Multicast Testing tool for windows

[anilrs3]

Hi guys,

I am looking for a free downloadable MS Windows based multicast testing tool which uses multicast streams from source to the listeners connected across the MPLS service Provider test Lab.

Please help

Thanks in advance,

Anil.

[Dan-Ciprian Cicioiu]

Hi ,

Ping will be a good tool, but also VLC.

Dan

[anilrs3]

Hi Dan,

I need to create multicast streams using some applications so can't use ping or IGMP to test the multicast traffic.

Any idea about such tools which will simulate the source and the receivers.

Thanks,

Anil.

[Dan-Ciprian Cicioiu]

Hi Anil,

You can try VLC as source and receiver

http://www.videolan.org/doc/streaming-howto/en/ch02.html

Dan

[anilrs3]

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the good info. I tried to stream video in VLC player and the client within the same mechine to test the streaming, but it showing an error " unable to read from the source" even the source is the same mechine. So not sure what is happening.

Can i use iperf for windows for testing multicast ?

Thanks,

Anil.

[Dan-Ciprian Cicioiu · Accepted solution]

Hi Anil ,

I saw that iperf has multicast capabilities, so you might give it a try.

Regards

Dan

[fsebera · Accepted solution]

Hey Anil,

Ping does works very well to test multicast throughout the entire multicast enabled domain.

If you need assistance setting this up to work, just let me know!! I use ping for testing all the time as-well-as wireshark.

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Also, I use VLC version 2.0 Twoflower to stream and receive videos and this also works very well.

I do have issues with T1 circuits as I cannot seem to get MPEG4 videos or VLC is not correctly converting or it is just my limited understanding of Video itself. I know for MPEG3, I need at least 2.4Mbps of bandwidth and I thought MPEG4 could be supported on less than 1.544Mbps - hopefully will figure this out soon.

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My setup is MPLS Hub and Spoke. I control the Hubs, Spokes, and all the MPLS cloud so I am able to test most any scenario.

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Perhaps we could collaborate on multicast over MPLS????

Also, I use Sparse mode throughout the entire Hub/Spoke/MPLS domain.

Let me know.

Tks

Frank

[anilrs3]

Hi Dan/Frank,

Thanks for the suggetions. I would like to try iPERF as i think this is quite easy tool to install and use. Please let me know if you guys got any other opinion !!

Thanks in advance,

Anil.

[fsebera · Accepted solution]

From my experience, IPERF is a good tool for testing throughput. Perhaps this tool could be used for testing multicast too but seems a lot of extra work just to see if multicast is functional across the network as Cisco IOS has ping built-in on each router/switch. Also from my experience, I believe IPerf requires a host PC and is mostly command line. It's your call through.

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Regards

Frank

[anilrs3]

Hi Frank,

I think iperf should be fine for me as i have few laptops which can simulte sender and few receivers.

Also i am interested to know few stuffs ,

I know multicast will work over GRE , but i don't want to run GRE with all the CPEs , instead i will dedicate one CPE as RP and all other multicast particiapting CPEs will have point to point GRE with the RP ( using PIM sparse mode).

The issue here is i don't know how this will work as it need to use only shared tree (RPT) as there is no way to form SPT as no direct GRE tunnel between the CPEs. Does it make sense and will it work by sending all the multicat traffic via RP ?

Please help !!

Thanks in advance,

Anil.

[fsebera]

Hey Anil,

If this a production environment and you do not have service for multicast across the MPLS cloud, then you have various options. Before we travel down that road, Do you have the multicast service through your MPLS service provider? Our service provider offers multicast as a free service, we just have to request it - perhaps this is the same issue with you.

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What is the size of your network?

Is your netwrok hub/spoke or just any-to-any?

Do you run VRF's on your CE edge routers?

Do you run eBGP peering with the service provider PE routers, other something else?

What is your slowest network speed link (T1 etc)?

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Do you want redundant multicast Rendezvous Points?

Do you run PIM Sparse mode, Pim Sparce-Dense mode or other?

