Video Delivery

AppNeta Performance Manager (APM) has monitoring capability designed specifically for ensuring good video conference quality. You can perform discrete tests that account for network path, number of calls, direction, codec, etc. These tests, which can be run on-demand or scheduled, enable you to measure how network security and traffic-shaping impacts video calls, and verify that QoS is having the desired effect. In order to use this tool, the source monitoring point needs to be licensed for video. The target must also be a monitoring point but does not require a video license.

Video tests

You can create a Video test directly or you can create it from a template. The test can be run once or it can be scheduled to run repeatedly.

Load warning - Be aware that video tests can create significant network load, especially when tests include several sessions, or when multiple tests are run concurrently.

The actions available for Video tests include:

The actions available for Video test templates include:

The actions available for Video test schedules include:

Create a Video test

Video tests can simulate one-to-one, one-to-many, and many-to-many conferencing scenarios. To support these use cases, tests are constructed in units called sessions. Each session is based on one path, a number of calls, call direction, codec, bit rate, and QoS.

To create a Video test:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click + New Video Test.
  3. Update fields as appropriate.
  4. Click Add new Session….
  5. Select the network path to run the test on.
  6. Update fields as appropriate.
  7. Click OK.
    • The source and destination are checked for applicability. Four checkmarks are required in each row to continue.
  8. Add more test sessions if required.
  9. Click Start Video Test.
    • The Video test starts.

Note: The maximum number of calls or sessions you can have in a Video test is subject to device load. APM will reject any test configuration that will exceed device load for either the source or the target. An error message indicates which device would be overloaded and by how much.

Create a Video test from a template

To create a Video test from a template:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Templates tab.
  3. For the template you want to use, select > Create Test.
  4. Update fields as appropriate.
  5. Click OK.
    • The source and destination are checked for applicability. Four checkmarks are required in each row to continue.
  6. Click Start Video Test.
    • The Video test starts.

Run a Video test

To run a Video test:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. For the Video test you want to run, select > Run Test Again.
  3. Click Start Video Test.
    • The Video test starts.

View Video test results

To view Video test results:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the completed test you are interested in (status shows: ).
    • The test results are displayed.

Note: You can also share a link to the page or download the content as a PDF.

Edit a Video test

To edit a Video test:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. For the Video test you want to edit, select > Edit.
  3. Update fields as appropriate.
  4. Click Start Video Test.
    • The Video test starts.

Delete a Video test

To delete a Video test:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. For the Video test you want to delete, select > Delete.
  3. Click OK.
    • The Video test is deleted.

Create a Video test template

Video templates enable you to save a test configuration so that you can re-run it later against the same or different paths.

To create a Video test template:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click + New Video Test.
  3. Update fields as appropriate.
  4. Click Add new Session….
  5. Select the network path to run the test on.
  6. Update fields as appropriate.
  7. Click OK.
    • The source and destination are checked for applicability. Four checkmarks are required in each row to continue.
  8. Add more test sessions if required.
  9. Click Save as Template.
  10. Click Submit.
  11. Update fields as appropriate.
  12. Click Save Template.
    • The configuration is saved as a template.
  13. Click the Templates tab to confirm the template was created.

View a Video test template

To view a Video test template:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Templates tab.
  3. Click the template you want to view.
    • The template is displayed.

Edit a Video test template

To edit a Video test template:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Templates tab.
  3. Click the template you want to edit.
  4. Update fields as appropriate.
  5. Click Save Template.
    • The updated template is saved.

Delete a Video test template

To delete a Video test template:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Templates tab.
  3. For the template you want to delete, select > Delete.
  4. Click OK.
    • The template is deleted.

Create a Video test schedule

Video test schedules are used to repeatedly execute a Video test at a given interval for a specified period of time.

To create a Video test schedule:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click + New Video Test.
  3. Update fields as appropriate.
  4. Click Add new Session….
  5. Select the network path to run the test on.
  6. Update fields as appropriate.
  7. Click OK.
    • The source and destination are checked for applicability. Four checkmarks are required in each row to continue.
  8. Add more test sessions if required.
  9. Click Schedule Test.
  10. In the Schedule Name field, enter a schedule name.
  11. Update the remaining fields as appropriate.
  12. Click Create Schedule.
    • The schedule is saved and a test is scheduled.
  13. Click the Schedules tab to confirm the schedule was created.

