Groundbreaking Solutions for Virtualization Testing

The emergence of virtualization technology has led to a paradigm shift in data center design and management. Server hardware has become an unseen commodity – application servers exist on a virtualized platform that can be migrated from one machine to another in the blink of an eye. Application services running in a virtualized environment inherit the benefits of fault-tolerance, scalability and easily upgrade to any hardware platform - giving IT managers the ability to focus on delivering an optimal user experience.

To enhance the performance and security of virtualized environments, technology vendors are building an entirely new class of virtualized network equipment, including virtual NICs and virtual switches, that crosses traditional hardware/software boundaries. Testing these devices poses new challenges.

The number of IP-based endpoints increases dramatically due to the many virtual machines (VMs) that co-exist on a single hardware platform. At the same time, these virtualized assets are sharing limited resources such as CPU, memory and network interfaces. Without careful planning and testing, some virtual machines may end up starved of these critical resources. Effective management of the virtualized network infrastructure can only be achieved with tools and methodologies designed with virtualization in mind.

Ixia's IxVM Product Family

Ixia's IxVM products test virtualized assets with the same trusted tools that have been used for testing hardware-based networks and network equipment for over a decade. IxVM components are based on a unique IxVM Virtual Chassis implementation. The IxVM Virtual Chassis is a software implementation of Ixia’s multipurpose chassis for use in virtualized environments. In this virtual chassis concept, VMs represent Ixia chassis while virtual network interface cards (vNICs) represent Ixia test ports. Software-based stream and protocol engines on the virtual chassis ports provide the same powerful L2-7 traffic generation capabilities offered by Ixia’s hardware-based product portfolio

The components of the IxVM solution include:

• IxExplorer/VM – IxExplorer is a powerful and interactive GUI-based test tool that provides complete control of layer 2-4 traffic streams generation and measurement. Virtual test ports can be independently configured to define traffic, filtering, and capture capabilities. Comprehensive statistics and graphical views enable in-depth analysis of the performance and functionality of the Device under Test (DUT).
• IxNetwork/VM– IxNetwork builds large-scale emulated network and complex traffic topologies using real-world routing and switching. IxNetwork’s large library of layer 2-3 protocols allows advanced testing of multicast scenarios using IGMP, convergence testing for measuring outage duration during live migration, and LACP.
• IxLoad/VM – IxLoad performs L4-7 application testing including a full range of voice, video, and data, testing, testing a wide variety of virtualized application architectures. IxLoad/VM will soon be extended with client disk I/O emulation, allowing complete performance testing of 10G converged network adapters (CNAs).
• IxChariot/VM – IxChariot is a simple but powerful solution for testing and troubleshooting infrastructures in deployed data centers. With its library of over 150 enterprise application scripts, IxChariot simulates traffic and measures response time using synthetic transactions. IxChariot test agents, called performance endpoints, are installed run on distributed VMs to measure throughput, latency, loss and jitter using stateful TCP and UDP traffic. IxChariot assesses the performance of many popular enterprise applications running across the virtualized infrastructure. Two IxChariot options are specifically designed for virtualized environments:
  • Ixia Discovery Server– Connects to your virtual data center management system to automatically learn the details of your virtual infrastructure. Discovery Server works with popular virtualization platforms to build a database of virtual hosts, virtual machines and IP addresses while identifying Ixia's virtual test agents installed on VMs.
  • Ixia Test Factory – Creates test scenarios that are unique to large-scale virtualized deployments. For example, Test Factory can easily locate all VMs running Windows servers with IxChariot test agents and then use that information to run tests from those servers to a group of Linux VMs, simulating a cross-platform multi-tiered enterprise application.

Trends in the Virtualization Market  (00:24:29) - August, 2009 Alessandro Perilli discusses trends in the Virtualization Market and the major challenges facing data center operators as network demands and complexities grow.

Datasheets

• IxExplorer – powerful and interactive GUI for layer 2-4 stream construction and measurement.
• IxChariot – simple but power solution for testing virtual infrastructures.
• IxNetwork – tests routers and switches with large-scale layer 2-3 emulations.
• IxLoad – tests applications servers and layer 4-7 balancing and forwarding devices by emulating application clients and/servers.

Brochures

• Data Center (2.32 MB )  - this brochure discuss the various technologies currently deployed in DCE environments, and what Ixia’s solutions are for testing them

• IxExplorer – powerful and interactive GUI for layer 2-4 stream construction and measurement.
• IxChariot – simple but power solution for testing virtual infrastructures.
• IxNetwork – tests routers and switches with large-scale layer 2-3 emulations.
• IxLoad – tests applications servers and layer 4-7 balancing and forwarding devices by emulating application clients and/servers.

Press Releases

• October 13, 2009 - Emulex and Ixia Announce Collaboration on Reference Guide for Testing Converged Network Adapters
• October 13, 2009 - Ixia Fortifies Offering in the Data Center Market with Storage Solutions
• September 2, 2009 - Ixia Enters into Distribution Agreement with Ingram Micro
• May 12, 2009 - Ixia Unveils Next Generation Virtualized Data Center Testing Strategy at Interop 2009