EXFO partners with SUSE to offer real-time network visibility

EXFO, the communications industry’s test, monitoring and analytics experts, has announced that EXFO’s Active u-Verifier has been tested and validated on the SUSE Rancher container management platform, the open source enterprise Kubernetes container orchestration system.

Together, these technologies will enable communications service providers (CSPs) and enterprise networks with mission-critical applications to better understand the real-time performance of their networks, across virtual and cloud-native functions. They can then take action before performance impairments affect subscriber experience and impact critical 5G revenue streams.

This collaboration seeks to address significant pain points for CSPs. According to the latest joint research findings from Heavy Reading and EXFO, 69% of CSPs agreed that 5G network fault detection and correlation are more complex in cloud infrastructures, compared to legacy, non-cloud networks. 74% of CSPs also believe that fault correlation in cloud-based infrastructure is difficult due to the lack of visibility or access to tools to correlate these faults. In addition, 1 in 5 CSPs estimate that isolating faults to a specific 5G standalone (SA) or non-standalone (NSA) backhaul domain take up more than 75% of total resolution time. In comparison, only 4% of CSPs feel this is the case in 4G networks.

To help address these challenges, EXFO developed its Active u-Verifier: an automated cloud-native service assurance solution that adaptively deploys, controls and scales probing on demand. With SUSE Rancher orchestration, EXFO’s Active u-Verifier can be deployed all along the network service path to provide complete visibility of network performances across virtual and cloud-native functions. The solution functions as a test generator to support network segmentation and mesh testing requirements. The extensive test catalog enables CSPs to validate network performance as well as service level experience.

“We live in a hyperconnected era, where the network stack will only continue to transform,” said Richard Card, Global Head of Telco GTM at SUSE. “Mobile technologies like 5G are key to connecting end users to devices, services and more, and service providers are faced with increased expectations to better manage network performance and resolve issues in a timely fashion, whether or not they are virtualized. EXFO’s innovative active testing solution paired with SUSE Rancher’s industry-leading Kubernetes management system is an ideal solution to give service providers a complete picture of their network, service health and issue resolution.”

“Pairing EXFO’s active testing solution with SUSE Rancher’s carrier-grade Kubernetes management system shows further commitment to provide best-in-class network active testing performance monitoring solution,” said Claudio Mazzuca, EXFO’s Vice President, Strategic Partnerships and Alliances. “By offering complete visibility into network performance, and detecting and resolving issues impacting subscribers in real-time, the network monitoring and assurance process is ultimately simplified. This takes pressure off service providers, allowing them to efficiently monitor and optimize 5G network and services, which is core to EXFO’s adaptive service assurance business.”