This helps explain what the EZChip does.
zdnet.com
New Net Chip Targets Big Iron Gear
By Joe McGarvey, Inter@ctive Week
February 29, 2000 11:03 AM ET
The two major requirements of network routing
equipment are the ability to move huge amounts of data
at lightning-fast rates and the ability to incorporate
software advances, such as new protocols or
modifications to existing protocols.
A new breed of processors designed for networking gear
has made a major advance in bringing flexibility and
programmability to high-speed routers. While the first
incarnation of these so-called network processors
makes it possible for service providers to add new
software-based features without replacing equipment,
they tend to lack the horsepower needed by routers
stationed at the network's core.
This month, however, Israel-based EZchip Technologies
unveiled a network processor that combines the
flexibility of programmable chips with the raw speed of
hardware-based processors, according to company
officials.
"It has the ability to look deep into the packet," says Eli
Fruchter, president and chief executive of EZchip. "It
doesn't sacrifice speed for performance."
Fruchter is referring to the balancing act performed by
network engineers responsible for tuning routers and
switches to execute advanced functions without
ratcheting down packet-forwarding rates to an
unacceptable level.
Many routers are capable of performing data monitoring
and manipulation functions, such as putting firewalls in
place and prioritizing traffic by examining incoming
packets for certain characteristics that would result in
the data's being routed to a specific outgoing port. These
functions, which are becoming increasingly valuable to
service providers offering premium services, chew up
processing power, which tends to negatively impact the
router's packet-forwarding capabilities.
Averting Hack Attacks
Several experts say that if the routers sending data into
the Web sites that fell victim to the recent
headline-grabbing denial-of-service attacks had been
programmed to look more closely at incoming traffic,
they may have been able to detect the attack sooner.
Service providers, however, are reluctant to switch on
data-filtering features in an effort to maximize the
equipment's data delivery capacity.
To compensate for the lack of horsepower in some of the
early network processors, makers of the gear for the
network core continue to rely on application-specific
integrated circuit chips, which offer little programmability.
John Metz, an analyst at Sterling Research, says that if
EZchip is able to deliver on its design plans, the
company could attract the attention of equipment
makers looking to reduce expensive ASIC design
operations.
"You can never eliminate ASICs," Metz says, "but you
don't need a giant design team if you can buy chips off
the shelf."
EZchip officials say its processors are able to do a
bit-by-bit analysis of a data packet at speeds of 10
gigabits per second because of the company's unique
design approach.
Instead of imitating the design of some general-purpose
microprocessors, EZchip's products are made up of a
series of individual processors that perform specific
tasks, such as parsing and searching data, Fruchter
says. EZChip calls the design approach "task-optimized
processing."
Fruchter says the TOP approach offers advantages over
conventional network processors, many of which are
based on reduced instruction set computer technology.
EZChip's products can outperform RISC chips by
squeezing more processing power into each operation,
or clock cycle, the processor executes, Fruchter says.
"EZChip's architecture in theory is extremely interesting
and sound," Metz says. "If they can deliver what they
say, they stand to be a legitimate player."
One of the big questions hanging over the company's
future success is the elongated time frame between now
and when it actually delivers the product.
Fruchter says the first batch of chips will not sample
until the middle of next year. That could be enough time
for some of the company's competitors, such as IBM
and Intel, to increase the performance of their
processors, Metz says. |
