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Introduction

Getting Started with MySpeed Server (Windows - Linux/Unix)

MySpeed is a Java application and requires Java to be installed for MySpeed Server to work. Please review platform requirements.

Windows

The dialog below represents the main MySpeed Server panel which appears when the applications is started. This single panel provides important information on the running of the MySpeed Server and provides links and options to configure the server preferences and provide help information.



When you first start MySpeed Server there are a few important preferences to be configured for optimal running of the application. These are listed below.

Linux/Unix

STEP 1 : Install and start the speed test applet

Download the mss.tar file, then untar the mss.tar file in a fresh directory.

(If you are familiar with 'rpm' you could download mss.rpm instead.
If you have chosen the rpm file, you can install with 'rpm -i <file>)

With either the tar file or the rpm file, the configure script should be run. Run the myspeed_configure.sh script on Linux with:-

sh myspeed_configure.sh

and on Solaris or FreeBSD

ksh myspeed_configure.sh

The script will ask what directory you want to install Myspeed into. The script will then look for and test each installed Java JVM. The first JVM that passes the test will be used. If one is not found in the /usr and /opt directory structure, you will be advised on how to obtain one.

The script will then test if there is only one ip-address the availability of port 80. If it is free that ipaddress port combination is used. If there is more than one ipaddress the script will present a list. Port 80 of the chosen address is tested, and if free it is used otherwise the user is asked to provide a port number to use, which is then again tested for availability. If that port is found to be used, the loop of question of ip-address and port is asked again until the ipaddress port is free.

For those hosts that have 'chkconfig' the script will ask if you want to install Myspeed as a system service, so that it is started at machine boot.

Finally the script will start Myspeed from the chosen install directory, and after a short delay of post installation configuration, the running process will tell you that you can browse to the chosen ipaddress:port.

STEP 2. Start the MySpeed Server Engine

The starting and stopping of the Myspeed engine is with the 'start_myspeed.sh' script created in step 1.

The syntax for starting is

sh <install directory>/start_myspeed.sh

or if you are in that directory

start_myspeed.sh

and for stopping

sh <install directory>/stop_myspeed.sh

or if you are in that directory

stop_myspeed.sh

When the server starts you will see some confirmation messages including the IP address and port number allocated. You can now use a browser to request the main control panel by using the URL http://<ip address:port>.

Configuring the Windows Server   

To install and configure MySpeed as a Windows service you need to click the 'Server Options' link in the main GUI to get a dialog box like the one below:

To install the service simply click the 'Install' button under the 'Windows Service' heading. The same button is used to uninstall the service.

The IP address and port for the server are set in the first section as shown above.

If you want to enable more accuracy during speedtests then enable the socket test server. The standard ports are 20000 for download and 20001 for upload.

Configuring the Web Server   

The following documentation is designed as a 'getting started guide' and only references those options you should need to ensure MySpeed Server will run. Some of the more advanced options such as 'Running as a Windows Service' are covered later on.

When you first browse to the MySpeed Server on either Windows or Unix you will get the MySpeed Server setup wizard. This wizard is designed to help you quickly configure the immediate options that are needed to run a MySpeed test:

Once you have read the welcome text click the 'Continue' button to move ahead to the next step which is configuring the administrators password. Administrator access is needed for additional configuration and customization options when using the browser. Note: once the password is defined MySpeed will immediately present a logon dialog to request that you log-in as administrator to complete the wizard process. Click 'continue’ to proceed

The administrator password is used to make changes to the server's configuration and view the serer's data. Once you have set the password to what you want click the 'Continue' button to move ahead to the next step.

There are three sections in the Basic Server Configuration screen. IP Address setting, Port setting and permitted domain.

To choose a different IP address for your MySpeed server to run on simply choose one from the drop down menu in the first section. Note if there is more than one IP address on the server selecting 'any/all' means that MySpeed Server will be served from any address on this system, this will normally be the servers default IP address.

The next section requires you to set a port number. Your clients will need to have access to this port on the IP address set above in order to perform speed tests. Using a port other than 80 is not a good practice, since some large networks (particularly those employing proxy servers) block access to all websites / applets served on other ports. As such this is particularly important if this MySpeed Server is to be accessed by the general public. If you are co-existing with another web server such as IIS or Apache so there is no spare port 80 for use as it is being used by Apache/IIS then it is advisable to allocate another IP address to the server so the MySpeed Server application can be allocated a port 80.

The next section is the permitted domain section which is a security feature to prevent other websites hosting speed tests using your MySpeed Server. Enter the domain name of the web domain that is authorized to serve your MySpeed applet. For example, if your applet is to be served at http://speedtest.yourcompany.com/speedtest.html, enter speedtest.yourcompany.com . If any other web server domain attempts to host your applet, it will display a "not permitted" banner. Note the wizard only allows you to set one permitted domain however the main server configuration web page will allow you up to 3.

Once you have completed the basic configuration you require then click the 'Continue' button to move ahead to the next section.

If you have an existing corporate website which is served for example by Apache or IIS then you may want to have your corporate website host the MySpeed Server speed test page(s). For security reasons, to do this requires that the speed test web page published on the IIS/Apache server implements the use of the HTML 'codebase’ option in the MySpeed applet tag.

To do this therefore require you to create a speed test web page to be placed on your corporate/existing website. Note this is required regardless of whether the MySpeed Server application is coexisting on the same server as IIS/Apache or has been installed on a different server.

A codebase page specifies that the applet it contains is actually served from another location. So your third-party server serves the web page, images and other items but, invisibly to the end user, the speed testing applet is served by the back-end MySpeed Server.

You can try codebasing before moving onto the next step. Simply right click on the 'codebase.html' and select 'save target as' from the context menu. Once the page has been saved then simply copy  to your existing IIS/Apache web server. Note this example speed test web page is intentionally created as a 'blank' page devoid of branding and other menu options so it can be more easily customized for your required 'look & feel'.

Once you are happy that the codebase is working or you do not want to use codebase then click the 'Continue' button to move ahead to the next step.

The setup wizard is now complete. You can use your new setup to either perform a speed test or set up further options.

Advanced Configuration   

For more server configuration options click on the 'Administration' link located in the blue panel top right hand side of the applet window. This will show all the 'administrator' choices at the bottom of the browser page. Click on Server Configuration icon as shown below:

The server configuration link is circled in red in the image above. Once clicked you will get the screen below:

There are four sections to the initial server configuration screen.

1. Server address and ports
2. Usage throttling
3. Permitted domains
4. Email setup

Server address and Ports

The IP address and port number has already been setup in the prior step 'setup wizard' however the values set using the wizard can be changed if desired.

There are three more options available. The first is the option to use another port should your chosen port not be available when the MySpeed Server starts. Simply check the appropriate check box to turn this option on. Note with this option on MySpeed Sever can automatically change the port allocated which will initially be likely go unnoticed and cause speed test URL to fail with a 404 error.

