NXP and Accton Collaborate to Deliver First ARM Cortex-A72 Based Switching Platform for Enterprises and Cloud Edge Networks

Open ecosystem framework combines next generation cloud edge services with best in class performance and efficiency via powerful ARM® cores and programmable acceleration

TAIPEI, Taiwan, May, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NXP Semiconductors N.V.(NASDAQ:NXPI) has collaborated with leading Original Design Manufacturer (ODM) Accton Technology Corporation to develop a network services switch solution which is the first to combine the extreme 64-bit performance of ARM Cortex®-A72 technology within a proven ODM design and in a comprehensive, open standards-based software platform.

To streamline development and speed customer time to market, the NXP and Acctonoffering supports open networking standards including those from the Open Compute Project (OCP). In addition, NXP’s VortiQa application-level software features network functions easily leveraged by OEMs and operators for rapid productization. The investment in an OCP offering creates a low-cost, open solution that is efficient and scalable for the evolved IT infrastructure.

“This new services platform will allow our customers to deliver a differentiated product to market in months, not years, which is a ‘must’ for leadership in the white box space and other high-growth markets,” said Tareq Bustami, Senior Vice President and General Manager of NXP’s Digital Networking business. “The solution combines the benefits of standardization and open APIs with a toolkit supporting optimal networking innovation for the fast-growing cloud edge and enterprise markets.”

Based on NXP’s new QorIQ LS2088A processor offering eight 2.2 GHz Cortex-A72 cores at under 25 W of power, the NXP network switching platform delivers the high end performance to support “top-of-rack” applications at the heart of the data center, as well as the power efficiency to scale cloud edge networking equipment where energy efficiency is critical. The Accton Edge-core AS7700 utilizes Broadcom’s StrataXGS® Tomahawk™ Switch Series and has thirty-two QSFP28 ports in a 1U form factor, with each port supporting 100GbE, 2x50GbE, 40GbE, 4x25GbE or 4x10GbE connections.

“Operators are looking to grow by evolving the functionality of the network, bringing a richer experience to the user, as well as keeping the flexibility of the network for the business dynamic,” said CC Lee, Vice President of Sales and System Architecture Office for Accton. “By combining ARM processing leadership with its new offload technology including network monitoring, NXP is able to provide the best in class: scalability, open software and leading performance efficiency.”

Extreme Performance at the Network’s Edge
NXP’s new QorIQ LS2088A processor, with its innovative programmable packet engine, opens the door to compelling new capabilities for a range of high-growth networking markets, and features:

• A VMM offload package which completely offloads advanced functions in hardware and eliminates hypervisor overheads, freeing onboard ARM Cortex A-72 cores to run customer valued software.
• NXP networking monitoring, providing new features like netflow, s-flow, BFD, ETH-OAM and ARP offload, which help reduce BOM cost and eliminate ASICs or FPGAs from the system architecture.
• Enablement of services such as IPSec, Firewall, NAT, as well as L4-L7 services such as DPI, QoS, WAN optimization, and storage acceleration via open source as well as trusted third party providers.

Open Standards and a Complete Solution for Time to Market
NXP is a market leader in providing ARM Cortex 64-bit solutions. Using these high-performance processors, NXP and Accton are collaborating to support multiple industry specifications including emerging standards such as ONIE, ONL OCP and OPNFV. The contribution of an open switch design by recognized industry leaders in this space helps to accelerate the ecosystem model and expand customer choice.

Availability
NXP’s network switching platform based on QorIQ LS2 family devices is currently shipping in volume to multiple NXP QorIQ customers. The platform is available now for evaluation on NXP’s LS2088A device. Additional information on NXP’s eight-core LS2088A processor is available at: https://www.nxp.com/LS2088A.