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NP-2 Network Processor

20-Gigabit NPU with Integrated Traffic Management

 

EZchip’s NP-2 is a highly-flexible network processor with integrated traffic managers providing wire-speed packet processing and advanced flow-based bandwidth control. The NP-2 offers the speed of an ASIC combined with the flexibility of a programmable microprocessor. It provides the silicon core of next-generation Carrier Ethernet Switches and Routers (CESR). Through programming the NP-2 delivers a variety of applications such as L2 switching, Q-in-Q, PBT, T-MPLS, VPLS, MPLS and IPv4/IPv6 routing. The integrated traffic management provides advanced QoS for flow-based service level agreements (SLA) and enabling triple-play services (voice, video, data).

 

The NP-2 integrates into a single chip several functions that would normally be found in separate chips:
  • 20-Gigabit throughput
  • Traffic managers
  • Classification search engines
  • Ten 1-Gigabit and one 10-Gigabit Ethernet MACs, and two SPI4.2 interfaces

The NP-2 is available in three models: 20-Gigabit throughput with and without the integrated traffic management and a 10-Gigabit model (5-Gigabit duplex) with integrated traffic management. All three models are pin and software compatible.

 

NP-2 provides exceptionally flexible packet processing enabling system designers to future proof their designs to support new protocols and features through s/w updates. Packet parsing is supported for any field anywhere in the packet. Various table lookup options are provided with support for long lookup keys and results. Flows are classified based on any combination of extracted packet information. Any packet header and content can be edited and packets can easily be replicated to support multicast applications. A ‘run to completion’ processing model guarantees support for processing scenarios of any complexity. Large code space is provided to support complex applications as well as true hitless code updates.

 

NP-2 offers extensive traffic management capabilities on the ingress and egress paths through a full-duplex queuing mechanism. This enables frame queuing and hierarchical scheduling of traffic on all NP-2 interfaces. Individual flows are assigned with specific QoS and are aggregated to enforce SLAs for services, users, virtual ports and ports.

 

NP-2 stores its lookup tables in DRAM to reduce power dissipation and cost while supporting large tables and providing extensive classification headroom.

Applications

NP-2’s flexibility and integration allows system vendors to deliver cost effective solutions that can easily adapt to changing market requirements. Typical applications include:

 

Line cards in modular chassis: Stand-alone pizza box solutions:
  • Metro Switches
  • Edge and Core Routers
  • Aggregation Nodes
  • Enterprise Backbone Switches
  • Access Nodes (GPON/EPON OLT, DSLAM, Wireless)
  • Ethernet to SONET/SDH Switches
  • Content Inspection and Network Monitoring
  • Server Load Balancing Switches

Illustrated below are several sample solutions:

 

10x1GE (or 1x 10GE) ports using NP-2 integrated Ethernet MACs

 

Up to 24x1GE (or 2x 10GE) ports using an external Ethernet MAC

> Contact us for more product information.

 

 

NP-2 Product Brief

 

NP-2 photo