News Release

Iometrix Benchmark Validates Cisco Metro Ethernet Services Architecture

Results Show Excellent Network Performance, Reliability and Resiliency
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Jun 21, 2004

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., June 21, 2004 - Iometrix, Inc. today announced the results of a series of groundbreaking tests of Ethernet service topologies based on Cisco Systems switching, routing and optical platforms. The tests, which simulated many high-volume traffic patterns and complex network failure scenarios, proved that Cisco's metropolitan Ethernet architecture offers service providers the ability to confidently deliver carrier-grade performance over Ethernet to their customers.

The test suite and results, available now at www.iometrix.com, will serve as a key reference guide to providers interested in deploying new services over their metro Ethernet networks. Services tested included Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)- based virtual private network (VPN), Ethernet private line, Ethernet relay service and multipoint Ethernet service.

Testing Breaks New Ground

Iometrix and Agilent innovated in several ways to establish this groundbreaking, service-oriented test. Agilent's N2X multiservices test solution was used to emulate six different types of metro Ethernet services. Service-specific test cases, designed to validate four types of E-Line and two types of Ethernet local-area-network (LAN) services were applied to a topology based on a broad range of transport protocols including Synchronous Optical Network/Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SONET/SDH), Resilient Packet Ring (RPR), MPLS and virtual private LAN service (VPLS). These tests were run over a complete end-to-end network built using Cisco's 12000 Series routers, Cisco 7600 Series routers, Cisco ONS 15454 multiservice provisioning platforms (MSPPs) and Cisco Catalyst 3550 Series switches. Agilent's N2X was deployed at the user network interface to verify the quality of service, service performance, protection and restoration, data plane, control plane and VLAN transparency of Ethernet private line, Ethernet wire, Ethernet relay and Ethernet access to MPLS VPN services as well as Ethernet multipoint and relay multipoint services.

For both point-to-point and multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet services, the Iometrix tests exceeded expectations on the key criteria of data-rate performance, adherence to service-level agreements (SLAs), resiliency and the ability to transparently pass and control traffic end to end.

"These findings are significant because they are a clear indication to service providers that Cisco's platform delivers Ethernet services as robust as time-division multiplexing (TDM) and opens the door at last to the flexible bandwidth and service quality that enterprise customers are demanding for their business operations," said Bob Mandeville, president and CEO of Iometrix. "Tests on all six Ethernet services showed highly consistent performance across tests that stressed all aspects of performance, service quality, resiliency and control."

Mandeville added, "Most impressive are the comprehensive range of topologies, protocols and networking products that were combined to validate the flawless delivery of a full set of Ethernet services," Mandeville said. "The suite of tests developed for this project extends well beyond tests developed over the last decade for enterprise Ethernet switches and is a prime example of standards-based, service-oriented testing and validation."

About Iometrix

Iometrix, founded by Bob Mandeville in 2003, builds upon the activities of European Network Laboratories (ENL), the authoritative source of network benchmarking since 1991. Based in San Francisco, California, Iometrix is taking the worldwide lead in benchmarking several exciting new areas: Metro Ethernet services, wireless LANs in the enterprise and storage networking. Dedicated to advancing industry testing standards, Iometrix is actively working within the Metro Ethernet Forum to drive forward the adoption of industry sanctioned benchmarks. Iometrix brings ENL's industry-recognized reputation for innovation and the experience of testing the networks of large organizations together in the lab to provide the standard-setting benchmarks the industry can rely on as it meets the challenges of advancing networking into new spaces.

The Iometrix test report and other additional information about Iometrix Inc. can be found at www.iometrix.com.More information on the Agilent N2X can be found at: http://www.agilent.com/find/omniberxm.

For more information about the Cisco 12000 Series routers, the Cisco 7600 Series routers, the Cisco Catalyst 3550 Series switches and the Cisco ONS 15454 MSPP, go to: http://www.cisco.com.