Abstract

Riverstone Networks commissioned The Tolly Group to evaluate the performance of its XGS 9008 and XGS 9016, both Layer 3 10-Gigabit Ethernet switches. For testing purposes, engineers outfitted the XGS 9008 with eight (8) 1-port 10GbE interface cards, one switch fabric and a single control module. Engineers outfitted the XGS 9016 with sixteen (16) 1-port 10GbE interface cards, one switch fabric and a single control module. Additionally, engineers conducted tests with the XGS 9016 outfitted with sixteen (16) 10-port 1GbE interface cards.

The Tolly Group evaluated the steady state, zero-loss, frame-per-second (fps) throughput, latency and jitter of both switches in port-pairing and full-mesh configurations at Layer 2 and Layer 3 and at Layer 3 with access control lists (ACL) active on the 10-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Engineers also conducted tests with Gigabit Ethernet interfaces at Layer 2 only. (Note: Jitter was not reported in a full-mesh configuration.) 10-Gigabit Ethernet tests included RFC standard frame sizes ranging from 64 to 1,518 bytes, as well as non-standard frame sizes of 65, 129 and 257 bytes, and Jumbo Frames. Testing was performed in March 2003.

Test results show that the Riverstone Networks XGS 9008 and 9016 equipped with 10-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces offered line rate performance with zero packet loss for all scenarios tested achieving an aggregate backplane capacity of 160 Gbps and 320 Gbps for the XGS 9008 and XGS 9016, respectively. Testing also demonstrates that both devices offer consistently low latency and jitter at wire-speed for all scenarios tested.