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Networking:
Light Reading Improves Grid
Efficiency With New Switches
NetScaler gets the edge in a test of next-generation data center equipment,
conducted by Light Reading, Byte and Switch, Ixia, and EANTC.
Light Reading, the premier information resource for news and analysis of
next-generation telecommunications technology, published the results of
the first-ever independent test of Layer 7 content switches.
The tests were undertaken by EANTC (European Advanced Networking Test
Center), a vendor-neutral test facility based in Berlin, using the Ixia 1600T
performance analyzer, running the IxWeb content switch test suite from
Ixia.
To ensure the impartiality of the results, the test was paid for entirely
by Light Reading and its storage-networking sister-site, Byte and Switch.
Layer 7 content switches enable carriers to improve their profitability, by
facilitating the delivery of secure Internet services to business customers,
at the same time as cutting their data center costs. They also enable large
grid enterprises to improve the performance and efficiency of their
information systems.
"The latest content switches are incredible beasts. They aim to identify
applications in individual HTTP sessions and then switch them -- and they do
this on a massive scale, handling millions of sessions at the same time," says
Peter Heywood, a founding editor of Light Reading. "We wanted to see whether
they were ready for use in real live networks."
Three vendors stepped up to the challenge and participated in the test:
Extreme Networks Inc. (NASDAQ:EXTR) , NetScaler Inc., and WinCom Systems Inc.
All three did exceptionally well in the test, according to Carsten
Rossenhoevel, managing director of research and manufacturer testing at EANTC.
"All of the switches we tested are ready for use in the busiest and most
attacked Internet traffic centers in the world today, with enough reserves for
the foreseeable future," says Rossenhoevel.
NetScaler's RS9800 got the best overall score in the test, winning first
place in each group of tests. These covered HTTP performance (session rate and
capacity, latency and load balancing), TCP performance (connection rate and
capacity), and security (resilience to denial of service attacks, and secure
sockets layer performance). NetScaler also came out on top in a comparison of
prices and features.
Extreme's Summit Px1 and WinCom's Switching Server FGS tied for second
place overall, still getting high average scores that demonstrate their
products are ready for prime time. Extreme got good marks all around, while
WinCom starred in switching speed tests.
"Ixia is delighted to facilitate this groundbreaking test of content-aware
switches, sponsored by the industry's leading sources for networking news and
information," says Eran Karoly, vice president of marketing for Ixia. "Ixia's
IxWeb is the ideal tool to accurately verify the performance of content-aware
devices, SSL accelerators, firewalls, and server load balancers. The IxWeb
test suite, running on Ixia's TXS family of CPU per-port traffic and
transaction generators, allows users to emulate real world traffic by
generating millions of concurrent Web sessions, effectively assessing network
performance under deployed conditions."
A total of 16 companies were invited to submit products for the tests.
The full results of the test are being published on each respective Web
site below.
About Light Reading
Light Reading launched in February 2000. Its Website delivers timely and
entertaining in-depth analysis of telco networking developments for free.
Profitable from its inception, Light Reading has rapidly gained a reputation
as required reading for anybody associated with next-generation Internet
technology. 850,000 people visit Light Reading each month.
In June 2001, Light Reading launched a new site which has rapidly become
the go-to destination on the Internet for independent analysis of storage
networking issues.
In 2002, Light Reading acquired and re-launched another site providing
analysis of the wireless industry. At the end of 2002, Light Reading also
acquired Boardwatch and ISPWorld, a magazine, Web site and directory covering
service providers. Plans to relaunch the magazine and move it online are in
hand.
About EANTC
The European Advanced Networking Test Center (EANTC) offers vendor-neutral
network test facilities for manufacturers, service providers, and enterprise
customers. Primary business areas include interoperability, conformance, and
performance testing for IP, ATM, MPLS, and broadband voice-related network
technologies and applications. EANTC provides network-related services
including consulting and seminars for ATM, MPLS, and other networking
technologies.
About Ixia
Ixia delivers powerful, grid distributed, multiport traffic generators, and
performance & conformance analyzers for wire-speed verification of optical
networking equipment, LAN, MAN, WAN, and SAN multilayer switches and routers.
Our analysis systems are used in the design, manufacture, and quality
assurance stages of network equipment development.
Our Real World Traffic solutions address the growing need to test
enterprise networks prior to deployment under real load conditions with actual
business application traffic. Our network operations applications address the
carriers needs for a higher level of control over the network itself.
Ixia's analysis solutions utilize a variety of interfaces - 10/100/1000
Mbps Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Packet Over SONET, BERT, and USB, and are
distinguished by their accuracy, reliability, and adaptability to the
industry's constant evolution.
http://www.lightreading.com
http://www.ixiacom.com
http://www.eantc.com
http://www.byteandswitch.com
http://www.unstrung.com
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