SCENARIO
Smart network interface cards (SmartNICs) are becoming a tool of choice to achieve offload and acceleration—to deliver maximum performance that supports efficient, scalable, programmable, and highly secure software-defined networking (SDN) and network functions virtualization (NFV) solutions.
Adapting SmartNICs in existing and newer data centers is a huge effort that must go through several rounds of qualifications. For that to happen, customers first need to be assured that the SmartNICs are delivering significant valueadd over regular NICs in terms of offloading server/host functions and improving overall efficacy of the servers. They also need to be assured that while deployed, SmartNICs are not breaking any existing functions or functionalities of legacy NICs. Testing SmartNICs will ensure customers get both these assurances based on empirical test data and will help to speed SmartNIC adoption.
IXIA SOLUTIONS
Ixia’s BreakingPoint enables testing with real-world application traffic and malicious threat vectors to answer the questions you should be asking: what is the best use of SmartNIC technology in my network? Is my implementation as high-performing as it should be? How will its use impact other applications? Am I opening a security loophole that exposes new vulnerabilities?
• Measure Efficacy and Efficiency: Organizations deploying SmartNICs will want to validate the quantifiable performance difference that happens with the introduction of SmartNIC functionalities. The average improvement of efficiency is a key driver for SmartNIC adaption.
• Validate Specific Features and Functionalities: It’s important to test the capabilities in specific domains for which the SmartNIC is being adapted. For example, if the SmartNIC is doing SSL offload, then you need to ensure it is capable of terminating and reinitiating SSL connections over different ciphers and key sizes, along with performance measurements of public key exchange and bulk encryption.
• DevTest and QA Environments: Any adapting technologies will accompany agile developments, quick fixes, changes in design and architecture, etc. Every new change will need validation to ensure the functionality works as expected and no new bugs are introduced.
• Data Sheet Comparisons: As SmartNIC solutions come to market, vendors use various proprietary methodologies to validate performance numbers and publish them on their data sheets. But independent testing based on industry recognized solutions helps both vendors and consumers of SmartNICs perform realistic comparisons and ROI calculations.
