Ixia unveils Xcellon IP network test architecture

OCTOBER 12, 2010 -- Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA) has introduced its next-generation testing architecture. Elements of the new Xcellon line can support terabit traffic generation. Its high-density architecture features the ability to combine the processing power of up to four multi-core CPUs to deliver up to 12X the per-port performance of the nearest competitor, Ixia asserts.

The Xcellon family tree includes two main branches, the Xcellon-Flex and the Xcellon-Ultra. The Xcellon-Flex line is designed to provide high-density, full Layer 2-7 core network testing. It simulates 4X the connections per second rate currently available, Ixia assert. For example it can emulate over 80 million video sessions simultaneously.

Xcellon-Flex also provides double the port density, and 12 times the per-port performance of competitive systems, while using 30% less power than the previous generation of 10 GbE ports, Ixia says. Each Xcellon-Flex module can support up to 16 ports of 10 GbE; the CPU and memory capacity of four ports can be combined to support high-end network emulation and traffic generation applications

The Xcellon-Ultra product line, meanwhile, targets lab applications for testing support of multiplay services, application delivery infrastructure, and security platforms. It can generate up to 80 gigabits of line-rate stateful traffic and 40 gigabits of IPsec encrypted traffic. The Xcellon-Ultra enables test engineers to emulate up to 24 million concurrent Internet video streams, Ixia says.

The Xcellon-Ultra line currently includes three products:

1. The Xcellon-Ultra NP, formerly the Acceleron-NP, which provides Layer 2-7 performance testing within an XM chassis
2. The Xcellon-Ultra XT, for high-end application performance testing
3. The Xcellon-Ultra XTS, for encrypted IPSec testing applications

“The exponential growth of traffic in converged data centers, combined with the adoption of virtualized- and cloud-based technologies, requires a testing platform that moves way beyond currently accepted standards,” said Olga Yashkova, program manager at Frost & Sullivan. “The Xcellon family of products makes this leap, and provides a conduit to meet long-term performance targets. It should easily see the industry through the next generation of networking products.”

“Data center networks require high-capacity scale, throughput, and non-blocking architectures to fulfill customer requirements. Ixia’s next-generation Xcellon architecture delivers the unparalleled 10GbE port density, ultra-high performance, and massive scale vital for developing and validating next-generation data center devices,” said Steve Garrison, vice president of marketing at Force10 Networks. “To meet our customers’ needs, we must develop next-generation networking and data center devices that can handle massive amounts of data traffic. Ixia’s Xcellon family is the flexible, scalable, and energy efficient test product required by the industry to meet the testing demands of the immediate future, and beyond.”

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