With LightRiver’s Factory Built NetworkTM process, if testing reveals a performance issue, it can be resolved by a team of resident LightRiver Optical Engineers with a collective wealth of expertise in troubleshooting across multiple technologies, as equipped with a full complement of test and diagnostic tools. The value of this advantage can be significant – in an average deployment, roughly half of the time spent in a customer site is spent in troubleshooting deployment issues. Having onsite access to expert engineers can save a considerable amount of time in this troubleshooting process.
Importantly, too, a Factory Built Network is tested far more extensively than networks deployed entirely in the field. Prior to testing, systems can undergo an entire week of “burn-in” to ensure successful functioning, rather than hours or days. In the factory, bit error rate (BER), throughput, latency, and jitter testing can be completed thoroughly and efficiently with test systems geared towards testing multiple circuits simultaneously. And, most uniquely, LightRiver can conduct comprehensive system failover testing, at all hardware levels – pluggable optic, card, chassis, power, and line side fiber – which is rarely done in the field.
In a factory environment, 100 percent quality checks are efficiently performed. The inspection of every patch cord via 400X scope is supervised. Each label is double-checked for proper placement and description. The neatness and routing of every optical patch cord is verified. And if required, corrections are readily made before the equipment is shipped. In contrast, only random spot audits are typically done in the field.
When the system has been successfully integrated, commissioned, custom tuned, tested and quality-checked, it is disconnected, packed and shipped to each customer site in the safest and most efficient manner possible – with the equipment remaining in either shelves, racks or cabinets.