Advantech NCP-5260 Packetarium network platform

Advantech’s Network and Telecom Group has launched a new platform for wire-speed packet processing featuring its Packetarium design.

The NCP-5260 follows the NCP-7560 96-core rackmount network server. It is Advantech’s first hybrid network platform providing a topology with x86 server-class processing on the control plane and Packetarium network processing boards on the data plane.

This hybrid system design takes the original Packetarium concept one step further by including high-performance x86 server class computing as a part of the motherboard’s switch and management complex.

It allows OEMs to run legacy application code along with standard commercial x86 software. In addition, the NCP-5260 integrates one or two powerful, multi-core Packetarium NPBs for accelerated packet processing on up to 16 x 10GbE external interfaces. Users will be able to independently upgrade the server board and NPBs to adapt to their needs.

The release is combined with the introduction of a Packetarium NPB based on the NetLogic Microsystems eight-core XLR732 Processor. Each XLR732 is linked by dual or quad XAUI ports to a Broadcom 10GbE switch on the carrier board.

The 10GbE switch provides 16 front panel 10GbE SFP+ ports. A SATA controller on the server board connects to two 2.5″ SATA HDD slots and an optional SAS RAID card can be installed when more robust storage is required.