Background

All robust networks are designed to mitigate the impact of losing a synchronisation feed, but what happens when a feed deteriorates and remains undetected? When is poor sync worse than no sync?

A network operator experienced just this. Due to an unpredictable chain of events, a master clock was left to output a corrupted signal which remained undetected by downstream equipment. The situation resulted in loss of revenue and dissatisfied customers but also impacted emergency services. The master clock issue was resolved soon after it was detected, but could the supervisors of the downstream equipment benefited from an early indication of the poor sync quality?

Solution

The loss of synchronisation quality would have been detected by SyncWatch, the 24/365 sync measuring and monitoring platform from Chronos.

SyncWatch continuously monitors a wide range of physical layer and packet synchronisation signals and when deployed correctly can alert users to current or impending issues. Using the upstream reporting methods sync quality alarms and data can be integrated into other management systems.

Reporting real time sync performance data enables the operations team to see network synchronisation problems promptly and be able to react quickly to assure continuous delivery of service quality.

SyncWatch Benefits

• Enables long term trending and historical analysis of synchronisation performance
• Measurement and performance monitoring platform independent of sync delivery network
• Plug & Play probes enable fast deployment
• Scalable system ensures longevity
• Can be deployed globally with all the necessary interfaces
• Small and transportable
• For use in the labs and operational networks

SyncWatch Features

• Enables live measurement or 24x7 quality monitoring
• PTP client: ITU G.8265.1 Telecom Profile Compliant
• Can be used in distributed and local architectures
• Supports multiple measurement interfaces - T1, E1 and Nx8k up to 200MHz
• Engineered for flexible deployment scenarios
• Simple to use - software controllable
• Multiple measurement/monitoring references - GPS and Rubidium
• Comprehensive reporting through GUI, SNMP, email or SMS

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