The second option is supported in the Professional, NOC and Support Editions only. These editions support the use of socket-to-socket testing to provide better accuracy as well as to support high speed networks such as 100mbit etc. Check this option if you want to enable accurate socket speed testing and select the TCP port number to use for both upload and download. Note, if the port is unavailable for a specific test because of firewall or other similar restrictions then MySpeed Server will automatically fail-over to doing an HTTP speed test. If Port 80 is being used for HTTP this is unlikely to fail.

The third option is supported in the those Editions that support VoIP test in addition to speed testing. These are VoIP Professional, NOC and Support Editions only. These editions support the use of UDP port testing to simulate a VoIP call. Check this option if you want to enable UDP testing and select the UDP port number to use for both upload and download. Note, if the port is unavailable for a VoIP test because of firewall or other similar restrictions then the VoIP part of the test will fail and MySpeed Server will continue with the Speed test.

Usage Throttling   

Usage throttling allows you to manage a controlled delay between the starting of speed tests to provide better control of server resources.

The first option if selected allows a number of seconds to be defined as a delay between the starting of speed tests.  MySpeed Server ensures that there is always a delay of the defined number of seconds before another speed test is allowed to start. This delay does not affect the remote user conducting the test. To turn an option on simply check the box and then enter the timing details required.

The delay is defined in milliseconds and the default is 1000 (1 second).

The second option is designed to manage  usage from a user perspective and prevent a single testing user from flooding the MySpeed server with too many requests and this impacting other users who wish to use the service. To limit the number of tests per user you have to set how many tests are permitted per interval. The interval can be defined minutes, hours or days. For example:

Number of tests 5 every 1 day(s).

Permitted domains   

Specify the domain names which are permitted to serve the MySpeed applet. If a webmaster from another domain attempts to host the applet, the applet will display a 'not permitted' banner.

Your license key allows the applet to be hosted on up to 3 domain(s) from a single server. Any subsequent entries beyond this number will be ignored. If required, you can purchase a license which allows you to serve MySpeed from more domains.

Email setup

The MySpeed Server supports an alert management system which is designed to quickly identify users/customers who are getting bad speed/VoIP test results. MySpeed Server can be configured to send alert emails, for example when connection tests fail to meet a defined download or upload speed rate. Details entered will be used whenever emails are sent. This option is available in all NOC and Support Editions only.

Codebasing   

Web page is served by IIS/Apache with the Java applet served by the MySpeed Server

To run MySpeed bandwidth tests on your own web server such as Apache, you will need to enable the codebase option and then insert it in the HTML of the MySpeed web page. The codebase option allows you to serve the MySpeed test applet from a web server other than the MySpeed web server, even from a different system from where MySpeed Server is installed.

The VoIP and speed tests are always conducted from the server where the MySpeed applet is served, not from where the web page is served. This is important because using the codebase option allows you to configure the installation so the front-end web servers (Apache or IIS) are not responsible for conducting the actual speed tests themselves; instead the codebase redirects the traffic to a designated back-end server(s).

To use Apache or IIS as a front-end web server follow these easy steps:

  • From the Control Panel, Administration, Server Configuration. In the 'Permitted Domains' section, add the domain(s) that you want to allow to serve the MySpeed applet.


  • The next step is to create a web page for the IIS/Apache server that will serve the Java applet from the MySpeed Server. To do so, you may modify the example speedtest.html or voiptest.html files from the MySpeed Server www directory, in which case just add the codebase paramater to the APPLET tags as shown below. Or, you can use your own web page and insert the HTML code below between the BODY tags.


    • <applet name="myspeed" code="myspeed.class" archive="myspeed.jar" width=600 height=400 codebase=http://(myspeedserver:port)></applet>

    In the above HTML, myspeedserver is the domain (such as www.visualware.com) or the IP address of your MySpeed Server. If the MySpeed Server is using port 80 (recommended, see note below), it is not neccessary to indicate the port number.

    Once the codebase option is enabled in MySpeed Server and in the web page on the IIS/Apache server, you can view the MySpeed applet on your web server via a browser.

    NOTE: If the MySpeed Server and the front-end IIS/Apache web server are on the same computer server then it is advisable to allocate at least 2 IP addresses to that computer server so each web server (IIS/Apache and MySpeed) can use the default port 80. Otherwise one of the server engines will be forced to use a port other than 80 which may cause firewall access issues for users that block the allocated port number.

    More Options   

    On the right hand side of the browser underneath the main menu you will see some more options, as shown below, these options are clickable in this manual.

    Server Security

    There are three sections to the server security sessions. The first is the Access Control List.

    Access Control List

    The access control list allows you to limit access to all or part of the MySpeed Server by IP address or group of IP addresses. The entries in the large text box in the image above defines what is permitted. It is processed in-order, meaning that the first item to match is the one which is used. If no item in the list matches, the connection IP address is automatically accepted.

    To add an entry to the text box you have to complete the 'Add new ACL item' section shown above. First of all choose the type of access from the first drop down menu. This can be one of four:

    · Allow.

    · Allow only administrators and reporting account.

    · Allow only administrators.

    · Deny.

    Next choose the From address. This can be an IP address or an IP range, such as 10.1.0.0-10.1.255.255.

    The 'To' section is where you choose what you want the new IP range to be able to view/change. Choose from one of four options.

    · Any URL

    · Administration URL

    · Database Search / Reporting URLs

    · A Specific URL

    If you choose a specific URL then you need to fill out the last text field. This allows you to specify the URL you want to permit or restrict.

    The next section is the reporting account section.

    Defining a username and password allows you to manage access to the database reports and some sensitive data items contained in the database reports such as IP addresses. Reporting users are managed using the Database Access and Access Control List features.

    Note if you do not enter a username and password then reporting will be turned off by default.

    The last section is the Database access section.

    There are two options to choose from. The first is 'Permit access to the database and detail reports'. You can specify who to make the database and detail reports available to. If you choose 'Administrators and reporting account' then any user who enters the username and password specified in the section above will be able to access the reports.

    The second option is 'Show IP addresses and client headers in database reports'. Again the same rules apply as the first option.

    Once you have finished entering all the details in all three sections then click the submit changes button.

    Server Licensing

    The Server Licensing section is where the MySpeed Server license key can be entered. To apply a license key simply cut and paste the entire key provide in Visualware order confirmation email. Clicking the 'update' button validates and applies the license.

    If the license key is entered successfully your license details will appear below your key as shown above.

    Running MySpeed Server on an IIS/Apache Server

    Best Practices

    MySpeed Server is a self contained web server which negates the need to use a commercial web server such as IIS or Apache. However it is expected that well established web sites will have the mandatory requirement to serve MySpeed from existing IIS and/or Apache web servers. In other words the MySpeed web pages are served directly from an IIS or Apache server and not from the MySpeed server.

