esaProbeSOAMInterval is a read-create value specifying the packet-send interval for Y.1731 LM/DM and SLM/SLR probes, for the probe's first Class of Service, and it has no meaning once multiple COS levels are active. An administrator adjusts it to trade off measurement resolution against the extra load the SOAM test traffic places on the service. For example, shortening this interval on a voice-SLA probe produces more frequent delay/loss samples to catch brief quality dips, at the cost of generating more SOAM frames on the monitored service.