Agere
System Inc. unveiled its second-generation PayloadPlus® network
processor for high-performance deep-packet networking and communications
applications. Called INP5, the new product is a completely programmable
network processor capable of more functions, lower power consumption
and system cost than any competitive solution in its class. It is targeted
to original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) of multi-service edge platforms,
Internet protocol (IP) routers, digital subscriber line access multiplexers
(DSLAMs) and 2.5G and 3G wireless equipment.
Mounting economic pressures in the telecommunications industry have forced system builders to offer new products at comparatively lower prices than before with improved functionality and performance. The INP5 was specifically designed to meet the needs of network vendors in today's environment with the richest palate of functions and highest level of performance ever offered.
The industry's first single-chip network processor with full classification and traffic management functionality, the INP5 enables higher port density applications at line rates up to full-duplex OC-48c. With classification and traffic management logic, 2.5 MB of internal RAM and integrated Ethernet media access controllers (MACs), the INP5 can perform packet classification with per flow policing and statistics, buffer management and packet scheduling across 256k queues and extensive data modifications at full OC-48c line rates for any packet size.
"The INP5's combination of flexibility, functionality and performance allows for building robust applications with extremely rich feature sets at lower costs than before," said Mark Pinto, vice president of the processing, aggregation and switching division at Agere System. "As a pioneer in thenetwork processor space, Agere is the market leader in OC-48 carrier applications. The INP5 represents the culmination of Agere's unwavering focus on system-level solutions that increase performance, functionality and speed time-to-market, while reducing costs, power consumption and footprint."
"For example, the INP5's patented classification technology allows for high-speed table lookups with off-the-shelf DRAM, where competitors rely on expensive SRAM or even CAM (content addressable memory) devices," said Bill Klein, product marketing manager for network processors with Agere. "It can perform functions including per-flow service-level agreement (SLA) enforcement, tunnel origination and termination, access control lists (ACLs), hierarchical traffic shaping, and fabric and/or network packet segmentation, at full OC-48c rates, all while utilizing cost- and power-efficient DRAM technology."
"Network processors capable of handling the variety of protocols present at the network edge such as IP, ATM -- including AAL2, frame relay and others -- are most likely to gain a critical mass of customers because they are useful in a broader range of applications," said Joseph Byrne, communications ICs analyst with Gartner-Dataquest.
Based upon the same high-level programming model of Agere's PayloadPlus family, the INP5 also makes it easier for designers to develop value-added applications. Software-compatible with other members of the PayloadPlus network processor family, the INP5 is supported by Festino(TM), a dramatically simplified software development environment. Festino also provides an easy feature-addition process along with reduced code maintenance costs.
