A group of testing vendors Tuesday said they’ve developed a framework that will help carriers more easily test multi-vendor IP networks and gear running in their labs.

Service providers have brought IP test automation front and center as they put more IP-based products through their paces in their network labs. By nature, IP networks tend to be made up of piece parts from various vendors, emphasizing the requirement for testing interoperability across different vendors and products.

The new alliance, led by test vendor Ixia and dubbed the TesLA Alliance (IPT Test Lab Automation), provides an open, multi-vendor automation framework that will serve as the foundation for integration IP test automation solutions. Members of the alliance, in an announcement and event from Ixia’s proof-of-concept lab, said they build to the framework to ensure their IP test solutions will interoperate when running tests in carrier quality assurance (QA) labs.

Other vendors participating in the alliance include Apcon, Codenomicon, Fanfar, Mu Dynamics, QualiSystems and Shunra.

“[Service provider] customers are being asked to do more with fewer resources and less time, and automation plays a critical role in helping them efficiently and effectively overcome this challenge," said Dave Kresse, Mu Dynamics CEO, in announcing the alliance.

A typical IP carrier network – and thus networking lab – includes an array of multi-vendor networking gear, from intelligent standard routers/switches to deep packet inspection (DPI) boxes and complex application network functions. In addition to this array of equipment, providers typically bring in an array of test gear to test various aspects of the network. The TesLA Alliance framework will allow IP test lab equipment vendors to enable their gear to work together more closely by ensuring that all the systems operate within a common test automation framework, according to Atul Bhatnagar, president and CEO of Ixia.

Better testing results in more bullet-proof networks and ultimately more reliable customer services, the companies said. Beyond that, improved testing helps service providers reduce operating expenses by reducing the costs and speeding the production deployment of new technologies. It also helps to speed time to market for new IP gear and services, a requirement in today’s market.

The TesLA framework is based on Ixia's Test Conductor IP test automation solution. Ixia's iSimCity proof-of-concept lab will provide the facilities for interoperability testing by all alliance members.