IXIA PerfectStorm Load Modules
This chapter provides details about PerfectStorm 10GE, 40GE and 100GE family of load modules specifications and features.
Ixia's PerfectStorm family of load modules is a scalable solution for testing converged multi-play services, application delivery, and network security platforms for both wired and wireless networks.
The PerfectStorm product family consists of a new next generation XGS12 chassis platform, an XGS integrated system controller for both IxLoad and BreakingPoint and load modules 8x10GE, 2x40GE and 1x100GE.The PerfectStorm10GE, 40GE, and 100GE load modules have two variants, fusion (IxLoad and BreakingPoint) and non-fusion (IxLoad only). The key feature of PerfectStorm 10GE/40GE/100GE NG cards is the fusion between IxLoad and BreakingPoint applications.
PerfectStorm supports the following:
- both IxLoad and BreakingPoint software applications; BPS runs on the fusion variants of the load module
- native 40GE QSFP+ and 100GE CXP interfaces
- line-rate application performance per interface
- hardware-based acceleration for SSL and IPsec performance
Key Features
The key features of PerfectStorm load modules are as follows:
Unified Applications and Security Test Platform
PerfectStorm is a unified applications and security test platform, with support for BreakingPoint and IxLoad software.
Networking Interfaces per Blade
- 8 x 10GE
- 2 x 40GE
- 1 x 100GE
Blended Application Traffic
PerfectStorm Fusion can create blended application traffic and current security attacks with a very high count of concurrent wired and wireless users from a single 11u chassis.
Massive Scale Real-World Traffic Conditions
PerfectStorm tests and validates IT systems under controlled real-world scenarios that model your own unique environments.It understands actual performance, system limitations, and real security posture in a better way, to right size data centers and eliminate incidents in production.It generates stateful applications and malicious traffic that simulate millions of real-world end-user environments to test and validate infrastructure, a single device, or an entire system. This includes complex data, video, voice, storage, and network application workloads.
Real Attacks
- 6,000+ live security attacks, 35,000+ pieces of live malware found in enterprise, core, and mobile networks, 180+ evasions
- DDoS and botnet simulation and custom attacks
- Research and frequent updatesHardware-based Acceleration
Multi-user Environment
PerfectStorm's multi-user environment leverages the per port user ownership model for all ports on the test modules installed into the chassis.
High-performing Business Applications
PerfectStorm ensures high-performing, and more available and secure business applications.
Disaster Recovery
PerfectStorm validates disaster recovery and business continuity.
Reduced Legal Exposure
PerfectStorm provides reduced legal exposure due to data loss by validating security using the industry's most up to date application and threat intelligence.
Platform Support
PerfectStorm is equipped with powerful multi-core, multi-threaded network processors, to satisfy the testing needs of equipment manufacturers having higher-density 10GE and 40GE equipments. As service providers and large enterprises prepare to deploy these equipments in their own networks, they must test and verify performance and functionality prior to deployment.
PerfectStorm's single, integrated system equipped with 12 PerfectStorm blades allows control of application traffic to nearly a terabit, up to 720 million concurrent connections, and new TCP connection rates of up to 24 Million. The hardware-based acceleration supports massive encryption levels. The system uses inline field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) for enhanced accuracy pertaining to latency measurements with a resolution of 10ns.
PerfectStorm is compatible with XGS12, which is a 12-slot Chassis platform. The Chassis platform architecture supports easy setup and management of high scale, multi-user system. The XGS12 chassis platform includes a pluggable system controller for chassis management and web-based UI. This chassis platform is backward compatible with XM2/XM12 blades.
For more information on XGS12, see XGS12 Chassis Platform.
Load Modules
PerfectStorm load module comprises a two board set, the Main Board and the PHY Card. The Main Board contains the backplane interface, processors and FPGAs. The card occupies one slot in the XGS12 chassis platform and consumes no more than 400W of power.
The PerfectStorm family consists of the following models:
- PerfectStorm 10GE 8-port (SFP+)
- PerfectStorm Fusion 10GE 8-port (SFP+)
- PerfectStorm 40GE 2-port (QSFP+)
- PerfectStorm Fusion 40GE 2-port (QSFP+)
- PerfectStorm 100GE1 1-port (CXP)
- PerfectStorm 100GE1NG 1-port (CXP)
Each of these load modules are described as follows:
PS10GE8
PerfectStorm PS10GE8 is a 8 port 10-Gigabit Ethernet, load module with SFP+ interface. Each 10GE port uses of 1/8th of the network processor and memory resources available on the load module, allowing delivery of application traffic at wire-speeds for each port.It supports only IxLoad software and is compatible with XGS12 chassis platform.
