6WIND Announces High-Performance Packet Processing Software for VMware-Based Networking Equipment
PARIS, June 12, 2012 — 6WIND, the gold standard for packet processing in software-defined networks, today announced support for VMware vSphere® within the 6WINDGate™ packet processing software. Thanks to new optimizations within 6WINDGate, developers can now implement high-performance VMware-based virtual network appliances running on low-cost commodity hardware platforms such as Intel® Xeon® platforms that use the Intel® Data Plane Development Kit (Intel® DPDK) software library. These virtual appliances deliver significant cost-performance benefits compared to traditional physical network appliances.
Facing ongoing CAPEX pressures, service providers are challenged to migrate to commodity hardware platforms as quickly as possible while continuing to deliver increased performance to end-users. At the same time, OPEX constraints require improvements in resource utilization, achieved through the efficient management of Virtual Machines (VMs) and virtual network appliances. With no way to predict the future mix of applications or the growth in workloads, networks must be architected for maximum flexibility and scalability while avoiding the complexity of instantiating multiple VMs as bandwidth requirements increase.
By supporting VMware vSphere, 6WINDGate addresses these challenges for network equipment based on VMware’s solutions. In data centers, 6WINDGate provides a high-performance packet processing solution for virtual network appliances such as Application Delivery Controllers (ADCs), firewalls, security gateways and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPSs). Similarly, 6WINDGate minimizes CAPEX and OPEX for mobile infrastructure equipment where virtualization is increasingly deployed through Cloud Radio Access Network (CRAN) and virtualized Evolved Packet Core (EPC) architectures. 6WINDGate is fully compatible with standard versions of the ESX hypervisor.
“VMware’s solutions are widely used in both cloud and mobile infrastructure equipment,” said Eric Carmès, CEO of 6WIND. “We have worked closely with Intel and VMware to optimize the performance of 6WINDGate when running in a VM under the standard ESX hypervisor, deployed on Intel® Xeon® platforms, that use the Intel® DPDK software library. Our innovative software design ensures minimal difference in packet processing performance when running on virtual appliances compared to physical appliances. 6WINDGate has already been deployed worldwide in physical LTE networking equipment and our new support for VMware has already enabled our customers to use the same technology in virtual network appliances for both data centers and mobile infrastructure.”
VMware support is available now within the 6WINDGate software. For more information please visit http://www.6wind.com.
About 6WIND
6WIND provides the only commercial software solution that solves network performance challenges for OEMs delivering advanced networking functions in mobile and cloud infrastructure equipment. The company’s 6WINDGate™ networking software is optimized for cost-effective hardware based on industry-standard multicore processors, enabling rich Software Defined Networking (SDN) services and Network-as-a-Service capabilities that monetize services such as bandwidth, QoS and security. 6WIND delivers sustainable competitive advantages to both service providers and network equipment manufacturers. A privately owned company, 6WIND is based near Paris, France with regional offices in China, Japan, South Korea and the United States. For more information, visit http://www.6wind.com.