Abstract

With 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) links becoming the norm for data center backbones, the amount of data that can flow across the core can 1 increase by an order of magnitude over existing Gigabit implementations. In fact, a fully-loaded 10GbE network can generate over a terabyte of data bi-directionally every seven minutes.

Fluke Networks commissioned Tolly to evaluate the performance of its Network Time Machine (NTM) network capture and application analysis appliance. Specifically, tests were focused on illustrating 100% sustained data capture at full-duplex, 10 Gbps data rates - or 20 Gbps. Tests showed that the Network Time Machine captured traffic at 20 Gbps without loss for all frame sizes tested from 64-byte to 9000-byte “jumbo frames. Additional tests, run for multiple hours, illustrated that the NTM could collect data continuously hour after hour.