Alcatel-Lucent selects NetLogic's advanced IPv6 knowledge-based processors for multi-terabit IP service routers

SANTA CLARA, USA: NetLogic Microsystems Inc. announced that Alcatel-Lucent has selected its best-in-class NL10k knowledge-based processor optimized for IPv6 processing for Alcatel-Lucent’s multi-terabit IP Service Router portfolio.

The Alcatel-Lucent 7750 Service Router and 7450 Ethernet Service Switch deliver the industry-leading performance, quality of service (QoS) and scale required to enable advanced fixed and mobile broadband services.

NetLogic Microsystems’ NL10k IPv6 knowledge-based processor has been developed in close collaboration with Alcatel-Lucent’s distinguished R&D team, and has been optimized for Alcatel-Lucent’s ground-breaking FP3 network processor and traffic manager. The FP3 state-of-the-art silicon was internally developed by Alcatel-Lucent and provides sophisticated traffic management and network processing at speeds up to 400 Gigabits per second (Gbps) with significantly improved power efficiency.

The industry migration from 3G WCDMA and HSPA+ mobile wireless technologies to 4G LTE and LTE-Advanced protocols requires leading service providers worldwide to upgrade their networks to manage the growing demand for higher bandwidth, increased availability and expanded service mix.

Alcatel-Lucent’s multi-terabit Service Router portfolio incorporates Alcatel-Lucent’s new FP3 network processor and NetLogic Microsystems’ NL10k device to deliver more speed, more services and more availability while reducing CAPEX and OPEX. Alcatel-Lucent’s Service Router portfolio currently has an installed base of over 400+ service provider customers in more than 100 countries.

“Our new FP3 network processor technology puts us a generation ahead of today’s fastest IP routers, and we are pleased to collaborate with innovators such as NetLogic Microsystems to build products that drive faster, smarter and more environmentally sustainable networks,” said Ken Kutzler, Vice President of Hardware Development for Alcatel-Lucent's IP Division.

“We selected NetLogic Microsystems’ NL10k knowledge-based processor due to its superior wire-speed performance even when supporting complex classification and forwarding operations on IPv6 packets. Because our service routers require the absolute highest performance knowledge-based processors to address the demands of fixed and mobile broadband services, NetLogic Microsystems’ technical leadership makes them a logical silicon partner for us.”

To complement the superior performance of the FP3 network processor and traffic manager, Alcatel-Lucent has selected NetLogic Microsystems’ industry-leading NL10k knowledge-based processor that delivers 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.

“We are excited to strengthen our relationship with Alcatel-Lucent, and to have once again been selected for its multi-terabit Service Router portfolio,” said Chris O’Reilly, vice president of marketing at NetLogic Microsystems. “Alcatel-Lucent’s revolutionary FP3 silicon is driving IP routing performance and scalable services to new levels, and the selection of our advanced, high-value NL10k device for this leading-edge portfolio is a testament of our market and technology leadership in high-speed, low-power knowledge-based processing.”

The NL10k 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 NL10k 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.