    The MySpeed Sever supports the indirect deployment model where the IIS/Apache server is responsible for serving the MySpeed to the requesting user at the front end and MySpeed Server is responsible for the application at the backend. To conform to the security model that governs applications running on a desktop in this way the MySpeed applet must use the standard HTML codebase options on the IIS/Apache server. For security reasons MySpeed Server has to be configured to allow front-end  servers permission to access and serve the MySpeed applet. If permission is not granted MySpeed Server will decline the request and the applet will not function.

    Once you have setup and deployed the web pages you want to serve MySpeed on you must then add the necessary codebase options the applet definitions on any and all pages hosted by IIS and/or apache.

    NOTE: A problem with IIS often causes it to grab port 80 on all IP addresses, not just the ones assigned to websites. For information on how to resolve this, see Microsoft support, info for IISv6 , info for IISv5.

    Applet Configuration

    MySpeed Server features a highly configurable speed testing applet. For example, test types, color schemes, graphs, tabs, branding preferences and reporting options are all configurable. Each piece of text that the applet displays is also changeable, allowing the applet to be translated into other languages etc.

    The MySpeed Server can support multiple configurations which allows different web pages that host the MySpeed applet to present a different customization. For example there could be a different page for different languages or one page might host a small applet for use by PDA's with smaller screen sizes.

    MySpeed Server initially provides a 'default' applet configuration file. Any changes made to the configuration named default will affect all applets that use the default unless another configuration has been created for use.

    To create a new configuration file simply enter a 'configuration name'. You can either create the new configuration file based on the MySpeed Server default configuration by selecting 'new blank configuration' or based on one you have already created by selecting the created name from the list box. Once you have entered a name and chosen what to base the configuration on then click the 'Create' button.

    Once you have clicked create the applet configuration web page will refresh and the new configuration file will be listed in the available configuration list. To change individual items in your newly created configuration file simply click the 'modify' option that is listed adjacent to the new configuration name as shown above.

    Create new Applet Configuration

    To create a new configuration bin file simply enter a 'configuration name'. You can either create the new configuration file based on a blank configuration or based on one you have already created. Once you have entered a name and chosen what to base the configuration on then click the 'Create' button.

    Once you have clicked create the same page will refresh and add your new configuration to the list as shown below:

    Click 'modify' next to your new configuration file to edit the details.

    There are four sections to the applet configuration page. The first is 'Operation' shown below.

    1. Operation
    2. Applet Display
    3. Reporting
    4. Messages

    Operation


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    The numbered explanations below match the numbered sections shown above.

    1) The first set of options are what tests you want the applet to perform. The three tests are download test, upload test and VoIP (Voice-over-IP) simulation test (VoIP Editions only) . Check the ones you require. Note in trial mode you may select any edition.

    Automatic Start, For Professional, NOC and Support Editions only. Check the automatic start option if you want MySpeed Server to initiate the test when the web page is loaded.

    2) Specify the voice-over-IP simulation parameters. You will probably wish to match these to your voice-over-IP provider's settings to make the VoIP test more relevant. VoIP Editions only.

    The options in this section include the number of lines to simulate, test duration and codec to simulate. The Codecs include:

    G.711 (64 Kbps)
    G.729 (8 Kbps)
    G.723.1 (6.3 Kbps)
    G.723.1 (5.3 Kbps)
    G.726 (32 Kbps)
    G.726 (24 Kbps)
    G.728 (16 Kbps)
    Other (advanced)

    The advanced option lets you customize the number of packets to send, per second, and the size of each packet.

    Note the number of lines to simulate increases the test setting as a multiplier. For example selecting 2 would double the number of packets sent.

    3) This setting indicates to the applet whether the connection has separate upload and download channels (so that uploads and downloads can occur at the same time). This affects only the "number of lines" calculation in the Advanced tab.

    4) If you wish to, you can specify the HTTP upload maximum header size in bytes that MySpeed will use. This is rarely needed since MySpeed will automatically adapt to the web server being used. However, you can use this setting to force a smaller header size if your network requires it.

    5) Number of RTT (round trip time) tests that the applet should perform. The RTT metric indicates how long it takes to receive a response from the server.

    6) Maximum number of milliseconds (approx) that each download/upload test should run. The default is 8000 (8 seconds), the minimum is 2000 (2 seconds) and the maximum is 45000 (45 seconds). Note: very fast network speeds may cause the test to last less than 2 seconds.

    7) Specify the filename for the applet to download if the applet performs an HTTP test. Changing this setting is not recommended since the existing 'data.bin' is fully compressed and automatically generated by the server. If you wish to use a different file, it must be located in the server's 'www' subdirectory to be accessible by the applet.

    Applet Display


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    There are lots of options and sections in the applet display section. The first is shown above and the numbers are represented below:

    1) Perform the "moving bar" animation when the applet starts - unchecking this option will disable the moving bar animation that appears when the applet starts.

    2) Use popup windows to display links - This option allows you to specify that web pages that the applet links to should be opened in a new window. Note that some popup blockers (including Microsoft Internet Explorer's) can prevent windows from displaying in this manner. If this option is left unchecked, any links opened by the applet will reuse the existing open applet browser window.

    3) Allow links to detailed analysis - When deselected, this option causes all links to the test's detailed analysis to be hidden.

    4) There are five tabs the applet can display. Check the ones you want to show.

    Speed
    Voice-over-IP - VoIP Editions only
    Summary
    Graph
    Advanced - Professional, NOC, Support Editions only

    Note, in trial mode MySpeed allows you to select and use all features regardless of your downloaded edition.

    5) Hide tab selector if only one tab is available - If you have only chosen to show one tab then checking this option will not show the remaining tab. This is useful if you want to reduce the width of the applet to better fit the page.

    6) Specify the minimum and maximum speeds that should be displayed in the Speed tab. If you change these values, you will probably also wish to update the color coding.


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Specify the colors in the color gradation shown in the Speed and VoIP tabs. Each line in the box specifies a possible value and the color (in web format) by which the value should be represented. For example, in the Speed box, 10000=FF0000 indicates that a speed of 10,000 bps (10 Kbps) should be colored in red. Furthermore, adding the line 1000000000=00FF00 indicates that a speed of 1,000,000,000 bps (1Gbps) should be colored in green; then MySpeed will add a color gradient from red to green for intermediate values.

    2) Specify the labels which should appear on the diagonal graph in the Speed tab. Each line is of the form { offset },{ bps },{ label },{ number-bits },{ number-bytes }, where:

    · offset number of pixels by which the label is offset. (The tick mark is always plotted in the correct spot, but the label text may need to be shifted slightly to prevent it from overwriting others)

    · bps is the number of bits per second (position on the graph) at which the label should appear

    · label is the label to be shown on the graph. Set to '-' (a dash) to indicate no label; MySpeed will draw a vertical line instead

    · number-bits is the second label, usually used to denote the value, shown when the applet is displaying bits per second

    · number-bytes is the second label shown when the applet is displaying bytes per second


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Specify the labels which should appear on the graph in the VoIP tab when it is displayed. - VoIP Editions only .

