SBC Port Statisitics Test

This test monitors every port index on the target SBC AudioCodes appliance and reports how well each port handles the data traffic. By continuously monitoring the ports, administrators can also track the packet traffic through each port index and quickly identify the port that is handling the maximum amount of traffic in terms of multicast packets, unicast packets etc. In addition, this test also reports the number of discarded packets, FIFO errors, FCS errors, collisions on each port index and thereby helps administrators to proactively identify any network congestions, incorrect configurations, hardware issues or software bugs and issues before they eventually lead to adversities such as dropped calls, poor call quality, disruptions in communication or data loss or corruption.

Target of the test : An SBC AudioCodes appliance

Agent deploying the test : An external agent

Outputs of the test : One set of results for each port index on the target SBC AudioCodes being monitored.

Configurable parameters for the test
Parameters	Description
Test period	How often should the test be executed
Host	The IP address of the host for which this test is to be configured.
SNMPPort	The port at which the monitored target exposes its SNMP MIB; the default is 161.
SNMPVersion	By default, the eG agent supports SNMP version 1. Accordingly, the default selection in the SNMPversion list is v1. However, if a different SNMP framework is in use in your environment, say SNMP v2 or v3, then select the corresponding option from this list.
SNMPCommunity	The SNMP community name that the test uses to communicate with the firewall. This parameter is specific to SNMP v1 and v2 only. Therefore, if the SNMPVersion chosen is v3, then this parameter will not appear.
Username	This parameter appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPversion. SNMP version 3 (SNMPv3) is an extensible SNMP Framework which supplements the SNMPv2 Framework, by additionally supporting message security, access control, and remote SNMP configuration capabilities. To extract performance statistics from the MIB using the highly secure SNMP v3 protocol, the eG agent has to be configured with the required access privileges – in other words, the eG agent should connect to the MIB using the credentials of a user with access permissions to be MIB. Therefore, specify the name of such a user against this parameter.
Context	This parameter appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPVERSION. An SNMP context is a collection of management information accessible by an SNMP entity. An item of management information may exist in more than one context and an SNMP entity potentially has access to many contexts. A context is identified by the SNMPEngineID value of the entity hosting the management information (also called a contextEngineID) and a context name that identifies the specific context (also called a contextName). If the Username provided is associated with a context name, then the eG agent will be able to poll the MIB and collect metrics only if it is configured with the context name as well. In such cases therefore, specify the context name of the Username in the Context text box. By default, this parameter is set to none.
AuthPass	Specify the password that corresponds to the above-mentioned Username. This parameter once again appears only if the SNMPversion selected is v3.
Confirm Password	Confirm the AuthPass by retyping it here.
AuthType	This parameter too appears only if v3 is selected as the SNMPversion. From the AuthType list box, choose the authentication algorithm using which SNMP v3 converts the specified username and password into a 32-bit format to ensure security of SNMP transactions. You can choose between the following options: MD5 - Message Digest Algorithm SHA - Secure Hash Algorithm SHA224 - Secure Hash Algorithm 224 bit SHA256 - Secure Hash Algorithm 256 bit SHA384 - Secure Hash Algorithm 384 bit SHA512 - Secure Hash Algorithm 512 bit
EncryptFlag	This flag appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPversion. By default, the eG agent does not encrypt SNMP requests. Accordingly, the this flag is set to No by default. To ensure that SNMP requests sent by the eG agent are encrypted, select the Yes option.
EncryptType	If the EncryptFlag is set to Yes, then you will have to mention the encryption type by selecting an option from the EncryptType list. SNMP v3 supports the following encryption types: DES - Data Encryption Standard 3DES - Triple Data Encryption Standard AES - Advanced Encryption Standard AES128 - Advanced Encryption Standard 128 bit AES192 - Advanced Encryption Standard 192 bit AES256 - Advanced Encryption Standard 256 bit
EncryptPassword	Specify the encryption password here.
Confirm Password	Confirm the encryption password by retyping it here.
Timeout	Specify the duration (in seconds) within which the SNMP query executed by this test should time out in this text box. The default is 10 seconds.
Data Over TCP	By default, in an IT environment, all data transmission occurs over UDP. Some environments however, may be specifically configured to offload a fraction of the data traffic – for instance, certain types of data traffic or traffic pertaining to specific components – to other protocols like TCP, so as to prevent UDP overloads. In such environments, you can instruct the eG agent to conduct the SNMP data traffic related to the monitored target over TCP (and not UDP). For this, set this flag to Yes. By default, this flag is set to No.
EngineID	This parameter appears only when v3 is selected as the SNMPVersion. Sometimes, the test may not report metrics when AES192 or AES256 is chosen as the Encryption type. To ensure that the test report metrics consistently, administrators need to set this flag to Yes. By default, this parameter is set to No.

