Choose Tools→Service Test Manager (STM) from the NFM-P main menu. The Service Test Manager (STM) form opens.

Click Create and choose Test Suite. The Test Suite (Create) form opens.

Configure the required parameters.

The MEF35 and NE Schedulable parameters are mutually exclusive. The MEF35 parameter must be selected if the test suite will contain a test policy that uses PM Session Test Definitions. The NE Schedulable, Validation Test Suite, and Timeout parameters are configurable when the MEF35 Mode parameter is not selected.

You must select the NE Schedulable parameter if the test suite you are creating will use an NE-schedulable test policy.

The Validation Test Suite parameter is configurable when the Entity Type parameter is set to a type that supports validation, for example a VLL service.

The First-run Execution Sequence and Last-run Execution Sequence parameters are configurable when the MEF35 Mode parameter is not selected.

The Accounting Files parameter is configurable when the NE Schedulable parameter is selected.

The Continuously Executed and Test Result Storage parameters are configurable when the Accounting Files parameter is selected.

If you chose None as the option for the Entity Type parameter in Step 3, go to Step 8. Otherwise go to Step 5.

Add a test policy to the test suite.

1. Click on the Test Policy tab, then click Add.

2. Choose a test policy and click OK. The policy is listed on the Test Policy tab.

   The available policies depend on the option specified for the Entity Type parameter in Step 3.

Define the network entities for the test suite.

1. Click on the Tested Entities tab, then click Add.

2. Choose one or more entities and click OK. The selected entities are listed on the Tested Entities tab.

   The available entities depend on the option specified for the Entity Type parameter in Step 3.

   The Test Suite Count column in the Search form indicates the number of configured test suites that a specific test entity is currently associated with. The counter includes test suites that do not contain generated tests.

3. Select any required entities and click Lock Test Generation.

   Locking the test generation means that the initial settings you specify when creating the test suite will be retained, even if later on you change some attributes (for instance, if you are testing SDP tunnels and you extend the tested entities by selecting another SDP tunnel). All customized test attributes are retained when re-generating the tests.

   The NFM-P auto-locks tested entities when generated tests are modified or deleted.

   The Test Re-generation locked field in the list displays a check mark to indicate that the lock is enabled, and the name of the button changes to Unlock Test Generation. If you do not want to lock the test, click Unlock Test Generation. The Test Re-generation locked field in the list will not display a check mark.

If you selected the MEF35 Mode parameter in Step 3, go to Step 12.

Define first-run tests.

1. Click on the First-run Tests tab, then click Add.

2. Choose one or more tests and click OK.

3. Reorder the first-run test execution sequence, if required. When there is more than one test in the first-run list, the Move Up and Move Down buttons are available. Select a test entry and use the buttons to reorder the tests.

Define last-run tests.

1. Click on the Last-run Tests tab, then click Add.

2. Choose one or more tests and click OK.

3. Reorder the last-run test execution sequence, if required. When there is more than one test in the last-run list, the Move Up and Move Down buttons are available. Select a test entry and use the buttons to reorder the tests.

Click Apply to save the changes. Additional buttons become available at the bottom of the form.

If you chose None as the option for the Entity Type parameter in Step 3, go to Step 16. Otherwise, go to Step 12.

Click on the Generated Tests tab or the Generated PM Sessions Tests tab, as applicable.

Click Generate Tests.

The Generate Tests button is available only when you have a policy and at least one entity associated with the STM test suite.

The NFM-P begins generating tests for the test suite based on the test policy. The tests appear in a list on the Generated Tests form as they are generated. The name of the originating tested entity for each test is also displayed on the list, for quick reference.

Note: When the test policy or the configuration of an entity on the Tested Entities tab changes, you must regenerate the tests in the test suite by clicking Generate Tests.

Note: When tests have been generated in a test suite which has a test policy already associated with it, these tests will not be altered (deleted and recreated, or set to default tests), when Generate Tests is clicked again.

Note: Any of the tests generated by a test suite can be deleted directly from the list on the Generated Tests tab. Select the tests that you want to delete and click Delete.

Note: For a test suite containing a P2MP LSP Ping Test Policy, the test suite generator will generate one test per S2L path (for P2MP LSP) or one test per leaf node address (for P2MP LDP).

Click on the Generation Error Logs tab to view the log files that the NFM-P creates before and during test generation. The Stage drop-down allows you to select the type of logs to examine, including pre-generation and deployment information.

Note: Generation Error Logs messages appear only when failures occur during the test generation process.

Click on the Generated Artifacts tab to view a list of all objects created at the time of Test Suite creation or while generating the contained tests. Objects include: MDs, MAs, Global MEGs, MEPs, Bin Groups, tests (including SAA and PM Session), and accounting policies. The Stage drop-down allows you to select the type of information to examine.

Note: The Generated Artifacts tab will not show objects that already existed prior to generating the tests and are just being reused by those tests. Only newly-created objects are displayed.

Note: If objects are manually deleted, they will also be removed from the Generated Artifacts list. For example, if a MEP is deleted, the MEP object and the tests originating from the MEP will all be deleted from the list. If a GMEG is deleted, then all MAs, MEPs, and tests associated with the GMEG will also be deleted from the list.

Close the forms. See To execute an STM test suite for information about executing a test suite.

End of steps