Ixia Test Solutions for Network Storage Vendors, Especially Emulex

Ixia, provider of IP performance test systems, unveiled a new set of test solutions for data center testing. Ixia’s test solutions allow equipment manufacturers, data center operators and storage vendors to assess the functionality and performance of their Converged Enhanced Ethernet (CEE), Data Center Ethernet (DCE), Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE), and Storage Area Network (SAN) devices.

Ixia and Emulex have cooperated in the development of test methodologies for Converged Network Adapter (CNA) testing. CNAs are a key component of the combined Ethernet/Fibre Channel infrastructure. Used in virtualized servers, CNAs provide transparent access to Ethernet and storage network services.

“Ixia’s toolbox for device and system performance characterization in both the traditional and virtualized data center environments, allows users to optimize their data center configurations,” said Steve Daheb, chief marketing officer and senior vice president of business development, Emulex Corporation. “Using Ixia’s IxChariot, we were able to fully characterize our OneConnect Universal CNA (UCNA) functionality. Our collaboration on the Black Book for CNAs provides ready-to-deploy test methodologies.”

Next-generation data centers are rapidly adopting new techniques, such as server virtualization and network convergence to lower capital expenditure and operational costs. Data intensive applications and demands for permanent online storage have led to an explosion of network-available disk storage and related SAN devices.

To meet these rapidly growing needs, Ixia utilizes hardware and software components which apply and measure test traffic.

Ixia’s data center test solutions address:

• CEE/DCE/FCoE – The convergence of Local Area Network (LAN) and SAN traffic requires a multi-level testing approach, from the physical layer through FCoE protocols to lossless Ethernet. Ixia provides testing solutions for CEE/DCE, as well as FCoE.
• SANs – The explosion of storage capacity delivered over converged networks requires that large-scale emulation be applied to SAN components: CNAs, FCoE initiators/targets, and SAN switches/arrays. IxSAN tests performance and interoperability, without the need for costly large disk and tape farms.
• Virtualization – Ixia’s IxVM enables infrastructure performance benchmarking in virtualized data centers. IxVM leverages Ixia’s industry proven technology to generate test traffic from within the server infrastructure, determining a data center’s virtual infrastructure performance.

“Ixia is strongly committed to supporting the next-generation data center with its adoption of virtualized architectures,” said Atul Bhatnagar, President and CEO of Ixia. “Working with our customers in developing test solutions for leading-edge technologies is an important part of that commitment.”