ADVA launched Ensemble Simulator, enabling optical network operators to accurately and reliably evaluate network growth strategies and verify interworking with umbrella management systems in a safe virtual test environment. The new software tool precisely mirrors production networks for risk-free testing, training and development. It empowers multiple users to work independently in a virtual sandbox to evaluate configurations, verify APIs and simulate what-if scenarios. Hosted on a self-provided server or in the cloud, Ensemble Simulator significantly reduces the cost and unpredictability of network upgrades, accelerates innovation adoption and improves quality of experience for end users.

"As communication networks become more complex and software-defined networking (SDN) changes the way they're managed, engineers are relying more and more on automated applications to design, deploy and operate their infrastructure. But the need to evaluate configurations and device integration creates a major challenge. Our Ensemble Simulator is the answer. It offers a way to simply and affordably spin up test environments on a virtual machine that perfectly mirrors real networks," said Christoph Glingener, CTO of ADVA. "Now that operators have a fast and risk-free way to model network evolution, they can explore the impact of extensions and upgrades before any changes are made to their production networks."

Ensemble Simulator offers a virtual training, development and test environment designed to help users explore, evaluate and integrate ADVA's FSP 3000 and FSP 150-XG400 Series networking technologies without requiring investment in costly physical infrastructure. The solution empowers network operators to simulate both optical and packet network elements as well as large multi-node networks. It also provides simple testing and integration of SDN and orchestrator functions with network element software APIs. At the touch of a button, each individual user can access their own dedicated environment as they simulate faults and verify network responses, helping to speed up new technology adoption cycles and support DevOps methodologies.

"Up until now, building a test environment for a packet-optical transport network was a complex and expensive process. To accurately recreate a live network, operators had to invest in dedicated lab hardware and then manually configure all network elements. Such dedicated test networks are often shared resources, forcing engineers to compete for access and create conflicting configurations. Our software solution provides a highly cost-efficient way to meet this challenge," commented Michael Port, VP of product line management at ADVA. "Our Ensemble Simulator is the ultimate software tool for the accurate, reliable and affordable modeling of large networks without the need for major investment in physical lab resources. Each engineer can have their own independent test environment, eliminating conflicts and accelerating development and integration activities. It gives operators and systems integrators the freedom to make decisions based on facts and push the boundaries of possibility without unnecessary risk."

Watch this video for further information on Ensemble Simulator.