ZTE upgrades T8000 router to IPv6 using NetLogic’s NLA11k knowledge-based processors

SANTA CLARA, USA: NetLogic Microsystems Inc. announced that ZTE Corp., a leading global provider of telecommunications equipment and network solutions, has selected NetLogic Microsystems’ industry-leading NLA11k knowledge-based processors, optimized for Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) processing, for ZTE’s multi-terabit T8000 Cluster Router. ZTE’s T8000 Router is ideal for operators and service providers building sophisticated IP/Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) infrastructure for next-generation network backbones.

The exhaustion of IPv4 Internet addresses, driven by the proliferation of Internet-connected devices, is currently driving the migration to the new IPv6 Internet addressing scheme, which increases the number of available addresses by more than 28 orders of magnitude.

In order to support this migration, as well as the continued increases in complexity and higher throughputs of network traffic, next-generation networking equipment requires industry-leading knowledge-based processors that can perform Layers 2 - 4 network processing such as classification, security and forwarding at higher speeds, while supporting a 4x increase in Internet protocol address widths.

ZTE’s T8000 Cluster Router leverages NetLogic Microsystems’ advanced NLA11k knowledge-based processors to support complex Internet Protocol Version 6 (IPv6) processing capabilities. Together ZTE’s T8000 router and NetLogic Microsystems’ NLA11k knowledge-based processor feature superior scaling capacity and port density, as well as offer unparalleled performance and reduced power consumption to operators and service providers.

“We selected NetLogic Microsystems’ advanced knowledge-based processors because they deliver superior processing performance for more complex IPv6 routing and lower power consumption that enables us to develop industry-leading solutions for carrier, enterprise and data center networks,” said Liu HengQi, chief engineer of router products at ZTE Corporation. “At ZTE, we are dedicated to technology leadership, and we are glad to partner with innovators like NetLogic Microsystems who share our commitment to excellence in developing highly competitive, best-in-class networking solutions.”

ZTE’s high-performance T8000 Cluster Router supports 200 Terabits per second (Tbps) of switching capability, is scalable from 3.84Tbps to 200Tbps, and has seamless interconnection with optical transmission network via 40 and 100 Gigabit interfaces, (having up to 2,048 40G interfaces or 1,024 100G interfaces). Each port of the T8000 router provides 10G, 40G and 100G capacity. The T8000 router employs an intelligent power supply management system that automatically controls and optimizes power consumption of each module according to traffic conditions.

By also having the fan speed variable and the fan system intelligently initiate the line card and go into hibernation, further reduces power consumption. Moreover, ZTE’s cluster router simplifies users’ network architecture, enhances the capability of deploying new services, improves users’ market responding capability, reduces customers’ OPEX and makes the customer more competitive in the competition.

“We are pleased that our industry-leading NLA11k knowledge-based processors have been selected by ZTE for its cutting-edge T8000 cluster routers,” said Chris O’Reilly, VP of marketing at NetLogic Microsystems. “The strong and continued design win success of our NL11K product family is a testament to both the growing momentum of IPv6-related carrier and enterprise infrastructure upgrades as well as our market and technical leadership in delivering highly differentiated solutions for next-generation networks.”

NetLogic Microsystems’ best-in-class knowledge-based processors deliver 1.6 billion decisions per second (BDPS) of IPv6 processing, quality-of-service (QoS), ACL security, video/voice forwarding, high-speed packet inspection, billing and VPN at line rates while maximizing energy efficiency of the overall system. The knowledge-based processor, which is manufactured in the advanced 40nm process node, integrates 128 high-performance knowledge-based processing engines, and includes an enhanced Intelligent Load Balancing Engine (ILBE) to efficiently allocate multiple tasks and communicate among all the 128 knowledge-based processing engines.

The knowledge-based processing engines and ILBE are tightly coupled with integrated advanced Sahasra Algorithmic Engines (SAEs) to dramatically lower the power consumption of search processing. The processor also integrates an innovative Range Encoding Engine (REE), which employs advanced one-hot and fence encoding algorithms to implement range encoding that allows customers to effectively double the efficiency of performing port range inspection, an integral part of packet classification.