23rd, May, 2019, Taipei – Lanner, a global leader in providing network appliances and uCPE/vCPE gateways, today introduced a network switch emulation solution dubbed S.I.M.P.L.E. (Switch Interface Made Portable via Linux Emulation) for adding L2 switch support for Lanner’s x86 network platforms, making available easy management and higher port density with a lower cost per port for Lanner’s x86 hardware platforms equipped with limited PCIE /MAC support for dedicated LAN ports.
Network Switch support on OS-aware structure today relies on MDC/MDIO controller for L2 switch chip management and requires switch port programming and LAN chip driver modification for switch connection, not only hijacking software engineering resource but also resulting in time wasted for validation, not to mention the difficulties in obtaining both SDK and technical support from vendors.
Lanner’s S.I.M.P.L.E. solution bypasses the aforementioned conundrum because it simplifies platform design on the connections to network switch, stipulates software simulated MDC/MDIO solution and then delivers abstract switch ports by treating them as regular NICs directly under Linux OS L2 switch devices.
The resulting benefits delivered by implementing Lanner’s S.I.M.P.L.E. solution includes easier development, less software engineering effort and faster TTM. What’s more, such approach allows general driver codes be applied to all combination, not only easing serial product scale up but also reducing platform cost with more Ethernet connections. And finally, LAN chip drivers can be left untouched, ensuring their tried-and-tested validation provided by the original LAN chip vendors.
Contact Lanner sales today for more information and evaluation unit availability.
