefore alerting, and would be set to match an SLA agreement for example.

Delay: Test results are compared to the round trip delay for health assessment. Note: Units for Precision delay are microseconds, otherwise milliseconds
Packet loss: The number of test non-responses expressed as a percentage of all packets sent are compared to packet loss for health assessment.
Jitter: (MOS and Precision delay tests) Jitter is reported by the target device not calculated by Highlight and is compared to the jitter threshold for health assessment
(ICMP Ping and UDP echo) Jitter is calculated by Highlight from the sample round trip delay results and is compared to the jitter threshold for health assessment.
Score: (MOS tests only) MOS is reported by the target device not calculated by Highlight and is compared to the Score threshold for health assessment

For each test

Packet size: The size in bytes of each test packet sent (cannot be changed for MOS tests)
Total packets: (Precision delay tests only) The number of packets contributing to a single test result.
Packet interval: (Precision delay tests only) The delay between the packets which are contributing to a single test result
Codec: (MOS tests only) Select the codec used in your network so the router can calculate the equivalent MOS value

Update the details for this test

Available on edit only and deletes the performance test

Create/Edit dialog - Containers tab

The Containers tab enables you to include this test in one or more containers. Logos will be shown if a logo has been added to the container.

If the test has been created based on a template with one or more associated containers, then those containers will show on the Containers tab. Containers linked from a template can be removed and other containers can be added.

Choose containers - left panel

Filter...: Enter text to select containers whose name or description contain that string (case is ignored)
: Click to add this watch to the container
: Indicates this watch is already included in the container, click to remove it

Performance Test Containers tab - Filter — Filter the list of containers based on name or description

Included in these containers - right panel

See a list of all containers in which this test is included. Use to remove this test from the container.

You will not see a container listed on this tab if:

the container is above your user folder/location in the tree
the container is set to Visibility: Internal and you are a user in a customer folder
the container is enabled for maintenance and you do not have the Manage maintenance permission

Update the details for this test

Available on edit only and deletes the performance test