View a Video test schedule

To view a Video test schedule:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Schedules tab.
  3. Click the schedule you want to view.
    • The schedule is displayed.

Stop a scheduled Video test

To stop a scheduled Video test:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Schedules tab.
  3. For the schedule you want to stop, select > Stop.
    • The schedule is stopped.

Copy a Video test schedule

To copy a Video test schedule:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Schedules tab.
  3. For the schedule you want to copy, select > Copy.
  4. Click Schedule Test.
  5. Change the Schedule Name field.
  6. Update the remaining schedule fields as appropriate.
  7. Click Create Schedule.
    • The new schedule is created.

Delete a Video test schedule

To delete a Video test schedule:

  1. Navigate to Delivery > Video Tests.
  2. Click the Schedules tab.
  3. For the schedule you want to delete, select > Delete.

Monitoring point load limits

Monitoring points have different capacities with respect to video call load. For a given monitoring point, the number of simultaneous video calls supported depends on the codec used, the bit rate, and whether they are one-way or two-way calls. The tables below shows the maximum call loads for each monitoring point type for different codecs, bit rates, and call directions.

For video calls using non-G.726 codecs, the limits shown for each bit rate are the number of calls that would be equal to 100% monitoring point load. You can have multiple sessions with different bit rates as long as the monitoring point load doesn’t exceed 100%. For example, an m20 can handle 6 one-way calls at 1024 kbps (50% load) and 7 two-way calls at 128 kbps (50% load) at the same time. That said, you don’t need to calculate monitoring point load in advance. APM will reject any test configuration that exceeds monitoring point load for either the source or the target, and an error message will indicate which monitoring point would be overloaded and by how much.

Current monitoring points

m35 m50 m70 r45 r90 r1000
G.726 Maximum Call Load
50 50 50 100 100 100
non-G.726 Total Bit Rate (kbps) Direction Maximum Call Load
64 One-way 72 72 72 182 182 182
Two-way 70 70 70 180 180 180
128 One-way 70 70 70 180 180 180
Two-way 65 65 65 175 175 175
256 One-way 65 65 65 175 175 175
Two-way 55 55 55 167 167 167
384 One-way 60 60 60 171 171 171
Two-way 45 45 45 158 158 158
512 One-way 55 55 55 167 167 167
Two-way 35 35 35 150 150 150
768 One-way 45 45 45 158 158 158
Two-way 30 30 30 136 136 136
1024 One-way 35 35 35 150 150 150
Two-way 26 26 26 123 123 123
1536 One-way 30 30 30 136 136 136
Two-way 17 17 17 96 96 96
2048 One-way 26 26 26 123 123 123
Two-way 8 8 8 70 70 70
3072 One-way 17 17 17 96 96 96
Two-way 7 7 7 57 57 57
4096 One-way 8 8 8 70 70 70
Two-way 6 6 6 45 45 45
5120 One-way 7 7 7 63 63 63
Two-way 5 5 5 32 32 32
6144 One-way 7 7 7 57 57 57
Two-way 5 5 5 20 20 20

Legacy monitoring points

m20 m22 m25 m30 r40 r400
G.726 Maximum Call Load
25 25 25 50 100 100
non-G.726 Total Bit Rate (kbps) Direction Maximum Call Load
64 One-way 15 15 15 72 182 182
Two-way 15 15 15 70 180 180
128 One-way 15 15 15 70 180 180
Two-way 14 14 14 65 175 175
256 One-way 14 14 14 65 175 175
Two-way 13 13 13 55 167 167
384 One-way 14 14 14 60 171 171
Two-way 12 12 12 45 158 158
512 One-way 13 13 13 55 167 167
Two-way 12 12 12 35 150 150
768 One-way 12 12 12 45 158 158
Two-way 11 10 10 30 136 136
1024 One-way 12 12 12 35 150 150
Two-way 10 9 9 26 123 123
1536 One-way 11 10 10 30 136 136
Two-way 8 8 8 17 96 96
2048 One-way 10 9 9 26 123 123
Two-way 7 7 7 8 70 70
3072 One-way 8 8 8 17 96 96
Two-way 5 5 5 7 57 57
4096 One-way 7 7 7 8 70 70
Two-way 4 4 4 6 45 45
5120 One-way 6 6 6 7 63 63
Two-way 3 3 3 5 32 32
6144 One-way 5 5 5 7 57 57
Two-way 2 2 2 5 20 20