RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- Overture announced today its collaboration with Integra, Brocade, Intel and Spirent to provide NFV service chain performance benchmarks. Test results show zero packet loss throughput for 2 Gigabit ports carrying line-rate IMIX traffic through multiple VNFs in a pure-play NFV environment. Pure-play NFV refers to running software virtual network functions on standard servers with no specialized networking hardware. These real-world simulation tests prove that NFV can deliver high performance at the customer premise to support even the most demanding communication service provider (CSP) environment.

“This benchmark demonstrates the real potential that NFV has of transforming our industry,” states Jason Koenders, Integra chief technology officer. “It allows network services providers like Integra to deliver the services and performance that our customers require, and that we currently get from proprietary hardware products, but in a much more cost-effective, software-based model.”

The battery of benchmark tests incorporated various combinations of the Overture Ensemble Carrier Ethernet VNF, Brocade Vyatta 5600 vRouter, and Spirent TestCenter Virtual, all orchestrated by Overture’s Ensemble Service Orchestrator. Testing was performed on Intel Atom C2000 processor-based servers acting as VNF hosting platforms. The tests themselves covered a wide range of real-world scenarios with multiple traffic profiles, including 64-byte and IMIX frames, being passed through a service chain of up to four VNFs on a single server.

“To achieve line-rate performance using bi-directional traffic on a 1 Gbit/s port, running through multiple VNFs on a server that costs less than $1,000 is a game changer for this industry,” notes Prayson Pate, Overture chief technology officer. “A service chain with layer 2 functionality providing this level of performance on this type of machine shows that pure-play NFV can meet even the most demanding carrier-class service provider environments.”

Overture Networks Inc.

Brocade Communications Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: BRCD)

Intel Corp. (Nasdaq: INTC)

Spirent Communications plc