    Each line is of the form {jitter | loss},{value}, label},{description} where:

    • jitter | loss - specify either jitter or loss to dictate whether the label applies to a jitter value or a packet loss percentage
    • value is the number of milliseconds jitter or percentage packet loss (depending on the above) at which the label should appear
    • label is the label to be shown on the jitter or packet loss vertical bar (or specify '-' for no label)
    • description is the descriptive label shown through the middle of the tab, between the packet loss and jitter bars (or specify '-' for no description)

    2) Specify the extra information which you would like the applet's Speed tab to display after the speed test has taken place. Specify one piece of information per line. The lines can be:

    • upburst - upload burst rate
    • qos - quality of service (a measure of how constant the data flow is)
    • rtt - round-trip time (the smallest time taken to send data to the server and receive a reply)
    • maxpause - the largest gap in milliseconds between transfers
    • testtype - the type of test that was performed (either 'socket' or 'HTTP')
    • mssid - the ID number of the test (also a link to the server's database)


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Specify the information which should be placed into the applet's Summary tab. The 'summary' tab appears only when the MySpeed test has completed. Each data item will be presented to the user with descriptive text and a picture (of a green, orange or red light) to show whether the results were good, acceptable or poor. See the Messages section to change the descriptive text. Specify one piece of information per line. The lines can be:

    • dspeed - download speed
    • uspeed - upload speed
    • qos - quality of service (a measure of how constant the data flow is)
    • jitter - number of ms jitter measured - VoIP Editions only
    • loss - percentage of packets lost during transmission - VoIP Editions only
    • mos - estimated MOS (mean opinion score) - VoIP Editions only
    • auditreport - a link to the audit report stored on the server

    2) Specify the information which should be placed into the applet's Advanced tab. The 'advanced' tab appears only when the MySpeed test has completed. See the Messages section to change the key names which are displayed alongside the information. Specify one piece of information per line. The lines can be:

    • header/< text > - a section heading. The text text is displayed with a line underneath
    • adv_dspeed - download speed
    • adv_uspeed - upload speed
    • adv_qos - quality of service percentage
    • adv_dtest - download test type (http/socket)
    • adv_utest - upload test type (http/socket)
    • adv_maxpause - maximum pause time between transfers
    • adv_avgpause - average pause time between transfers
    • adv_minrtt - minimum round trip time to server
    • adv_avgrtt - average round trip time to server
    • adv_djitter - average download jitter time - VoIP Editions only
    • adv_ujitter - average upload jitter time - VoIP Editions only
    • adv_dloss - download packet loss - VoIP Editions only
    • adv_uloss - upload packet loss - VoIP Editions only
    • adv_udiscards - packets uploaded discarded by protocol - VoIP Editions only
    • adv_order - metric showing how well the packets are ordered at the destination (%) - VoIP Editions only
    • adv_numlines - number of VoIP lines supported by this configuration - VoIP Editions only
    • adv_mos - estimated MOS (mean opinion score) - VoIP Editions only

    3) The applet allows for placing almost any image/text into its display for branding purposes. To do this, create a transparent GIF image of the applet's size so that a non-rectangular area (like a company logo) can be overlayed within the MySpeed GUI. Place this GIF inside the server's 'www' directory and specify its name (minus the path but including the .gif extension) below. You can create a different overlay GIF for each tab that may be shown.

    Reporting


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) JavaScript reporting: When a MySpeed test completes, you can call a JavaScript function with the results of the MySpeed test. This allows you to take control of the test results for the purpose of using the results for extra processing at the client or even at the server. For example you could update the web page with the results in a form that may mean more to the user who initiated the test or you could pass the data back to a server-side script for storing the data in a SQL database of your own design.

    The MySpeed JavaScript API allows you to define  JavaScript function name and the arguments which are passed to it. The following substitutions are made in the arguments list:

    • $DSPEED$ - download speed in bps
    • $USPEED$ - upload speed in bps
    • $QOS$ - quality of service percentage
    • $RTT$ - round trip time in ms
    • $MAXPAUSE$ - maximum pause between data transfers in ms
    • $MSSID$ - server test ID number
    • $JITTER$ - jitter - VoIP Editions only
    • $PACKETLOSS$ - percentage of packets lost in transmission - VoIP Editions only
    • $DJITTER$ - jitter suffered during download - VoIP Editions only
    • $DPACKETLOSS$ - percentage of packets lost in download transmission - VoIP Editions only
    • $DISCARDS$ - percentage of packets discarded by protocol - VoIP Editions only
    • $ORDER$ - ordering percentage (metric showing how well ordered the packets were) - VoIP Editions only

    For example, specifying mss($DSPEED$, $MAXPAUSE$) will cause the function mss to be called with two arguments: the first the download speed; the second the maximum pause between data transfers.

    2) Session ID reporting: Enter text in this field to enable 'Session ID' (SID) reporting. The SID is a text field that appears in the MySpeed applet which has to be completed by the end user before the test can be started. The data entered by the user is recorded on the server with MySpeed results to better identify the originator of the MySpeed test. Keep in mind that the end user can input any text (which may not be what you want or expected) which will get logged in the database.

    You can also set the SID 'parameter' to a value in the HTML and make the value unchangeable by the MySpeed test initiator. This is done by placing an "*" before the SID value, as below. This option enables you to automatically pass a string as the SID value such as an authenticated user name or even a geographical location etc.

    <param name="SID" value="*UKnetwork">

    Otherwise, the text you enter below will appear as the prompt for the user to enter their SID (the default text in the box).

    3) Submission link: You can place a link on the MySpeed applet when the tests are completed, which when clicked can perform any one of a number of actions. The 'URL' option controls which action is performed: It could open a new URL, create a new email in the user's email client (prefix the URL with mailto:) or call a JavaScript function (prefix the URL with JavaScript:). The URL string may contain any of the substitutions above which were valid for the JavaScript Reporting feature (documented above). Furthermore, if you are using an email URL you can add &body=$EBODY$ in the URL, which allows you to specify the email body in the relevant box below. The email body box is also subject to the substitutions described above, resulting in a flexible mail generation feature.

    Messages


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Error message displayed by applet when a versioning problem is found. Can only be caused by a partial configuration update (of files on the server) or a file caching problem (web browser / proxies).

    2) If client is running a Java VM older than the current release, a link to Sun's Java download web page is provided with the text below. Leave blank to disable Java version checking

    3) Text displayed when the applet begins the download/upload test. This remains on screen for about a second.