The PS10GE8 load module is shown in the following figure:
Figure: PerfectStorm Module-PS10GE8

PS10GE8NG
PerfectStorm PS10GE8NG is a 8 port 10-Gigabit Ethernet, fusion load module with SFP+ interface. This mode provides extra flexibility to allocate all available NP resources and memory available on a single module while using a single 10 GE interface to transmit or receive the traffic. Ixia test applications transparently configure the allocation of NP resources to achieve the maximum performance.It supports IxLoad and BreakingPoint software and is compatible with XGS12 chassis platform.The PS10GE8NG load module is shown in the following figure:
Figure: PerfectStorm Module-PS10GE8NG
PS40GE2
PerfectStorm PS40GE2 is a 2 port 40-Gigabit Ethernet, load module with QSFP+ interface. Each 40GE port uses of ½ of the network processor and memory resources available on the load module, allowing delivery of application traffic at wire-speeds for each port. It supports only IxLoad software and is compatible with XGS12 chassis platform.
The PS40GE2 load module is shown in the following figure:
Figure: PerfectStorm Module-PS40GE2
PS40GE2NG
PerfectStorm PS40GE2NG is a 2 port 40-Gigabit Ethernet, fusion load module with QSFP+ interface. This mode provides extra flexibility to allocate all network processor and memory resources available on a load module to a single 40GE port. Ixia test applications transparently configure the allocation of NP resources to achieve the maximum performance. It supports IxLoad and BreakingPoint software and is compatible with XGS12 chassis platform.
The PS40GE2NG load module is shown in the following figure:
Figure: PerfectStorm Module-PS40GE2NG
PS100GE1
PerfectStorm PS100GE1 is a 1-port 100-Gigabit Ethernet load Module with CXP interface. This supports upto 2-ports of 40GE OR 8-ports of 10GE via Fan-out cables. It requires one CXP 100GE pluggable, multimode optical transceiver (948-0030) and a point-to-point, multimode CXP 100GE Active Optical Cable (AOC) (942-0052), or alternatively, one PerfectStorm 100G transceiver and cable bundle to enable support for the native 100G and all the fan-out options (942-0073).
The PS100GE1 load module is shown in the following figure:
Figure: PerfectStorm Module-PS100GE1

PS100GE1NG
PerfectStorm PS100GE1NG is a 1-port 100-Gigabit Ethernet fusion load Module with CXP interface. This supports upto 2-ports of 40GE or 8-ports of 10GE via optional Fan-out cables. It requires BreakingPoint Application and Threat Intelligence (ATI) (909-0856), one CXP 100GE pluggable, multimode optical transceiver (948-0030) and a point-to-point, multimode CXP 100GE Active Optical Cable (AOC) (942-0052), or alternatively, one PerfectStorm 100G transceiver and cable bundle to enable support for the native 100G and all the fan-out options (942-0073).
The PS100GE1NG load module is shown in the following figure:
Figure: PerfectStorm Module-PS100GE1NG

Part Numbers
Part Numbers for PerfectStorm Load Modules and supported adapters are provided in the following table.
Model Number | Part Number | Description |
---|---|---|
PS10GE8NG |
944-1200 |
|
PS10GE8 |
944-1204 |
|
PS40GE2NG |
944-1201 |
|
PS40GE2 |
944-1205 |
|
PS100GE1NG |
944-1202 |
|
PS100GE1 |
944-1206 |
|
Specifications
The load module specifications are contained in the following table.
