Platform and Reference Overview
The Ixia system is the most comprehensive tool available for testing multilayer 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, Ethernet Gigabit, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, ATM, and Packet over SONET switches, routers, and networks.
The Ixia product family includes chassis, load modules, the Ixia IxExplorer software program, and optional Tcl scripts and related software. A chassis can be configured with any mix of load modules, and multiple chassis can be daisy-chained and synchronized to support very large and complex test environments. The Ixia IxExplorer software provides complete configuration, control, and monitoring of all Ixia resources in the test network, and the Tcl scripts allow to rapidly conduct the most popular industry benchmark tests.
The XGS12-SD chassis is the next generation high performance platform capable of supporting XM form factor load modules. XGS12-SD is a 12-slot chassis with high-speed backplane designed for aggregation across load modules. This flexible platform supports layer 2-7 testing on a massive scale and provides the most comprehensive solution for performance, functional, security, and conformance testing of network equipment and network applications.
The XGS2-SD chassis provides highly flexible and portable chassis that powers load modules and test applications to create an Ixia test system. The chassis platform supports Ixia applications for performance, functional, conformance, and security testing.
You can configure and control the unit directly through connections to a keyboard, mouse, monitor, and printer. Also, the unit can be connected to an Ethernet network, and an administrator can remotely monitor and control it using the IxExplorer software program. Multiple users can access the unit simultaneously, splitting the ports within a chassis and controlling the activity and configuration of all ports and functions.
Front panel displays give immediate indication of link state, transmission or reception of packets, and error conditions.
Ixia produces a number of load modules which provide data transmission and reception capabilities for a variety of Ethernet, ATM, and Packet Over Sonet (POS) speed and technologies. These load modules reside in an Ixia chassis, which provide different numbers of load module slots and power. This chapter introduces the Ixia hardware components. The Ixia chassis and load modules are compared and contrasted.