    4) Text displayed when the applet begins the VoIP simulation test. This remains on screen until the test completes. - VoIP Editions only

    5) Error shown when the client was unable to perform the VoIP simulation. This usually occurs because the client was unable to connect to the VoIP simulation port due to strict firewalling. - VoIP Editions only

    6) Message indicating that the server is busy and that the client must wait until the test may begin

    7) Message to indicate that the client has performed his/her full quota of tests for this period.

    8) Message displayed during the startup animation

    9) The speed is shown to be the text below if it could not be measured


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Message displayed to the end user (for a brief time) when internal exceptions are detected (from which MySpeed should be able to recover). Leave blank to prevent end users from seeing anything in error situations. To test, mouse click within the MySpeed window, and press the 'x' key twice in a row.

    2) Results wording for each of the different tests.

    3) Extra detailed test result information to display upon test completion. In the Display section you can change which of these metrics are displayed to the user

    4) You can add a text interpretation of the quality of service, round trip time and max pause metrics to the lines above. For example, you can display "good" if the quality of service is greater than 80%, "acceptable" if it is between 60% and 80%, or "poor" otherwise.

    To do so, add '%1' variable to the relevant line above. The text will be substituted in its place.

    5) Text displayed on the applet "Start" button

    6) Text displayed at the top of the jitter / packet loss bars - VoIP Editions only


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Units description text displayed in the bottom right-hand corner of the applet

    2) Connection summary tab title

    3) Connection summary tab: text displayed when the download speed is rated as good / warning / poor, or if the test failed. This text supports <b> and <a href=xxx> HTML tags if required

    4) Connection summary tab: text displayed when the upload speed is rated as good / warning / poor, or if the test failed. This text supports <b> and <a href=xxx> HTML tags if required.

    5) Connection summary tab: text displayed when the quality of service is rated as good / warning / poor, or if the test failed. This text supports <b> and <a href=xxx> HTML tags if required.


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Connection summary tab: text displayed when the VoIP jitter is rated as good / warning / poor, or if the test failed. This text supports <b> and <a href=xxx> HTML tags if required. - VoIP Editions only

    2) Connection summary tab: text displayed when the VoIP packet loss is rated as good / warning / poor, or if the test failed. This text supports <b> and <a href=xxx> HTML tags if required. - VoIP Editions only

    3) Connection summary tab: text to display the MOS score. This text supports <b> and <a href=xxx> HTML tags if required. - VoIP Editions only

    4) Connection summary tab link to advanced report. This text supports <b> and <a href=xxx> HTML tags if required.


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) The first section is where you can change the text shown in the graph tab.

    2) The second section is where you can change the text shown in the advanced tab.


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    1) Various units used throughout the applet can be changed in this section.

    2) Test for the download speed information box that appears in the bottom right hand corner of the speed test tab. Variable %0 is the download speed. Then subsequent variables are as follows:

    • %1 time to download 1MB
    • %2 time to download 10MB
    • %3 time to download 100MB
    • %4 time to download 1000MB
    • %5 time to download a CD
    • %6 time to download a DVD
    • %7 time to download an HD-DVD

    Creating a web page for the new configuration

    To create a web page for the new configuration file click the Create Web Page link to bring up the page below.

    Creating a web page for an applet is a quick and easy way to allow your clients access to a customized MySpeed applet.

    Enter a URL part-name to make the applet available to the client through a web link. Once you have entered the desired name click the Create Web Page button.

    This will take you back to the main applet configuration page and there will be some new links next to the configuration file as shown below.

    You can now view your new page by clicking the link or you can remove the new page by clicking the remove page link.

    How to specify which configuration an applet should use

    This section is on the bottom half of the applet configuration page.

    If the applet you wish to change is served from another website:

    Simply add the following line into your page's <applet> declaration:

    <param name="config" value="myconfig">

    replacing myconfig with the name of the configuration you wish to use.

    For example:

    <applet mayscript name="voip" code="myspeed.class" archive="voip.jar" codebase="http://69.65.110.166/myspeed" width=600 height=400>
         <param name="config" value="myconfig">
    </applet>

    If MySpeed is acting as a stand-alone server:

    Click the Create Web Page link next to the server configuration you wish to use. You will be asked to enter a page name. A MySpeed applet with your chosen configuration will be made available at that page.

    Alerts

    MySpeed NOC Edition provides a mechanism to raise alerts if connection tests do not meet required standards. Alerts can be raised for tests performed by external RTAs or those performed using the applet.

    For example, MySpeed could be set to alert you whenever the available bandwidth to one of your regularly-monitored systems drops below 100Kbps.

    All alerts currently defined are shown below. You can modify, delete or create new alerts.

    Email based alerts: If you wish to customize the contents of emails sent out, you can modify or create new email templates using the link below.

    Customize Email Templates

    To create a new alert start by entering the name for the alert you want and click the Create button. This will bring up the screen below.

    The first section is the Alert Trigger section. To start with choose what you want to trigger the new alert from the drop down menu:

    You can choose from any test including RTA's.

    Once you have chosen the trigger then choose the various parameters you want for the alert, from download data less than 50kbs to submits a jitter of greater than 10ms.

    The next section is Alert Response.

    In this section you can edit email details you want to send in an alert response. To start with enter the email address in the 'To' text box (multiple addresses can be added with commas). Next enter the subject line and then choose what template you want.

    Templates can be added and edited by clicking the "You can create or modify templates here" link. The template is what will appear in the body of the email response when the alert is triggered.

    You can modify and delete alerts on the main alerts screen by clicking either the 'modify' or the 'delete' links next to the alert name.

    MySpeed Email Templates

    To get to the eMail templates screen as shown above then simply click the 'Customize eMail Templates' link in the alerts section.

    MySpeed NOC and Support Editions provide a mechanism to send emails as a result of alerts being triggered. Emails sent in this way are based on email templates which can be added, modified or deleted from this screen.

    To create a new template simply enter a template name and click the 'Create' button.

    Simply fill in the text you want the email to read for this template and click the 'Save Template' button.

    System Info

    The system info menu currently provides three server reporting options.

    The menu option provided for administrative users is as follows:

    1. System information - displays all the information about the system you are running MySpeed server on. This provides a number of important server statistics that help ensure that MySpeed Server is running efficiently. In the event of problems this information may be requested for support analysis.
    2. Thread Monitor - display all the threads that are being used by MySpeed server and if they are working correctly. This sort of information is not normally needed unless requested by support because of problem issues.
    3. Report Server Usage Information - this option allows you to view how much your server is being used. The usage reports are divided into 5 minute group intervals and documents the number of speed tests conducted and the resulting network consumption.

    System Information Example

    Thread Monitor Example

    Report Server Usage Information Example

    MySpeed Server Control Panel

    Control Panel View

    The MySpeed Server Main Menu Control Panel is provided only as an example page to provide ideas on how you can configure and present the MySpeed service to your users. The Administration section at the bottom of the page is only available when logged in as the administrator.

