Gigabit Ethernet XMVR LAN Services Modules

Ixia's Gigabit Ethernet XMVR LAN Services Modules (LSMs) offer Layer 2-3 network testing functionality in a single test system. Each test port supports wire-speed Layer 2-3 traffic generation and analysis and medium performance routing/bridging protocol emulation. With industry-leading16 Dual-PHY ports per module, ultra-highdensity test environments can be created for autonegotiable 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet over copper as well as Gigabit/100FX Ethernet over fiber. With 12 slots per XM12 High Performance chassis, up to 192 Gigabit Ethernet test ports are supported in a single test system.

Each port on a GE XMVR module contains a RISC processor running Linux and a full testing-optimized TCP/IP stack. This architecture provides the performance and flexibility required for testing routers, switches, broadband and wireless access devices, and many other networking devices.

Ixia's Gigabit Ethernet XMVR LAN Services Module (LSM) is offered in a 16-port configuration, providing scalability and affordability for many testing requirements.

Highlights

• Complete Layer 2-7 network and application testing functionality in a single test system

• Flexible Packet Generation

• Real-Time Latency

• Transmit Scheduler

• Extensive Statistics

• Data Capture

• Data Integrity

• Sequence and Duplicate Packet Checking

• Routing/Bridging Protocol Emulation

• Application Layer Performance Testing

• Tcl API

Flexible Packet Generation

Each Ixia GE XMVR test port is capable of generating precisely controlled network traffic at up to wire speed of the network interface using Ixia’s IxExplorer test application. Up to millions of packet flows can be configured on each port with fully customizable packet header fields. Flexible header control is available for Ethernet, IPv4/v6, IPX, ARP, TCP, UDP, VLANs, QinQ, MPLS, GRE, and many others. Payload contents can also be customized with incrementing/decrementing, fixed, random, or userdefined information. Frame sizes can be fixed, varied according to a pattern, or randomly assigned across a weighted range. Rate control can be flexibly defined in frames per second, bits per second, percentage of line rate, or inter-packet gap time.

Real-Time Latency

Packets representing different traffic profiles can be associated with Packet Group Identifiers (PGIDs). The receiving port measures the minimum, maximum, and average latency in real time for each packet belonging to different groups. Measurable latencies include:  

• Instantaneous latency and inter-arrival time where each packet is associated with one group ID 

• Latency bins, where PGIDs can be associated with a latency range 

• Latency over time, where multiple PGIDs can be placed in "time buckets" with fixed durations 

• First and last time stamps, where each PGID can store the timestamps of first and last received packets

Transmit Scheduler

Two modes of transmission are available - Packet Stream and Advanced Stream Scheduler:

Packet Stream Scheduler

In Packet Stream Scheduler mode, the transmit engine allows configuration of up to 256 unique sequential stream groupings on each port. Multiple streams can be defined in sequence, each containing multiple packet flows defined by unique characteristics. After transmission of all packets in the first stream, control is passed to the next defined stream in the sequence. After reaching the last stream in the sequence, transmission may either cease, or control may be passed on to any other stream in the sequence. Therefore, multiple streams are cycled through, representing different traffic profiles to simulate real network traffic.

Advanced Stream Scheduler

In Advanced Stream Scheduler mode, the transmission of stream groupings is interleaved per port. For example, assume a port is configured with three streams. If Stream 1 is defined with IP packets at 20% of line rate, Stream 2 is defined with TCP packets at 50% of line rate, and Stream 3 is defined with MPLS packets at 30% of line rate, data on the port will be transmitted at an aggregate utilization of 100% with interleaved IP, TCP, and MPLS packets.