FORE Systems' Forerunner ASX-4000 Achieves Banner IP Packet Forwarding Performance
Industry-Leading Switch Handles More Than 90 Million IP Packets Per Second in New Netcom Systems' Test
PITTSBURGH, March 2 /PRNewswire/ -- The ForeRunner® ASX(TM)-4000 switch has demonstrated flawless forwarding of more than 90 million Internet Protocol (IP) packets per second (pps) in a new testing application developed by Netcom Systems, according to an announcement today by FORE Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: FORE - news), a leading supplier of the new public network infrastructure.
The ASX-4000, an Internet core switch currently scaling to 40 Gbps, achieved an IP packet forwarding rate far outdistancing rates reported by other networking equipment manufacturers to date. The test result underscores why the ASX-4000 is being chosen as the core switch of the Internet.
Netcom Systems, the industry leader for network performance measurement equipment, developed its IP Over ATM Mesh Test to measure the IP packet forwarding capabilities of an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network. Service providers building the new public network are turning to ATM as a reliable, high-speed method to transport IP traffic in the cores of their networks. Netcom Systems' new testing application will help network managers gauge how their network performance measures up. The IP Over ATM Mesh Test is available now.
''Having a high degree of IP packet throughput over ATM networks clearly is critical to service providers because of the configuration of today's SP networks, with IP routers and ATM switches at the core,'' said Kevin Tolly, president and CEO of The Tolly Group, the industry's premier independent testing and strategic consulting organization based in Manasquan, N.J. ''Netcom Systems' new testing application will be of significance to anyone seeking to measure IP packet throughput over ATM in a service-provider oriented test.''
Donal Byrne, senior vice president corporate marketing at FORE Systems, said, ''FORE's customers have long known that our switching solution provides the most reliable and robust network for the Internet and Internet computing. Today, they have further evidence that the ASX-4000 provides unparalleled performance and reliability for transporting IP traffic.''
''Netcom Systems is providing yet another industry-first tool to help switch manufacturers and network service providers evaluate the performance of carrier-class ATM switches,'' said Bahaa Moukadam, senior director product marketing, Netcom Systems. ''By generating a record-breaking 90 million packets per second, the SmartBits IP Over ATM Mesh Test allows for wire rate testing of ATM switches with hundreds of ports.''
Test Excercises Switch Capabilities
Netcom Systems' IP Over ATM Mesh Test measures traffic handling capabilities by transmitting data frames over switched virtual connections (SVCs) on up to 240 fully meshed OC-3c (155 Mbps) or OC-12c (622 Mbps) ports. To measure maximum potential traffic within the test parameters, each port in the tested switch is connected to every port in the testing equipment, yielding a fully meshed configuration.
The ASX-4000 handled 90,421,120 packets per second without dropping or misinserting a single packet. This superior IP packet forwarding capability is one reason why the ASX-4000 continues to be chosen by industry leaders seeking to leverage their business-critical networks. The switch features 10 Gbps to 40 Gbps of non-blocking switch capacity, and offers the industry's only shipping OC-48c (2.488 Gbps) ATM ports.
About Netcom Systems, Inc.
Founded in 1988, Netcom Systems, Inc., a privately held company headquartered in Chatsworth, Calif., has become the industry leader for network performance measurement equipment. Netcom Systems manufactures SmartBits Systems to provide network managers with advanced tools that reduce the risk and cost associated with network failures by proactively measuring the limitations of network devices and configurations before they go live. More than 700 Network Equipment Manufacturers, Service Providers, Government Agencies, Corporate End-Users and Test Laboratories have used SmartBits products worldwide to ensure the quality and performance of their network communications systems and provide proof of their own product's performance. More information on Netcom Systems, Inc., is available online by visiting the company's web site at netcomsystems.com.
About FORE Systems
FORE Systems is a leading global supplier of high performance networking solutions. FORE's Networks of Steel(TM) deliver the capacity, resiliency and unparalleled scalability necessary to build networks that last. That's why thousands of enterprise and service provider customers worldwide have put FORE Systems' solutions at the heart of their networks.
For more information on FORE's Networks of Steel, call 888-404-0444 or visit the FORE Systems web site at fore.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements with respect to products, partners, customers, future growth and other matters. Please refer to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by FORE Systems with the Securities and Exchange Commission in June, 1998, and the Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed by FORE Systems in August, 1998, November, 1998, and February, 1999, for a discussion of risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from such statements.
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FORE Systems and ForeRunner are registered trademarks of FORE Systems, Inc. ASX and Networks of Steel are trademarks of FORE Systems, Inc. All other brands or product names are trademarks of their respective holders.
SOURCE: FORE Systems, Inc. |
