An Open Platform for Media Over IP Network Load Testing with Off-the-Shelf Hardware

As the media industry continues to transform and adopt media over IP solutions, the importance of proper testing and verification of network performance and timing infrastructures cannot be overemphasized. The SMPTE ST 2110-21 standard sets strict timing and jitter requirements that depend on predictable network behavior. The acceptable network load level limitations for particular video formats used in a facility must be tested and verified before commissioning the facility. However, broadcasters and system integrators often skip this step due to cost and the unavailability of equipment that can generate adequate network traffic load and proper traffic profiles. This creates a need for a cost-effective solution that enables broadcasters to perform acceptance testing of their media over IP networks as close to the real-world load, traffic patterns, and network scenarios as possible. This paper is the first in the series of publications to propose a solution for media over IP network load testing using off-the-shelf hardware and open-source software. The proposed solution allows for generating specific media traffic profiles, ensuring that the performance of the traffic shape and network timing is adequately tested and verified, leading to a more reliable and robust media over IP infrastructure. The paper explores the hardware, software, tuning, and integration needed to build such a testing platform. Future publications will explore that traffic patterns and real-world testing.

Ievgen Kostiukevych | European Broadcasting Union | Geneva, Switzerland
Pavlo Kondratenko | European Broadcasting Union | Geneva, Switzerland
Thomas Kernen | NVIDIA | Zurich, Switzerland
Willem Vermost | VRT | Brussels, Belgium