Rackmount appliance targets enterprise applications

Compact, 1U Octeon II Network Appliance targets enterprise apps while second variant focuses on wireless and core network with NEBS Level 3, extended temperature and 300mm shallow ETSI rack support.

April 25, 2011

Advantech, in close collaboration with Cavium Networks, announced the commercial availability of the Packetarium NCP-3120 1U rackmount appliance featuring the 6-core Octeon II CN6335 from Cavium. The design of a ruggedized variant, the NCP-3105 has also been announced and targets more specifically core and wireless network elements such as Radio Network Controllers and eNodeB/Basestations.

Advantech’s network processor system design reportedly brings OEM-ready platforms for mainstream, high-volume enterprise routing, unified threat management (UTM) appliances, enterprise and service provider gateways. The Packetarium NCP-3120 based on the 6-core Cavium Octeon II CN6335, brings enhanced scalability to customers deploying the Packetarium range, according to Advantech. Network Processor Boards used in number in the high-end Packetarium systems integrate seamlessly into the 1U platforms to facilitate software re-use and allow OEM’s to market entry level variants for cost-sensitive higher volume deployment. The system is designed with flexibility in mind and offers a range of replaceable front I/O cards for GbE and 10 GbE connectivity as well as a standard PCIe x8 card expansion slot. With the accelerated packet, security, deep packet inspection (DPI) processing and wireless capabilities of the Octeon II, the NCP-3120 allegedly meets a wide range of UTM connectivity and bandwidth requirements. It also supports up to eight 2.5” SATA-2 Solid State Disks for data caching or database applications.

The Packetarium NCP-3105 integrates the CN6335-AAP Application Acceleration Processor version into a 1U rackmount form factor providing multi-port gigabit Ethernet packet processing for Radio Access Network elements. The new NCP-3105 system targets core network elements with support for redundant -48 Vdc input, extended temperature range and an overall design made for deployment in NEBS Level 3 environments. Further ruggedization options are available with -20 to 60°C extended temperature versions catering for remote radio access network elements. With a reduced depth of 10 in. the NCP-3105 supports mounting in 300 mm shallow telecom racks or back-to-back mounting in standard 600 mm racks for optimum use of space. Ethernet connections are made via four RJ-45 GbE ports with metallic bypass as default. Four SFP GbE ports are activitated when connected.

The system reportedly makes full use of industry-leading network acceleration functions within the Octeon II and provides optional IEEE 1588v2 support to enable time and clock synchronization over Ethernet of network elements in the all-IP RAN or Evolved Packet Core such as eNodeBs or Radio Network Controllers.

www.advantech.com

Advantech Corporation

– Edited by Amanda McLeman, Control Engineering, www.controleng.com

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