MIMIC Application Brief: WiMAX Testing

Welcome to the latest MIMIC Application Brief. This month's "MIMIC
Brief" focuses on MIMIC's use as a tool for testing WiMAX devices.

Vendors of WiMAX management applications have to constantly test
their products for unplanned downtime due to equipment and power
failure, along with regular scalability and standard feature
testing. Gambit's MIMIC Simulator provides a virtual test
environment that reliably tests all these at one tenth of the cost!

Until now, the only way to test was to try applications against a
small non-production network or a test lab. Test labs are normally
much smaller than the actual production network, not to mention they
are very expensive to build and setup. Test labs need continuous
updating because of the evolving WiMAX standards along with devices
and technologies.

Network in a Box
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MIMIC Simulator enables network engineers and testers to create,
record and simulate large production environments. MIMIC can simulate
up to 10,000 local and remote WiMAX based network equipment, base
stations, repeaters, and other networking devices like routers and
switchers in one workstation. Each of these devices can be managed
independently or in a group. Pathological conditions can be easily
reproduced since MIMIC gives control over every single managed object
instance of every device. Instead of using traffic generators, call
generators, or any other physical world device, MIMIC supplies an
environment that can run in a hands-off manner.

Equipment failure like microwave transceivers going down, network
malfunction or bad traffic conditions can easily be created. In
addition to making the local/remote WiMAX network management more
reliable, MIMIC reduces equipment costs, removes lab-sharing
headaches and makes the lab even larger than the production network.

MIMIC can simulate remote WiMAX sites and problems related to those
like delays, packet drops and alerts. It can send a storm of alerts
at any frequency, for as long as needed. The engineer doesn't have
to wait for a specific situation to occur.

The good news is that the engineer can freely experiment with adds
and changes to the network to test features like inventory
management - without the worry of the impact to the production
network. Resetting the original simulated environment is easily
accomplished with MIMIC.

MIMIC makes regression testing a snap by helping to create and save
different network scenarios. These tests can be run as many times as
necessary with minimal setup. Every time a new feature or a bug needs
to be tested, a new scenario to the regression tests can be added.
All this can be done without running around the physical lab and
worrying if all the devices are configured properly. Imagine the time
this would save in the testing procedure! In addition, these test
scenarios can be shared between developers and testers, so that the
unit tests that developers perform can be transferred to regression
tests. Another benefit is that MIMIC can be used by the sales force
or training group in order to demonstrate and train on the
effectiveness of the management software under varying conditions.

MIMIC includes a library of scripts and pre-configured large-scale,
multi-vendor networks. MIMIC also includes a discovery wizard, which
can record and duplicate any local/remote production or test lab
network for WiMAX. Using the applications in their duplicated network
environment gives engineers a personalized, accurate appraisal of the
software. MIMIC also offers an assurance that the software will
perform to specifications. There's no more guessing whether an
application will scale to meet the customer's current and future
needs. Engineers know exactly what to expect from the application -
and what not to expect - which greatly improves customer satisfaction
after the purchase.

MIMIC brings remote site WiMAX environmental conditions and equipment
within the reach of network administrators, by simulating both current
and future production environments.

If you would like to share how you are benefiting from MIMIC or
if there is an aspect of MIMIC that you would like discussed, please
let us know.

Best regards,

Gambit Communications, Inc.
http://www.gambitcomm.com