Open Network Featured Article

Enterprises, service providers, telecoms, data center and network operators are opting for open networking technology because of the flexibility it provides in a highly dynamic digital ecosystem. The cost, maintenance and vendor lock-in of propriety solutions is no longer a practical option, and more service providers are offering open technologies to address this need. Ixia (News - Alert), which provides network testing, visibility and security solutions, is moving in that direction with the announcement of its collaboration with CORD (Central Office Re-architected as a Datacenter) Project to help ensure data center quality and performance in anticipation of the move to 5G by service providers.

The CORD Project brings software defined networks (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) along with cloud technologies to provide an ecosystem that is agile and flexible so operators can build nimble in-line datacenters at the edge of operator networks. Launched by the Open Networking Lab (ON.Lab) to speed up the adoption of SDN and NFV, CORD is hosted by The Linux Foundation (News - Alert).

“CORD is building its community and solutions through the ONF’s Open Innovation Pipeline, enabling companies like Ixia to insert their unique innovation anywhere along this pipeline. We’re thrilled Ixia has joined the project, and look forward to seeing how they further our momentum towards 5G and help service providers bring innovation into PoCs, trials and beyond,” said Aseem Parikh, Vice President of Partnerships and Solutions at ONF/ON (News - Alert).Lab.

Ixia provides the technology enterprises, service providers, and network equipment manufacturers need to have a comprehensive view of their applications across physical and virtual networks so they can develop, deploy, and operate with verifications of their designs, performance optimization and protection of their network. According to the company, service providers are in the process of re-architecting their networks for 5G, or soon will be, and in order to ensure quality of service, performance and visibility they will need to carryout comprehensive testing prior to deployment.

Service providers that will be deploying cutting-edge networks and services, including the move to 5G, can use the Ixia IxLoad Wireless solution for end-to-end performance testing for networks and components with emulation of multiplay services to ensure high-quality service performance. And the company's PerfectStorm application and security test hardware protects the integrity of optimal data center infrastructure performance with realistic data, video voice, storage, and network traffic testing.

“As service providers move to deliver 5G services to consumers and business, they need to ensure that their services perform as expected to be successful. Ixia’s carrier-grade wireless network test and visibility tools will help the CORD community ensure quality and robustness of their datacenters prior to and after deployment as we progress towards 5G,” said Sunil Kalidindi, Vice President of Product Management at Ixia.