OpenConfig FeatureProfiles OTG Back-2-Back Test with Ixia-c in Hybrid Mode

Overview

This lab is an introduction to OpenConfig FeatureProfiles test suites built with the Open Traffic Generator API.

Feature profiles define groups of OpenConfig paths that can be invoked on network devices. A feature profile may contain configuration, telemetry, operational or any other paths that a device exposes. Example management plane device APIs are gNMI, and gNOI. Example control plane APIs are gRIBI, and protocols such as BGP, IS-IS.

Feature profiles also include a suite of tests for validating the network device behavior for each defined feature.

In FeatureProfiles terminology, a term ATE is used to refer to a Traffic Generator, and it stands for Automated Test Equipment. This lab uses Keysight Elastic Network Generator with containerized Ixia-c test ports as the ATE.

FeatureProfiles use Ondatra framework for writing and running tests against both real and containerized network devices. When executing a test via the Open Traffic Generator API, it uses gosnappi client library internally.

There are several ways to run FeatureProfiles tests. In this example, we're demonstrating a use of so called static binding:

The static binding supports ATE based testing with a real hardware device. It assumes that there is one ATE hooked up to one DUT in the testbed, and their ports are connected pairwise.

Although original intent of static binding is to describe a connection between the ATE and a hardware Device Under Test (DUT), it can also be used to describe a back-2-back ATE setup, w/o a DUT. Such setup is helpful to validate basic ATE operations within FeatureProfiles test framework. In this lab, we're using otgb2b.binding paired with otgb2b.testbed testbed specification to describe such back-2-back ATE connection.

Prerequisites

Linux host or VM with sudo permissions and Docker support
Docker
Go version 1.18 or later
envsubst command

Initial setup

Clone this repository

git clone --recursive https://github.com/open-traffic-generator/otg-examples.git
OTGLABDIR="${PWD}/otg-examples/hybrid/fp-b2b"
cd "${OTGLABDIR}"

Pull Docker images (KENG Hybrid Operator currently requires Docker images to be present locally)
```
sudo docker compose --project-directory "${OTGLABDIR}" pull operator
make pull
```

Start and configure KENG Hybrid Operator

sudo docker compose --project-directory "${OTGLABDIR}" up -d
sleep 2
curl --data-binary @"${OTGLABDIR}/ixiatg-configmap.yml" http://localhost:35000/config

Create Ixia-c B2B deployment

Create a back-2-back connection using veth pair.
```
export OTG_PORT1="veth0"
export OTG_PORT2="veth1"
sudo ip link add name ${OTG_PORT1} type veth peer name ${OTG_PORT2}
sudo ip link set dev ${OTG_PORT1} up
sudo ip link set dev ${OTG_PORT2} up
```
Instead of veth pair, you could also use one of the following methods. In such case, please initialize OTG_PORT1 and OTG_PORT2 env vars with correct interface names.
- a physical cable between two network interface cards
- a layer-2 switch between two network interface cards
Request the ixia-c-operator to bring up Ixia-c test ports using ixia-c-hybrid.yml deployment manifest. Note how envsubst command will insert proper interface names you're using into the manifest before it gets submitted by the curl to the ixia-c-operator API.
```
cat "${OTGLABDIR}/ixia-c-hybrid.yml" | envsubst | curl --data-binary @- http://localhost:35000/create
```

Run FeatureProfiles OTG back-2-back test

Run FeatureProfiles OTG B2B test

cd featureprofiles/feature/experimental/otg_only
go test -v otgb2b_test.go -testbed otgb2b.testbed -binding "${OTGLABDIR}/otgb2b.binding"

Cleanup

To remove all the components we created, run:

cat "${OTGLABDIR}/ixia-c-hybrid.yml" | envsubst | curl -d @- http://localhost:35000/delete
sudo ip link del name ${OTG_PORT1}
sudo docker compose --project-directory "${OTGLABDIR}" down
cd "${OTGLABDIR}"