Measurements made by the test
Measurement	Description	Measurement Unit	Interpretation
Transmitted packets	Indicates the number of packets transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Received packets	Indicates the number of packets received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Data transmitted	Indicates the amount of data transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Bytes
Data received	Indicates the amount of data receieved by the port index during the last measurement period.	Bytes
Received packets discarded	Indicates the number of packets discarded by this port index upon reception during the last measurement period.	Packets	If an incoming packet is received from an invalid source (as defined in the firewall), the call or packet is discarded.
Transmitted FCS errors	Indicates the number of FCS errors transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Number
Received FCS errors	Indicates the number of FCS errors received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Number	This measure may indicate a problem with the integrity of the data being transmitted or received on that port. FCS (Frame Check Sequence) errors typically occur when the data being received contains errors or corruption that prevent it from being properly decoded and processed by the device.
Trasmitted broadcast packets	Indicates the number of broadcast packets transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Received broadcast packets	Indicates the number of broadcast packets received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Transmitted multicast packets	Indicates the number of multicast packets transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Received multicast packets	Indicates the number of multicast packets received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Transmitted unicast packets	Indicates the number of unicast packets transmitted by this port index during the last mesurement period.	Packets
Received unicast packets	Indicates the number of unicast packets received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Transmitted compressed packets	Indicates the number of compressed packets transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Received compressed packets	Indicates the number of compressed packets received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets
Transmitted carrier errors	Indicates the number of carrier errors transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Packets	This measure indicates that there are issues with the transmission of carrier signals through the SBC. This could be due to various reasons such as network congestion, hardware failures, or configuration errors. Some potential causes include: Signal interference or noise on the carrier line, leading to transmission errors. Hardware issues with the SBC port or the connected equipment. Configuration errors or mismatches in the SBC settings. Network congestion or bandwidth issues affecting the transmission of data. Software bugs or glitches in the SBC firmware. Incompatibility with the carrier or service provider's network. Environmental factors such as power surges or fluctuations. Transmitted carrier errors can lead to call quality issues, dropped calls, and other communication problems.
Collisions	Indicates the number of collisions occured on this port index during the last measurement period.	Number	A high value for this measure indicates a problem with the transmission of data on the ports of the SBC. Collisions occur when two devices on a shared network attempt to transmit data at the same time, causing a conflict and potentially leading to data loss or corruption. Some possible reasons could include: Network congestion or overload: If there is heavy traffic on the network or on the SBC ports, it could lead to collisions and cause performance issues. Incorrect configuration: If the SBC ports are not configured properly or if there are configuration errors, it could lead to collisions and cause alerts to be triggered. Hardware issues: If there are any hardware issues with the SBC ports or the network equipment, it could lead to collisions and trigger alerts. Software bugs or issues: Sometimes, software bugs or issues in the SBC firmware or operating system could lead to collisions and trigger alerts.
Received frame errors	Indicates the number of frame errors received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Number	Frames are data packets that are transmitted and received over a network, and errors in received frames can indicate issues with the transmission of data. Receiving frame errors can affect the quality and reliability of audio and voice calls that are being transmitted through the SBC. These errors can lead to issues such as dropped calls, poor call quality, or disruptions in communication. Ideally, the value of this measure should be zero.
Transmitted packets dropped	Indicates the number of packets dropped by this port index upon transmission during the last measurement period.	Packets	Ideally, the value of this measure should be zero. Compare the value of this measure across the ports to identify the virtual port that is dropping too many packets upon transmission.
Received packets dropped	Indicates the number of packets dropped by this port index upon reception during the last measurement period.	Packets	Ideally, the value of this measure should be zero. Compare the value of this measure across the ports to identify the virtual port that is dropping too many packets upon reception.
Transmitted FIFO errors	Indicates the number of FIFO errors transmitted by this port index during the last measurement period.	Number	Ideally, the value of this measure should be zero. Any values other than zero could be due to issues with the transmission of data packets within the FIFO (First In, First Out) buffer of the port. FIFO (First In, First Out) errors occur when data is not being processed by the buffer in the correct order, leading to potential data loss or corruption.
Received FIFO errors	Indicates the number of FIFO errors received by this port index during the last measurement period.	Number