Agilent Technologies (NYSE:A) and Mu Dynamics today announced a collaboration to tightly integrate Agilent’s industry-leading N2X multiservices test solution with Mu’s award-winning Test Suite family. The integration, already in use at leading network operators and their vendor suppliers, accelerates the design and automation of tests to evaluate the impact of unexpected device/systems scenarios on network performance and reliability. The testing emulates real-world scale and traffic in “out-of-service” lab environments, eliminating the need for operationally costly large test beds of network equipment. The companies coauthored a testing methodology that will enable shared customers to extend the integration to a wide variety of test scenarios.

“In a single application, N2X validates the performance and scalability characteristics of next-generation networks for voice, video and data services,” said Toni Piwonka-Corle, general manager of Agilent’s Data Networks Operation. “The combined methodology enables far more comprehensive and proactive testing and provides a new level of insight into how a device’s weakness can affect network performance as a whole. It’s a win-win for our mutual customers.”

The two companies’ solutions complement each other by focusing on different challenges faced by both network equipment manufacturers (NEMs) and service providers (SPs). Agilent N2X validates the functional, performance and scalability characteristics of broadband networks and next-generation network equipment, such as layer 2-3 forwarding devices that deliver video, VoIP, data and VPN services. Mu Dynamic’s Test Suite focuses on identifying software weaknesses and “exception” handling capabilities of network applications and devices. Mu’s Test Suite modules offer QA, developer and support teams a series of dynamically malformed or mutated packets to the application or device under test (DUT) and determine which mutation negatively affects the DUT’s supported services and causes anomalous behavior in control-plane protocols. By conducting a very large number of protocol-specific tests, Mu’s Test Suite characterizes the network application reliability, overall robustness and security.

“The combined benefits of Agilent’s proven load and performance test solution and Mu’s innovative Test Suite enable operators and NEMs to clearly make critical product-purchasing and deployment decisions based on real-world reliability, availability, security, performance and quality-of-experience metrics,” said Dave Kresse, chief executive officer of Mu Dynamics. “IP Services can now be built and deployed with the confidence that they will remain robust and available.”

The real-time integration of Mu’s Test Suite concurrently with Agilent’s N2X makes it possible to evaluate the impact of an exception on overall network performance and service availability under load. For example, if Mu causes a device error, N2X monitors its effect on network traffic by measuring packet loss, latency and other critical parameters. The combination of Agilent and Mu technology helps NEMs and SPs mitigate the overall impact of protocol errors, day-zero attacks and hidden vulnerabilities in network equipment, and ensures uninterrupted service delivery and maximum performance under worst-case conditions.

Agilent/Mu’s application note is available at www.agilent.com/find/N2X and at www.mudynamics.com/resources/methods.

Product photos are available at www.agilent.com/find/n2x_images and www.mudynamics.com/news/presskit.html.

About Mu Dynamics

Mu Dynamics proactively eliminates costly service and product weaknesses by testing for the unexpected. Mu’s solution automates a systematic and repeatable process that identifies hard-to-detect sources of potential downtime within IP services and underlying networks. The award-winning Mu solution is deployed at more than 100 locations, primarily at leading global service providers, government agencies, and network product vendors. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Mu is backed by leading venture capital firms that include Accel Partners, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures and Focus Ventures. Information about Mu Dynamics is available on the Web at www.mudynamics.com.

About Agilent Technologies

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) is the world’s premier measurement company and a technology leader in communications, electronic, life sciences and chemical analysis. The company’s 19,000 employees serve customers in more than 110 countries. Agilent had net revenues of $5.8 billion in fiscal 2008. Information about Agilent is available on the Web at www.agilent.com.

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