Feature | PerfectStorm 10GE | PerfectStorm Fusion 10GE | PerfectStorm 40GE | PerfectStorm Fusion 40GE | PerfectStorm 100GE | PerfectStorm Fusion 100G |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Load Modules |
PS10GE8 |
PS10GE8NG |
PS40GE2 |
PS40GE2NG |
PS100GE1 |
PS100GE1NG |
Hardware, Load Module Specifications |
||||||
Number of Ports |
8 |
8 |
2 |
2 |
1 | 1 |
Physical Interface |
8-port, 10GE SFP+ |
8-port, 10GE SFP+ |
2-port, 40GE QSFP+ |
2-port, 40GE QSFP+ |
1-port, 100GE CXP |
1-port, 100GE CXP |
Transceiver Support (pluggable transceivers) |
10GBASE-SR/SW (850 nm) 10GBASE-LR/LW (1310 nm) |
10GBASE-SR/SW (850 nm) 10GBASE-LR/LW (1310 nm) |
QSFP+, 40GBASE-SR4 |
QSFP+, 40GBASE-SR4 |
CXP 100GBASE-SR10 |
CXP 100GBASE-SR10 |
Memory |
64GB |
64GB |
64GB |
64GB |
64GB |
64GB |
Hardware Encryption Offload |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Hardware-Based Traffic Capture |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
N/A |
2GB per 100GbE interface 1GB per 40GbE interface 256 MB per 10GbE interface |
FPGA Offload |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
Yes |
IPv4, IPv6, UDP, TCP |
Hardware checksum generation |
|||||
MTU(IP) |
8900B |
8900B |
8900B |
8900B |
8900B |
8900B |
Load Module Dimensions |
16" (L) x 12.00" (W) x 1.3" (H) 406 mm (L) x 305 mm (W) x 33 mm (H) |
|||||
Operating Temperature Range |
41°F to 95°F (5°C to 35°C), ambient air |
|||||
Chassis Capacity |
||||||
Cards per Chassis |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
Port Density per XGS12 Chassis |
144-port, 10GE SFP+ |
144-port, 10GE SFP+ |
24-port, 40GE QSFP+ |
24-port, 40GE QSFP+ |
12-port, 100GE CXP |
12-port, 100GE CXP |
Chassis Compatibility |
XGS12 , XGS2 |
XGS12 , XGS2 |
XGS12 , XGS2 |
XGS12 , XGS2 |
XGS12 , XGS2 |
XGS12 , XGS2 |
XGS12 Chassis Bundles |
XGS12 (940-0007) |
XGS12 (940-0007) |
|
Transceiver and Cable Support
The transceiver and cable support for PerfectStorm load modules is provided in the following table:
Hardware | Transceiver/Cable Part Number | Description |
---|---|---|
|
988-0011 |
SFP+, 10Gb/1Gb SR optical Xcvr, 850nm (cable included) |
988-0012 |
SFP+, 10Gb/1Gb LR optical Xcvr, 1310nm |
|
|
948-0028 |
QSFP+ 40GBASE-SR4 optical transceivers |
942-0041 |
MT 12-fiber MMF cable, 3-meter length |
|
|
948-0030 |
CXP 100GbE pluggable, multimode optical transceiver |
942-0035 | MT cable, 24-filer, Multimode fiber, Key Up/Down, 3 meter length | |
942-0052 |
Point-to-point, multimode CXP 100GbE Active Optical Cable (AOC) |
|
942-0072 |
CXP-to-2x40GbE QSFP Active Optical Cable (AOC), 850nm, 3 meter cable to support the fan-out option |
|
942-0073 |
PerfectStorm Transceiver and Cable bundle containing the following:
|
|
942-0074 |
CXP-to-2x40GbE QSFP Active Optical Cable (AOC), 850nm, 5 meter cable to support the fan-out option |
|
942-0064 |
MT-to-8x10GbE LC fan-out, MMF, 3-meter cable to support the fan-out option |
|
942-0068 |
MT-to-4x10GbE LC fan-out, MMF, 5-meter cable to support the fan-out option |
Application Support
The Ixia application support for PerfectStorm load modules is provided in the following table:
Hardware | Application Support |
---|---|
PerfectStorm PS10GE8 |
IxOS, IxLoad, TCL API |
PerfectStorm Fusion PS10GE8NG |
IxOS, IxLoad, BreakingPoint, TCL API |
PerfectStorm PS40GE2 |
IxOS, IxLoad, TCL API |
PerfectStorm Fusion PS40GE2NG |
IxOS, IxLoad, BreakingPoint, TCL API |
PerfectStorm PS100GE1 |
IxOS, IxLoad, TCL API |
PerfectStorm Fusion PS100GE1NG |
IxOS, IxLoad, BreakingPoint, TCL API |
Mechanical Specifications
Front Panel
The Front panel of the 8x10GE, 2x40GE, and 1x100GE PerfectStorm load modules are shown in the following figures (applies to Fusion and non-Fusion versions):
Figure: Front panel of 8x10GE PerfectStorm PS10GE8
Figure: Front panel of 8x10GE Fusion PerfectStorm PS10GE8NG
Figure: Front panel of 2x40GE PerfectStorm PS40GE2
Figure: Front panel of 2x40GE Fusion PerfectStorm PS40GE2NG
Figure: Front panel of 1x100GE Fusion PerfectStorm PS100GE1NG
Figure: Front panel of 1x100GE PerfectStorm PS100GE1
LED Panel
The LED panel specifications are provided in the following table.
Feature | Specification |
---|---|
Link |
|
Tx |
|
Rx/Err |
|