For service providers, testing a new network solution or software upgrade in a live production environment is highly risky.
With a high chance of network downtime, emergency fixes and data loss, resulting in poor customer experience/satisfaction.
The best way to undertake testing safely is in to use a Lab environment to thoroughly test hardware or software changes before implementation.
Testing in a controlled Lab environment allows you to identify and mitigate potential risks and issues before you implement hardware changes in the production environment.
This helps prevent disruptions, downtime, and costly errors – particularly with complex network projects.
Validation of Design and Architecture
The Lab serves as a platform to validate the design and architecture of complex network solutions.
It allows us to assess whether the proposed solution aligns with the customers’ requirements and business goals.
Thus, reducing the likelihood of design flaws impacting the production environment.
Scalable Lab Testing
At Flint Technology Services (Flint TS), we can simulate various usage scenarios in the lab to assess how well the network solutions scale with increasing demands.
We do this with the help of specialist load testing software.
This is to ensure that the deployed solutions can accommodate growth and handle increased loads without compromising performance or stability.
Faster Deployment
By ironing out issues in the Lab, we help network owners and operators to streamline deployment in the production environment.
This results in quicker implementation times and reduced the time-to-market for new network solutions.
Cost Savings
Detecting and resolving issues in the Lab is generally more cost-effective than addressing problems in a live production environment.
This often saves costs as it minimises the need for emergency fixes, downtime and the potential for data loss.
Customer Satisfaction
Perhaps most importantly, thorough testing in a Lab environment contributes to the overall reliability and stability of the deployed network solutions.
This, in turn, enhances end-user customer satisfaction as the solutions are more likely to meet expectations and perform as intended.
Here at Flint TS, we have built and tested many complex network solutions in our own Lab environment as well as at customers’ sites.
Projects range from hardware, virtual and private cloud deployments for a variety of network operators and have been completed using software and equipment from multiple vendors.
For example, we currently run an ongoing test environment for a wireless networking solutions company.
This company is known for their expertise in creating and delivering 4G and LTE-enabled routers, as well as more advanced solutions for 5G and Software-Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) deployments.
Using our virtual mobile packet core and the customer-specific hardware/software, we can verify new software releases and provide accurate reporting for the software release, based on a multiple test cases.
Another example is our work for a large satellite provider.
We built and verified OpenStack deployments in their Lab, so they can create and manage their cloud infrastructure using an open-source system.
This allows it to be customised and adapted for different use cases and requirements.
Partnering with Flint TS
We are a UK Partner of Sandvine, which specialises in network intelligence and traffic management solutions.
Sandvine’s technology and software solutions help ISPs and network operators optimise network performance, enhance security, and implement various traffic management policies.
We have built and tested Sandvine solutions in our Lab before helping service-providers deploy them in production.
Lab testing is often used for a new deployment to help verify the solution design.
We can also help to optimise existing deployments by recreating Sandvine production architecture and creating new network policies (shaping, blocking, optimisation) before deploying in production.
It’s also useful to conduct software upgrade testing in a Lab to help mitigate potential risks before upgrades are deployed in provider networks.
Ready to eliminate deployment risk and accelerate your network transformation?