With the Xgig® Load Tester, developers are able to quickly and easily verify data integrity, monitor network performance, and identify a wide range of sophisticated problems across even the most complex network topologies that would be otherwise too difficult to troubleshoot with an analyzer alone. The distinctive ability to generate traffic, detect missing frames, and trigger traffic capture for later debugging provides developers with unparalleled insight into network behavior that accelerates problem resolution while enabling more thorough and accurate measurements of switch performance.
By monitoring both transmitted and received data streams, the Xgig Load Tester is able to highlight discrepancies and help users quickly identify network problems and impairments through root-cause analysis. In addition, the Xgig Load Tester eliminates the need for expensive test setups comprised of multiple servers and storage arrays by enabling users to construct fully-meshed data communication topologies. With its extensive range of capabilities, it is the ideal tool for testing fabrics and switches for performance, data integrity, robustness, flexibility, and scalability, guaranteeing switch robustness with the highest confidence.
The enhanced capabilities of the Xgig Load Tester help users locate errors sources in just minutes:
- Configures independent traffic patterns per Load Tester port
- Comprehensively stress tests systems with Continuous/Burst profile modes and Adjustable Minimum Inter-Packet Gap (IPG)
- Dynamically adjusts traffic load and payload size
- Simplifies test management of complex topologies all from a single PC
- Performs comprehensive hash coverage with configurable OX_ID
- Calculates extensive traffic statistics to provide key insight into FCoE performance and impairments for all physical and virtual ports
- Eliminates tedious guesswork
- Reduces setup cost and complexity of high port count fabrics
The Xgig Load Tester also provides critical protocol-specific testing functions:
- Generates FCoE traffic per the most recent T11 proposal
- Controls traffic flow via Priority Flow Control (PFC) PAUSE frames
- Follows the FIP standard proposal
- Tests both Fibre Channel and Ethernet CRCs in encapsulated FCoE packets
- Emulates as many as 256 VN_Ports[N1] at each physical Load Tester port with complete flexibility of VLAN values
- Supports FCoE features to comprehensively test functionality
- Quickly identifies a wide range of FCoE-based errors to speed development
The Xgig Load Tester is a licensable option for Xgig multifunction blades. It may be used in conjunction with the Xgig Analyzer and other licensable functions to trigger the analyzer and receive arming signals.