Xelerated, Broadcom Chip In on Ethernet

LAS VEGAS -- Xelerated, the price/performance leader in network processing, today announced a joint solution with Broadcom Corporation enabling the development of cost effective, future proof switches for Enterprise and Metro Ethernet applications. Demonstrations of the joint design will be showcased at the NetWorld+Interop exhibit in Las Vegas this week.

The reference design is based on Broadcom's StrataXGS family of Ethernet Switch chips and Xelerated's family of fully programmable network processors. Together these chips enable networking OEMs to build cost effective, flexible, high-functionality switches ranging from stackable to chassis-based systems. To complement the standard fixed Ethernet/IPv4 feature set provided by the StrataXGS chipset, Xelerated's network processor provides programmable feature set extensions including IPv6, MPLS and VPLS. These feature set extensions are provided as a "Virtual ASIC" application package covering IPv6 (unicast/multicast, access control lists), MPLS LER/LSR, VPN (VPLS PWE3/Martini) and IPv6 to IPv4 transition mechanisms. Like all applications implemented in the Xelerated network processors, wire-speed performance is guaranteed thanks to the NPUs' unique data-flow architecture.

"The Xelerated MPLS/VPLS/IPv6 add-on to Broadcom's industry leading StrataXGS products provides our customers with a powerful and very flexible way of extending their feature set and allows them to meet and exceed a wide range of new requirements in the future," says Martin Lund, Senior Director Broadcom's Enterprise Switching LoB.

"I am very pleased to announce this solution together with Broadcom," says Thomas Eklund, Vice President Business Development. "Unlike the hard coded solutions on the market, the customer can obtain a fast time to market with the "Virtual ASIC" application package and still has the option to offer additional proprietary value-add features by leveraging the programmability of the Xelerated NPU. Due to our programmability we can easily support new features like IPFIX, Netflow and sFlow without having to do costly re-spins like our competitors. The customer will have a future proof design for their high feature implementations."

"The joint Broadcom/Xelerated solution allows system designers to enhance the features and flexibility of Enterprise Switch/Routers with little impact on development costs or time to market – all at a price that is affordable for most Ethernet systems," says Linley Gwennap, principal analyst of The Linley Group.

Xelerated Inc.

Broadcom Corp.