    The various links and images are clickable on the image below.

    Main Menu

    The Main Menu provides access to the three core components namely 'New speed test', 'Reports' and 'Database Reports'.

    New Speed Test - Serves the MySpeed applet and allows the user to initiate a speed test

    Last Hour - Reports a list of speed tests performed in the last hour

    Last Day - Reports a list of speed tests performed in the last day

    Last 30 days - Reports a list of speed tests performed in the last 30 days

    Database Reporting - Serves the Report Selection page and allows the user to search and report on previously conducted speed tests. Some predefined reports are provided.

    The configuration options such as applet configuration and Manage RA's etc are only available once logged in as administrator. NOTE: Click on any administration section as shown in the image above to be taken to the appropriate place in the manual.

    Perform New Test   

    A number of example configurations for MySpeed server are provided in the default example page. Furthermore MySpeed Server provides a number of powerful JavaScript features that allow the user to have considerable control over how the applet performs and interacts when doing a test.

    A number of example configurations for MySpeed server are provided in the default example page. Furthermore MySpeed Server provides a number of powerful JavaScript features that allow the user to have considerable control over how the applet performs and interacts when doing a test.


    Perform a new test

    Selecting the "Perform New Test" option will provide the standard applet test. Click the ' Click here to start MySpeed ' button in the middle of the applet to perform the test. Please note that a number of addition example configurations for MySpeed server are provided at:

    http://www.myspeed.com/support/examples

    and for VoIP edition

    http://www.myvoipspeed.com/support/examples.

    Connection Test

    MySpeed Server accomplishes the test process as one distinct phase. This phase undertakes a  bandwidth throughput speed test for both upload and download so this can be measured and compared with service providers to underwrite service level performance and quality of that performance. If you are running a trial and have selected VoIP or you have a VoIP Edition license then you will see an additional 'Start VoIP Test' button. If you start a VoIP test MySpeed will automatically run a VoIP test followed be a bandwidth speed test.

    Phase 1

    Click the start button to begin the MySpeed Server test. When the test starts the animation stops and the actual test process begins. When the test completes a screen similar to the one shown below will display the results of the test. On completion MySpeed will, by default, display the advanced tab to indicate a clear summary of the test results on a pass/fail basis.


    Speed Test

    This tab shows you the upload and download speed for your current connection. It is displayed on a sloping graph as you can see in the image above, and once again the green to red shading indicated good to bad speed.

    VoIP Test - VoIP Editions only

    This tab shows you jitter and packet loss for the UDP VoIP part of the test. This helps to determine if their Internet line being tested is suitable for Voice over IP calls.

    Results

    Graph Tab


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    The graph tab provides a graph view to show the detailed results of both the bandwidth test and the VoIP test over the duration of the test. You can switch between the two by using the drop down menu at the bottom of the 'graph' panel. The detail data provided in the graph is designed to show how both the VoIP Test and the bandwidth have performed. This level of data helps to define consistency and quality.

    The bandwidth graph shows the bytes downloaded and the delay in milliseconds over the time the test took. If you hover the mouse cursor over any point on the graph a dialog box will appear telling you the exact amount of bytes downloaded, the delay in milliseconds and when it occurred. A bandwidth graph that fluctuates erratically depicts a poor quality of service. The VoIP graph shows the jitter in milliseconds and the packet loss (%) for each packet that was sent out to test the VoIP. The same applies when moving your cursor over the graph as in the bandwidth test. In the case of a VoIP graph the data allows you to understand the distribution of the packet loss and the variation of the jitter. Understanding if the packet loss is evenly distributed over the test duration or is grouped into a smaller time window defines clearly if the packet loss is material to the quality of the VoIP call.

    If you want a more detailed analysis then you can click on the Click here for detailed analysis link.

    Summary Tab

    The summary tab is designed to provide an easy to understand pass/fail report so remote users can quickly understand the results and impact of the test. Note, the thresholds that are used to define what is 'green', 'yellow' or 'red' can be customized as required. Note if a summary test indicator is 'WHITE' it indicates that the test failed and needs investigation.

    If you want a more detailed analysis then you can click on the 'Click here for detailed analysis' link.

    Advanced Tab

    The advanced tab is designed for more knowledgeable users and provides a concise summary of the significant numbers captured during the test. Also a 'view as text' link is available on the 'Advanced' tab, when clicked this produces the table of 'Advanced' results in a text window to provide an easy method for inclusion is a word document or email.

    Detailed Analysis

    The detailed analysis is a concise report that covers all the aspects of the test, namely 'results summary', 'Bandwidth', 'TCP pause', 'Jitter' and 'Packet Loss'. The report provides a the detail provided in the graphs the detailed report also provides an explanation and reasoning for the results. The detailed report is stored in the database and can be retrieved historically after the test has completed.

    The first section of the detailed analysis report is summary of the results. This, similar to the summary provided in the applet, shows the performance of each part of the test along with the pass/fail indicators (red, amber and green) to indicate at a quick glance how successful the test was. Although this summary duplicates to some extent what is provided in the applet when the test has completed, keep in mind that this report is also available historically from the MySpeed Server database (Professional, NOC and support editions only unless in trial mode).

    The second section is the bandwidth graph. This will be identical to the graph shown in the applet but because it is not confined by the smaller size of the applet the graph is much easier to read and interpret. In addition the data values that comprise the graph content can be exported as a text file or and Excel compatible file for use in a spreadsheet or any other suitable PV application. This data is stored and retrieved from the database (Professional, NOC and support editions only unless in trial mode).

    The second graph is produced if a VoIP test was conducted. The VoIP graph  below shows the variance of UDP jitter over time. For voice-over-IP application, this variance must be kept to a minimum otherwise call quality will be degraded. Packet loss is shown in red. High packet loss (for example more than 5% sustained over a short period) will result in broken sound during calls. Similar to the 'bandwidth' graph the 'Jitter' and 'packet loss' results can be download as a text file or an Excel file for use in a spreadsheet or other suitable application. This is done using the drop down menu and download button below the graph.

    The final sections of the detailed report provide extra data to assist in understanding and resolving connectivity problems. With the exception of the 'Client Headers' report which is available from any MySpeed Server Edition, the 'Route Test' and the 'Environment Test' are only provide using the NOC Edition Remote Testing Agent (RTA) and Support Edition the Remote Support Agent (RSA).

    Client Headers

    The Client Headers report is used to identify connectivity information about the remote testing client, for example it identifies if there is a proxy in use etc. Note as this information can be consider security sensitive data the collection process is defined in the MySpeed Server security configuration options.

