SYSTEMS

NetLogic Microsystems, Inc., the leader in the design and development of knowledge-based processors, today announced that its NL5000 processors have been successfully incorporated, tested and deployed by Force10 Networks, the pioneer in high performance switching and routing, in the recently announced TeraScale E-Series family of switch/routers. With the NL5000 processors, the Force10 TeraScale E-Series processes an industry-leading one billion packets per second while supporting such features as line-rate IPv6 forwarding, one million access control lists and link aggregation. "Our knowledge-based processors with advanced interface technology are able to overcome the I/O bottleneck, improving system performance and functionality for a variety of advanced devices in enterprise, metro, access, edge and core networks," said Martyn Humphries, vice president of marketing for NetLogic Microsystems. "Working with Force10 has been a great experience and we're excited to be part of the first true terabit switch/router available in the enterprise market today." Key to knowledge-based processor design is the use of parallel processing and deep pipelining techniques, which allows devices to handle multiple tasks at higher throughput rates and support 512K x 36bit records. Using these techniques, NetLogic Microsystems' knowledge-based processors enable networking systems to meet the needs of both today's demanding 10-Gigabit Ethernet systems and future generations of networking systems for complex, wire-speed processing. NetLogic Microsystems' NL5000 processors are the first monolithic knowledge-based processors and built on an advanced 7-layer copper 0.13um CMOS logic process with high-speed and low-power transistors. In conjunction with the NL5000 processors' innovative architecture, the high-speed transistors available on TSMC's 0.13um process maximize performance, enabling processor speeds in excess of 266MHz, which is the fastest available for these applications today, while achieving lower power than can be attained with less advanced processes that may have lower speed transistors or more resistive aluminum interconnects. "The Force10 TeraScale E-Series sets a new industry benchmark for Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet densities and throughput," said Andrew Feldman, vice president of marketing at Force10 Networks. "With a large knowledge base, parallel processing and 266MHz operation on multiple concurrent pipelines, NetLogic Microsystems' NL5000 processors deliver the fast look ups we require to process one billion packets per second and support more than one million access control lists with no performance degradation." The Force10 TeraScale E-Series family of switch/routers delivers the industry's highest port densities and can process one billion packets per second, to rank as the world's first true Terabit switch/router. Scaling up to 56 line-rate 10-Gigabit Ethernet and 672 line-rate Gigabit Ethernet ports in a single chassis, the TeraScale E-Series provides network operators with the capacity to accommodate future growth without the expense of a forklift upgrade. NetLogic Microsystems NL5000 processors are available in production quantities now. For volume pricing information please contact sales@netlogicmicro.com. Force10 Networks is the pioneer in high performance switching and routing. Based on a revolutionary system architecture that delivers best-in-class resiliency and massive scalability, Force10's TeraScale E-Series switch/routers ensure predictable application performance, increase network availability, and reduce operating costs. Today, many of the world's largest Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks depend on Force10 Networks. For additional information, please visit the company's website at http://www.force10networks.com. NetLogic Microsystems, Inc., a fabless semiconductor company located in Mountain View, Calif., designs, develops and markets high performance knowledge-based processors for a variety of advanced Internet, corporate and other networking systems, such as routers, switches, network access equipment and networked storage devices. NetLogic Microsystems knowledge-based processors use advanced processor architecture and a large knowledge database containing network and network user information to make complex decisions about individual packets of information traveling through the network. Knowledge-based processors significantly enhance the ability of networking OEMs, to supply network service providers with systems offering more advanced functionality for the Internet, such as voice transmission over the Internet, or VoIP, virtual private networks, or VPNs, and streaming video and audio. NetLogic Microsystems also provides NPU interface knowledge-based processors solutions to Intel and AMCC network processors that accelerate design and development of leading-edge networking equipment. For more information about products offered by NetLogic Microsystems, call 650.961.6676 or visit the NetLogic Microsystems Web site at http://www.netlogicmicro.com.