Ok, gotta run for today.

Frank

[anilrs3]

Hi Frank,

We are the service providers and we are managing the CPEs for the customers. But we don't have multicast enabled within the core , so need to run Multicast over GRE for a customer.RP will be customer specific.

What is the size of your network?

     Will be around 10 to 15 sites.

Is your netwrok hub/spoke or just any-to-any?

     Any-toany

Do you run VRF's on your CE edge routers?

     No (MPLS is not extended up to the CPE)

Do you run eBGP peering with the service provider PE routers, other something else?

     EBGP with PE

What is your slowest network speed link (T1 etc)?

     E1

Do you want redundant multicast Rendezvous Points?

     Initially No, but may be a future requirement.

Do you run PIM Sparse mode, Pim Sparce-Dense mode or other?

     Sparse mode

Thanks,

Anil.

[fsebera]

Anil,

   If customer-A wants to use a multicast enabled application, enable multicast on each customer-A site where customer-A wants to use the multicast enabled application. If customer-A wants multicast at every site, then enable at every customer-A site (Routers and switches).

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   Now, as the service provider, you will need to enable the multicast parameters on customer-A VRFs - enable multicast parameters on each customer-A VRF where you enabled multicast on the customer-A sites. If you enabled multicast on ALL customer-A sites, then you will need to enable all customer-A VRFs for multicast - VRFs are configured on the PE router for MPLS. The MPLS "P" routers (the actual core of the MPLS network) will need multicast enabled as well, if "P" routers are Cisco, just "ip multicast-routing" is all you will need on the "P" routers (unless you need more control). The PE routers will peer via the loopback0 address to each designated PE peer via iBGP. Assuming Cisco, Under router BGP, you will need address-family ipv4 mdt and the peers will be your remote PE routers loopback0 address.

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   I run multicast over an MPLS hub and spoke configuration and I do not have an RP configured within the MPLS cloud. Only the customer has the RP configured at one of the hub sites (if you want redundancy, select another customer-A site for the redundant RP). In the service provider MPLS network configuration, the router BGP "address-family ipv4 mdt" option automatically creates multipoint (and/or point-to-point depending on your setup) GRE tunnels within your MPLS domain and these dynamically created tunnels transfer customer-A multicast traffic to/from source to destination.

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   Please note, I have summarized much of this but provided enough information to hopefully get your going in the right direction.

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   Don't forget to address the customer-A fragmentation issues. Usually setting the MTU to a lower level (eg 1400 or so) on all end-stations and servers will allow all packets to pass over the MPLS network without fragmentation.

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   One last thought, lower bandwidth, higher latency links will foil multicast video. I have discovered "TRUE" MPEG4 videos work VERY well across lower bandwidth, higher latency links. MPEG3 videos normally require a minimum of 2.x Mbps throughput links.

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And do not forget Qos, but this is another topic for another time.

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Hope this helps

Frank

[anilrs3]

Hi Frank,

Very much appriciate your input.

Basically we don't want to enable multicast in the core. That is the reason i wanted to use GRE from CPE to CPE and run multicast over it. But configuring full mesh GRE between all the CPEs is not scalable so i am not sure whether i can run GRE only between the RP ( which is a customer RP configured in one of the CPE) and to all other CPEs , so that i can avoid full mesh GRE ?

Thanks,

Anil.

[fsebera]

Ahhhh, I've heard of this nightmare before. From what I remember . . . . . . if you want to implement GRE tunnels between customer sites and NOT involve the service provider (you in this case) you must implement static multicast routes (mroutes)- the static multicast routes allow the reverse path forwarding (RFP) checks to be over-ruled and follow the static path.

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We are forced to run just plain-Jane IP static routing here and we ALWAYS have issues.

Good luck Sir!!!

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I've also started researching SSM which might be a better option but being new to this technology, I reserve comment for now but can say, I am being told SSM allows implementation at the CE's only and thus bypasses the service provider.

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Let us know which way you go, and how it works for you!!

Frank