Bangalore November 12: Computing technology leader Intel has unveiled a new communication platform which promises to handle data processing across the network more efficiently and securely, while addressing the specialized needs for handling cloud connectivity and content processing.
Called “Crystal Forest” the platform is a combo of the latest Xeon Processor, coupled with a new supporting chip set and software that will allow equipment manufacturers to consolidate three communications workloads – application, control and packet processing – on the same system. Crystal Forest, can deliver up to 160 million packets per second performance for Layer 3 packet forwarding, making it possible to send thousands of high-definition videos across each network node. Previously, only ASIC or specialized processors were capable of sending more than 100 million packets per second. The Intel Data Plane Development Kit, a set of software libraries and algorithms, promises improved performance and throughput of packets on Intel architecture platforms to yield more than five times the performance over previous generations of Intel platforms.
Crystal Forest will also utilize Intel ‘QuickAssist’ technology, which processes and accelerates specialized packet workloads - cryptography, compression and deep packet inspection included – on standard Intel platforms. Using this technology, secure Internet transactions can be accelerated up to 100Gbps on the platform to give service providers the ability to handle many more secure transactions and without the cost of specialized solutions.
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WHAT HAPPENS IN AN INTERNET MINUTE: Each minute of the day, 30 hours of video are uploaded across the network, and by 2015 it is estimated to take 5 years to watch all the video crossing IP networks each second.1 As these numbers continue to climb, the burden will be on equipment manufacturers and service providers to deliver platform solutions that can cost-effectively manage rapidly increasing traffic without compromising performance and security.
GRAPHIC:http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/communications/internet-minute-infographic.html
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Says S. Natarajan, Country Business Manager – Embedded Markets, Intel South Asia: “As broadband penetration in India increases through wired and wireless technologies during next few years, more smart devices would need to connect to the Internet every day causing demand for increased network performance.Intel’s next generation communication platform provides the flexibility, scalability and efficiency to address the challenges faced by Service providers.”
OEMs today must use a combo of separate silicon co-processors with different software programming models to handle multiple communications workloads when building platforms for a scalable network – a very complex and expensive route. With Crystal Forest, equipment manufacturers will be able to consolidate these tasks on multi-core Intel architecture processors to deliver better performance and accelerate time to market, Mr Natarajan explains.
Adds RK Hiremane, Intel Asia Pacific’s Singapore-based Regional Director for Data centreand Connected Systems’ Product Marketing: “The Crystal Forest platform will help telecom equipment manufacturers build scalable, flexible platforms so that service providers can be faster in deploying new services more securely and at lower costs.”
Developers can accelerate software development, testing and integration by utilizing a simulation model of the Crystal Forest platform provided by Wind River Simics. With Simics, users can model any Crystal Forest target configuration and then run unmodified target software on that model. Simics enables developers to do BIOS bring-up, operating-system optimization and application development more efficiently.. WindRiver is an Intel subsidiary and was present at the Crystal Forest launch event in Bangalore, to showcase its simulation solution. http://www.windriver.com/products/simics/simics_intel_architecture/
Also present were OEM and equipment partners who unveiled their system solutions built around Crystal Forest.These included:
-The Bangalore-based Advantech Industrial Computing with a full slate of networking and telecom computing platforms including their MIC-5333 dual socket CPU Blade based on Intel Xeon E5 processors driving the Crystal Forest platform (http://blog.advantech.com/tech-blogs/ntg/2012/10/brand-new-intel-platform-crystal-forest-is-here/ )
-Kontron Technology India, also Bangalore-headquartered, with a range of embedded computing platforms including their Dual 8-Core Intel Xeon E5-2600 Processor Series http://emea.kontron.com/industries/communications/
-Emerson Network Power, from Hyderabad, ( they have a software development subsidiary in Bangalore), with a wide range of embedded mother boards ( www.emerson.com )
More on Intel Communication Platforms: http://www.intel.com/content/www/us/en/communications/global-communications-network.html