Ixia Tests VPLS Interop

CALABASAS, Calif. -- Ixia (Nasdaq: XXIA), a leading provider of high-speed, multiport network performance analysis systems, announced today the successful completion of groundbreaking interoperability testing of new Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) protocols and services. The testing, conducted in March at the Isocore Internetworking Lab in McLean, VA demonstrated VPLS as well as Layer 2 Martini interoperability among a number of leading network equipment vendors. These included core routers from Avici Systems, Cisco Systems, and Marconi, along with edge equipment from companies such as CoSine Communications, Extreme Networks, Foundry Networks, Redback Networks, TiMetra Networks, as well as Cisco Systems. The technologies demonstrated at the event are key to deploying the next generation of Virtual Private Network (VPN) services in service provider networks. "The demonstration of VPLS marked the first interoperability testing of the service in the industry," said Bruce Miller, product manager for Ixia. "By working directly with other vendors in an open, roll-up-your-sleeves type of environment, we were able to more quickly and effectively test and help vendors bring new products to market. This in turn accelerates the adoption of these technologies into real world deployments." Technologies that enable the delivery of private data services over carrier networks were a key part of the testing conducted at Isocore. VPLS enables a private corporate Ethernet network to be extended over a provider managed IP or MPLS network infrastructure. This type of service will enable service providers to connect multiple corporate customer sites with all locations appearing to be on the same network, and without the complexity of configuring Layer 3 routers. VPLS also extends the broadcast and multicast services of Ethernet into MPLS, enabling multipoint VPNs with true transparency to the corporate user. Also tested extensively at the event was Layer 2 VPNs based on the IETF Martini drafts. Martini VPNs enable private networks carrying virtually any type of traffic to be tunneled across carrier networks. Ixia successfully demonstrated the establishment of tunnels and Martini sessions with multiple vendors across an MPLS core while providing VLAN, ATM and frame relay connections over those tunnels. MPLS-related protocols from Ixia's test suites, including RSVP-TE and LDP, were utilized in these tests. Ixia also provided traffic generation and analysis over those circuits. Ixia