    Route Test

    Understanding the route is crucial to understanding and resolving poor Bandwidth and VoIP performance as it identifies both distance and connectivity. For example a route spanning 26 routers between Washington DC and Paris France will have inherent latency delays over a route spanning 6 routers between Washington DC and Ashburn Virginia. Firstly one route is 3000 miles where as the latter is only 40 miles, secondly there is an inherent overhead and risk when a packet has to traverse 20 more routers to reach its destination.  The Route test is provided by the NOC RTAs and the Support RSAs where available to allow the packet journey to be better understood.

    Environment test

    The Environment test is only provided by the MySpeed Server VoIP Support Edition unless you are running in trial mode.  The MySpeed Server Support Edition is specifically designed to help second level and third level support groups manage remote customers with difficult bandwidth and VoIP related problems to resolve problems quickly. Unlike the NOC RTA the MySpeed Support Edition RSA is reusable and can be deployed to any number of support locations, simultaneously if required. This architecture is designed to  allow the support group to interact with the remote client (via the RSA) to gather environment data as well as VoIP data, Quality data, packet Loss data, Route data  and of course Bandwidth data.

    Database Reports

    Reporting Options

    MySpeed Server Professional and NOC Editions support a test results database. This provides the network and customer support groups access to the Speed and Quality results both in summary and detail form. This data is stored in a database and is made available for selection, review and reporting in a number of different ways. Choosing any of the predefined report types presented in the main server view presents the user with the standard report selection page as shown below:

    The first section is the Search Parameters combined with the output choices. This panel allows the user to select:

    What Data
        -     is extracted based on a start-time and an end-time
        -     is selected based on filters namely IP (IP address), DNS (Domain name assigned to IP address) and SID (session ID) recorded for the speed test

    What Format
        -     is used for output of the selected data

    What field elements
        -     are included in the report body

    1. What Data

    1. From - Simply choose the date and time range you want to search between (Note this time is time zone neutral)
    2. IP - Enter a particular IP for the report selection (Supports the use of wild carding with the * character). This is the IP address that initiated the test. Note: If the security option to suppress the IP address is used then the IP address is not available for reporting. This security option can defined for Reporting and Administrative users separately.
    3. DNS - Enter the DNS name for report selection (Supports the use of wild carding with the * character). This is the name of the workstation or server that initiated the test.
    4. SID - Enter the particular session ID for the report selection (Supports the use of wild carding with the * character). The session ID is available only in the Professional and NOC editions and provides the means to assign user defined data  to the test. For NOC edition this is normally used for identifying the location of the automated Remote Testing Agent (RTA)

    2. What format

    1. Table / Graph - Selecting this option will report the results in table or graph format
    2. Spreadsheet / Text - Selecting either Spreadsheet or Text provides the means to export the MySpeed report data for use in an external application such as Microsoft Excel

    3. What Field elements
    The second section defines what field elements are required to be included in the report, simply check or uncheck and click 'search' to run the report selection. Note these options are not available for the graph selection. This is because the graph legend allows the user to select or deselect what is included in the graph.

    Database Search Examples

    MySpeed Server Professional and NOC Editions support a test results database. This provides the network and customer support groups access to the Speed and Quality results both in summary and detail form.

    Table Example

    Below is an example of a table of results when using the search feature. Note the IP address filter is using the generic '*' to match all IP addresses starting with 192.168. The use of the matching '*' can be used on all the filter options. The table is self explanatory in that it lays all the data out from all the tests that have occurred for the selection the parameters you have used. You can view the detail log for each test by clicking the 'detail' id number link at the end of each row.

    Graph Example

    Below is an example of a report where the output type has been switched from 'table' to 'graph'. Note that 'Display fields' selection is disabled for selection when you choose the graph output. This is because the graph view allows you to quickly enable or disable the individual graph elements (lines) by clicking the legend colors shown on the right hand side of the graph. In the example below the plotting of 'Round Trip Time' has been disabled.

    The vertical red line shown below is the automatic scope tool, this line moves as you scroll the mouse from left to right. The light blue box slightly to the right of the red vertical line display the graph measures for the point where the red line is shown.  Clicking the left mouse button allows the plot data time window to be scrolled also. This is useful for graphs that contain a wide range of data over a long period of time. The vertical scope tool can be disabled if not required by clicking the 'hide' option in the lower left corner of the blue legend panel.

    Export Example

    Selecting either of the output types 'Spreadsheet' or 'Text' provides the means to export selected MySpeed Server data into an external application such as a spreadsheet or report document. Selecting Spreadsheet will allow the selection of 'save' or 'open' depending on whether you want to have a spread sheet view within the MySpeed report as shown below or whether you want to open the Spreadsheet application as a separate window. Selecting the text option provide the data as a simple tab delimited file in an open text window for the user to cut/paste/print as required.

    RTA's   

    Remote Agents (RAs) test network connections for quality and performance from remote locations such as an office or a customer.

    When logged into the administration section of the server you will get the following RTA/RSA options as shown below:

    Manage RAs

    From the Manage Remote Agents screen you can view/modify/delete existing remote agents, and create new remote agents.

    AutoTime RTAs and OnDemand RSAs that are currently configured on your server are listed on this screen. You can also create new AutoTime RTAs or OnDemand RSAs by clicking the appropriate links on this screen.

    Create AutoTime RTA (NOC & Support Editions only)

    The AutoTime RTA (Remote Test Agent) is designed to measure the bandwidth, VoIP and general connection quality of a permanent Internet/Intranet connection to test and provide historical data of the connection's performance over time.

    Once created, an RTA can only be deployed to remote network locations up to the license limit. This differs from the OnDemand RSA (Remote Support Agent), which can be redeployed any number of times and permits interactive control of the agent to quickly resolve customer connectivity problems.

    The AutoTime RTA is available in the NOC and Support Editions.

    To create a new AutoTime RTA the first step is to enter a name to identify the RTA when it connects. Enter the name into the 'RTA name:' text box and click the 'Create RTA' button.


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    The numbers in the image above are explained below:

    1) Modify the name of RTA by entering a new name and clicking the 'Update Name' button.

    2) Tests performed by this RTA - edit the type of test(s) performed by the RTA. Click the modify link or the add a new connection test link to go to the modify screen:


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    The first option is where you want to use an API.

    The Use API feature causes the Remote Agent to send the data obtained from the test to a script on another server. For example this allows you to write a PHP script to accept the MySpeed results and process them in some way (including adding them to a MySQL database or saving them to a text file).

    Data is sent to the script as an HTTP POST.

    The URL field (visible when the Use API checkbox is checked) specifies where the script exists, for example http://www.yourcompany.com/myspeed.php (note: you must explicitly specify http:// or https://).

