RDP (Research and Development Partners), the leading Russian vendor of intellectual solutions for broadband connectivity, updated its portfolio with a new product which is Network Packet Broker (NPB). It’s an intellectual network solution which provides traffic transparency and intended to redistribute traffic between the analyzers devices which solve the tasks of assuring network security, optimization and increasing their performance, apart from the network quality management and a system of operational-search measures (SORM). NPB is a complex solution which has the consolidated functionality of traffic aggregation, replication, filtration, workload balance until its transfer to the end user.
RDP constantly develops and improves the functionality of its solutions. As of today, Network Packet Broker has the following key possibilities, among others:
- aggregation of traffic flows from different sources and their distribution between the analyzers
- balancing basing on protocols, IP addresses, ports, flow (5-Tuple) sources and traffic recipients
- learning IP addresses of the incoming traffic for transferring the return packets to those very ports which accepted the outcoming packets
- adding, removing, changing VLAN tags for correct encapsulation of distributable traffic.
As a network device, Network Packet Broker is a Layer 2 bridge. It connects to the traffic sources from one side and to analyzers from another one. Passive optical splitters, SPAN ports of network devices may serve as sources, NPB can also be connected to the break of the link for forming traffic copies or redirecting the traffic for processing with the further return to the link.
Mechanisms of received traffic distribution:
They are being formed out of the rules of choosing the needed traffic and methods of its distribution between the analyzers. The following options and their applicable combinations are available as methods of traffic distribution: traffic reset, sending out to the output port or the aggregate, traffic balancing on the analyzers cluster, creation of the multiple traffic copies.
Learning mode
Learning mode provides additional flexibility, as the device learns the IP addresses to further send the return packets to the right port. So, NPB is undertaking the pre-filtration of traffic flows to save resources and provide effective operation of the connected analyzers.
Application
The Network Packet Broker solution is designed to be deployed as a part of the carrier-grade traffic management system, along with application in the data centers, and is performed in two hardware configurations:
- 32 ports of QSFP28 100GbE – available to order
- 48 ports of SFP28 10/25GbE and 8 ports QSFP28 x 100 GbE – available to order starting from Q2 of 2023
