Testing Network and Communication Systems

Before fielding a new network, or even upgrading a piece of network equipment, things need to be tested to ensure the anticipated changes will, first, do no harm, and second, give users the anticipated improvements in availability, reliability or speed.

While the methods for testing differ, the three broad areas where engineers and technicians test network and communications systems before fielding them are:

Standards conformance testing can involve different standards but the most common standards for most Internet Protocol (IP) networking equipment are the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards codified in Request for Comments (RFC).

Conformance testing is done by interfacing the Device Under Test (DUT), a router for example, with an automated test system that emulates the inputs and outputs needed to stimulate the DUT. The tester compares actual outcomes with the expected, standards-based outcome, to determine standards conformance.

Performance testing is done in a similar manner, with the DUT interfaced to another special purpose computer than can simulate 1,000s of users and thus ‘load’ the DUT with operationally realistic traffic. The DUT is monitored by other special purpose test equipment and via logs from the device itself to evaluate its capability to support network traffic.

The final type of test, interoperability testing, is frequently done by inserting a DUT into the middle of a ‘string’ of other devices. Then, using traffic loading and protocol analysis, testers evaluate the DUTs ability to interoperate with its adjacent devices.
Designing a test can take days or weeks and subsequently executing the test can take hours to months. Timing depends on the complexity of the network, the number of devices under test, the degree of accuracy desired and the analytical methods used.

Some tests, such as those done during large-scale communications exercises for the military, can involve hundreds of systems, with communications spanning thousands of miles, and equipment in almost every time zone. And at the end of the test, there are sometimes gigabytes of test data to analyze to determine exactly what happened during the test, usually followed by a written report.

Hence, the complexity of the test event, coupled with the inherent complexity of communication systems testing, means testers must be interdisciplinary, with skills beyond network engineering.

In addition to technical skills in network and communication systems, good testers need interrelated skills in technology management, including project management, technical writing, basic math, statistical skills and the soft skills needed to effectively work on or lead a team.

At heart, effective testers are technology managers who can lead teams, are skilled and adaptable project managers and above all are curious and persistent.

At DeVry, we offer degree and certificate programs that can help you get started on the path toward a future in network and communications systems. Classes start every 8 weeks, with 100% online options available.