The Packetarium XLc addresses new requirements in areas such as mobile edge computing where greater scalability and elasticity are needed to respond to fluctuations in subscriber demand and the introduction of additional new services. Applications such as augmented reality, content optimization, Internet-of-Things (IoT), as well as video and data analytics need to run onserver-class equipment close to subscribers where they not only enhance mobile user experience but also alleviate the mobile core from additional congestion.

However, the equipment hosting these new services at cell sites, in base stations or telecom room aggregation points is limited by different physical and environmental constraints not suitable for standard white-box servers.

The Packetarium XLc handles these constraints with a new class of scalable platform that combines high-performance server processing, high-throughput switching and carrier-grade availability. It is a flexible and versatile system design that supportsNFV and works with the existing infrastructure in locations such as central offices and telecom rooms, rather than data centers.

“The Packetarium XLc enabled by a rich middleware partner ecosystem provides a solid NFV Infrastructure (NFVI) to application developers and content providers enabling them with the cloud-computing capabilities and IT-style service environment they need at the edge of the mobile network so they can drive new revenue streams for operators.” said Peter Marek, Senior Director x86 Solutions, Advantech Networks and Communications Group. “In addition, the system addresses real network deployment needs in locations with high mobile subscriber density and where greenfield installations are not possible.”

The Packetarium XLc is the first commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) telco-grade server of its class to extend Network Function Virtualization (NFV) beyond the core network to both edge and access equipment. The system scales compute performance over nine Intel Xeon processor blades. Higher processing densities and lower power footprints are achieved through dual Intel Xeon processor blades that provide up to 144 powerful Intel Xeon processor cores in a compact 6U platform with a reduced depth of 400 mm.

The system routes traffic through two redundant switches that connect to the dual-star backplane creating an internal network with no single point of failure. It integrates Advantech’s Advanced Platform Management and is designed to meet demanding industry standards requiring five 9’s availability and NEBS Level 3 compliance.

Dan Rodriguez, General Manager, Intel Communications InfrastructureDivision, said “Advantech’s Packetarium™ XLc is a good example of how members of the Intel Network Builders ecosystem play a key role in providing operators with the tools they need to actually go out and deploy a scalable and flexible NFV infrastructure built on Intel Xeon processors”.

“The Packetarium XLc series is a key element in Advantech’s NFV Elasticity initiative in providing a range of scalable Intel Xeon processor-based platforms that can be deployed anywhere in the network to support a tiered model with different levels of service.” Said Paul Stevens, Marketing Director, Advantech Networks and Communications Group.

“The increased performance per watt of the Packetarium XLc will allow baseline services to be provisioned at the edge in optimized cloud architectures such as the C-RAN. Advantech Versatile Server Modules, another key building block to enable NFV Elasticity, can run the same VNFs at lowest latency in the access network while the enterprise version of the Packetarium XL family, the Packetarium XLe, can cover peak loading in the core network”.