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IxLoad: Overview

IxLoad is a scalable solution for testing converged multiplay services, application delivery platforms, and security devices and systems. IxLoad emulates data, voice, and video subscribers and associated protocols to ensure quality of experience (QoE). IxLoad also applies malware and distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks for security effectiveness and accuracy testing.

Available protocols include:

  • Internet: HTTP, P2P, FTP, SMTP, POP3, and CIFS
  • Video: IGMP, RTSP, Adobe Flash Player™, Microsoft Silverlight™, Apple HLS, MPEG2, and H.264/AVC
  • Voice: SIP, MGCP, H.323, H.248, Cisco Skinny™, FAX over IP, video conferencing and PSTN
  • Infrastructure: DNS, DHCP, LDAP, and AAA
  • Encapsulation/security: DHCP, IPsec, PPP/L2TP with integrated 802.1x and NAC authentication
  • Wireless: 3GPP packet core protocols used by GGSNs

IxLoad-Attack addresses testing of security devices with known vulnerabilities, DDoS attacks and IPsec encryption for VPN gateways. Authentication mechanisms, including 802.1x and NAC are tested as well.

IxLoad works with Ixia's test platform to transmit and receive control and data plane traffic with the device under test. Ixia's chassis are populated with hot-swappable test interface cards. Each test port is equipped with an independent processor and substantial memory in addition to specialized traffic stream generation and capture hardware – providing the speed and intelligence needed for large-scale protocol emulation.

The Xcellon-Ultra line of load modules is specifically designed to be used with IxLoad. These modules emulate hundreds of thousands of subscribers and handle up to 80 Gbps of multiplay traffic; IPsec traffic can be generated at 20 Gbps.

IxLoad/VM is designed to work in virtualized environments using Ixia’s unique virtual chassis implementation. The IxVM virtual chassis is a software implementation of Ixia’s platform allowing virtual machines (VMs) on blade servers to act as Ixia test ports. The virtual test ports can be used independently or in conjunction with chassis based ports. Software-based stream and protocol engines in the virtual chassis ports provide the same traffic generation and analysis as Ixia’s hardware-based product portfolio.