    The variables field specifies which variables to post, and the format in which they should be written. The following substitutions will be made by the RA:

    •  $DSPEED$ - download speed (bps)

    •  $USPEED$ - upload speed (bps)

    •  $DTESTTYPE$ - download test type ('h'=HTTP, 's'=socket)

    •  $UTESTTYPE$ - upload test type ('h'=HTTP, 's'=socket)

    •  $QOS$ - quality of service (%)

    •  $RTT$ - round trip time (ms)

    •  $MAXPAUSE$ - max pause in data transfer (ms)

    •  $JITTER$ - upstream jitter (client to server) (ms)

    •  $PACKETLOSS$ - upstream packet loss (%)

    •  $ORDER$ - upstream packet order (%)

    •  $DISCARDS$ - upstream packet discards (%)

    •  $DJITTER$ - downstream jitter (server to client) (ms)

    •  $DPACKETLOSS$ - downstream packet loss (%)

    •  $DORDER$ - downstream packet order (%)

    •  $DDISCARDS$ - downstream packet discards (%)

    •  $MOS$ - mean opinion score (decimal number 1 - 5 indicating VoIP quality)

    •  $TO$ - test server in use (URL)

    •  $ROUTE$ - route table: commas separate rows of table, semicolons separate columns. The first column is the hop number, the second the IP address, third the latency (ms) and fourth the packet loss (%). For example 0;192.168.0.5;2;0,1;2.2.2.2;45;10,2;3.3.3.3;110;50 would represent a trace 192.168.0.5 --> 2.2.2.2 --> 3.3.3.3. First hop latency 2ms, loss 0%. Second hop latency 45ms, loss 10%. Third hop latency 110ms, loss 50%.

    Usually you would specify a list of variables on separate lines, each line of the form <key>=<value>.

    For example, specifying:

    downloadspeed=$DSPEED$
    upstreamjitter=$JITTER$

    would result in two variables being posted: 'downloadspeed' will contain the download speed obtained in bits per second and 'upstreamjitter' will contain the upstream jitter in milliseconds.

    An example PHP script which saves all POSTed variables to a text file is available here.

    Options include how often you want the tests to take place, which tests (download, upload, VoIP etc) you want the RTA to perform. You can also instruct the RTA to perform the test from another MySpeed NOC edition server. To do this choose the 'Another MySpeed NOC edition server' option from the drop down menu shown in the image above. You will have to enter the URL and password of the other server you wish to test from.

    3) This section tells you if the RTA you are editing is running or not.

    4) This section explains the two options you have to distribute the RTA to the customer.

    The first option is to publish the RTA to a web accessible link so the customer can download it and run it. Click the publish link to be taken to the publish RTA screen.

    The second option is to download the RTA to your machine for distribution via email or CD etc. To do this simply enter a name for the RTA into the text box and click the 'Download RTA link'.

    It is important to ensure that each instance running on each individual computer is downloaded separately. Do not re-use RTAs by simply copying the executable file from system to system.

    Create OnDemand RSA (Support Edition only)

    The OnDemand RSA (Remote Support Agent) enables support engineers to define and interactively manage the bandwidth, VoIP and general connection quality testing process to resolve end-user connectivity problems.

    Once created, an RSA can be delivered to an unlimited number of remote customer locations to help resolve connection and VoIP problems. The number of active RSA connections at any one time is limited only by the license concurrent limit. This differs from the AutoTime RTA (Remote Test Agent), which is designed to manage, alert and report from important connection locations 24x7, and is licensed by the number of installed locations.

    The OnDemand RSA is available in the Support Edition only.

    To create a new AutoTime RTA the first step is to enter a name to identify the RSA when it connects. Enter the name into the 'RSA name:' text box and click the 'Create RSA' button.


    Click image to enlarge/shrink

    The numbers in the image above are explained below:

    1) Modify the name of RSA by entering a new name and clicking the 'Update Name' button.

    2) Tests performed by this RSA - edit the type of test(s) performed by the RSA. Click the modify link or the add a new connection test link to go to the modify screen:

    The options shown above are self explanatory. Simply set the tests you want performed by the RSA, the number of tests you want performed and the time between tests and click the Update Test button. If you want the RSA to run from another MySpeed NOC edition server then choose that option from the 'Test to' drop down menu. You will then have to fill out the URL and the password for the other server.

    You can also set the RSA to pause for a certain amount of time before continuing processing tests. Click the top radio button and then set the number of seconds you want the RSA to pause for.

    If you choose to allow the MySpeed OnDemand RSA to remain running for additional tasks, you can click the "Control" link which will appear below once the RSA is connected. This will allow you to interactively control the RSA and perform additional tasks beyond those configured above.

    Alternatively you can choose to automatically shut down the RSA once it has finished the tasks listed above.

    3) This section tells you if the RSA you are editing is running or not.

    4) This section explains the two options you have to distribute the RSA to the customer.

    The first option is to publish the RSA to a web accessible link so the customer can download it and run it. Click the publish link to be taken to the publish RSA screen.

    The second option is to download the RSA to your machine for distribution via email or CD etc. To do this simply enter a name for the RSA into the text box and click the 'Download RSA link'.

    It is important to ensure that each instance running on each individual computer is downloaded separately. Do not re-use RSAs by simply copying the executable file from system to system.

    Publish RA

    Publishing an RTA or RSA provides a quick and convenient method for a remote customer to download an RTA.

    The first task is to choose the RTA or RSA you want to publish from the drop down menu.

    The next task is to either let the user enter his/her name, which will then be used to identify the RTA or RSA when it connects to the server or you can set a fixed name for every RTA or RSA downloaded from the page you are about to set up. Just choose the appropriate radio button and fill in the appropriate fields.

    The next task is to create the link to publish the RTA or RSA to. Simply enter a URL part-name to make the RTA / RSA available to the client through a web link.

    Once you have finished setting up the publishing details click the 'Publish RTA/RSA' button. Once published you will be given a link to send to your customers. Any one who visits the link will get a screen like the one below:

    If you have opted for the user to enter their own name for the RTA/RSA then they will have to do this before clicking the download button.

    Once the RTA/RSA has been saved to the users machine it can then be run and begin testing. The RSA/RTA will look like the agent below:

    At any time the customer can cancel the connection by clicking the Shut Down button on the RTA/RSA.

    RTA's under Linux

    Since version 7.3e, MySpeed Server has supported running RTAs under Linux. To use this feature, please follow these steps:

    •  Download the Linux RTA from the MySpeed Server. The server will indicate where the Linux RTA is available by providing a "download RTA for Unix" link underneath the usual "download RTA" button. Click the link, then use the link in the resulting popup to download the unixrta.tar file.

    •  Extract the .tar file:
    tar -xf unixrta.tar

    •  Run the installation script:
    sh rta_configure.sh

    •  Use the MySpeed Server to download a Windows RTA (rta.exe file). This contains all the relevant settings to allow the Unix RTA to connect back to the MySpeed Server. Place the rta.exe in the installation directory chosen in (3).

    •  Run the RTA by changing to the installation directory and typing:
    sh start_rta.sh

    The RTA can be stopped by typing "sh stop_rta.sh".

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