Ixia Streamlines Network Testing with Significant Enhancements to its Primary Automated Testing Application

Business Wire, March 21, 2005

CALABASAS, Calif. -- Multicast, MPLS VPN, and QoS Test Libraries Extended and Enhanced in IxScriptMate 5.00

Ixia (Nasdaq:XXIA), a leading, global provider of IP network testing solutions, announced today that IxScriptMate, its primary automated network test application, has been significantly enhanced to improve efficiency in the automated testing of routers, Layer 2/3 switches, and other IP devices. Key to this release are sophisticated yet easy-to-use features that automate the test environment, making it possible for users to seamlessly manage the development and maintenance of large test environments and to rapidly analyze test results. In this way, testing resource expenditures are minimized while testing productivity is maximized.

IxScriptMate 5.00 offers an extensive suite of pre-built, automated tests based on industry-standard RFCs and Layer 2/3 technologies optimized to execute test cases on Ixia's wide range of purpose-built test platforms. Via an intuitive graphical interface, IxScriptMate streamlines essential steps in the test process -- configuration, execution, and analysis. With remarkable simplicity, IxScriptMate automates management of the entire test environment, facilitating data traffic generation, IP routing, filtering, capturing, and statistics collection. Since even the most complex tests can be executed unattended, including regression testing which is especially resource intensive, IxScriptMate can be used to greatly extend test lab capabilities.

IxScriptMate 5.00 has been designed with robust functionality and remarkable flexibility for generating and analyzing results during and after the test. On-the-fly traffic graphs display real-time test progress. Following the test, multiple levels of test analyses can be executed depending upon the level of detail required. Unique color-coded pass/fail indicators provide for quick, high-level assessment of test outcomes, assisting complex post-processing analysis. IxScriptMate's integrated reporting and graphing capability is the first application of its type to generate formatted Adobe Acrobat PDF reports, making it easy to interpret even the most complicated test results rapidly and accurately. Finally, test results are output as text log and CSV files, which provide the most comprehensive test information, and which can be leveraged for customized database analysis and integration.

Other new IxScriptMate 5.00 features include:

--IP multicast test support for MLDv1/v2 (for IPv6 networks) and IGMPv3

--Layer 3 VPN performance test across RFC 2547bis networks, with scaleable topology definition

--Centralized test management to store and manage test configuration and results

IxScriptMate test suites address all aspects of the product lifecycle, from development and quality assurance, to manufacturing and deployment. Sample test suites include:

--IETF RFC-based tests following standard performance test methodologies: RFC 2544, RFC 2889

--Layer 2/Layer 3 performance and functionality tests including Quality of Service (QoS), IPv4/IPv6 tunneling, data integrity, sequence checking, VLAN functionality, and error handling

--IP/MPLS routing performance and functionality tests: BGP, OSPF, IP Multicast, LDP, RSVP-TE, Layer 2 VPN (Martini), Layer 3 VPN (RFC 2547 bis), VPLS

Ixia provides with IxScriptMate a powerful and highly sophisticated Tcl Application Programming Interface (API) to the test environment for additional customized automation development.

To learn more about IxScriptMate, visit our website at: http://www.ixiacom.com/IxScriptMate

About Ixia

Ixia is a leading, global provider of high performance IP network testing solutions. Its highly scalable solutions generate, capture, characterize, and emulate network and application traffic, establishing definitive performance and conformance metrics of network devices or systems under test. Ixia's testing solutions are used by Network and Telephony Equipment Manufacturers, Semiconductor Manufacturers, Service Providers, and large Enterprises to validate the functionality, and reliability of complex IP networks, devices, and applications. Ixia's patented Real World Traffic(TM) Suite addresses the growing need to test applications and networks prior to deployment under realistic load conditions. Ixia's vision is to be the world's preeminent provider of solutions to enable testing of these "utility-grade" IP networks. Ixia's analysis solutions utilize a wide range of industry-standard interfaces and are distinguished by their performance, accuracy, reliability, and adaptability to the industry's constant evolution.

For more information, contact Ixia at 26601 W. Agoura Road, Calabasas, CA 91302; (818) 871-1800, Fax: (818) 871-1805; Email: info@ixiacom.com or visit our Web Site at http://www.ixiacom.com.

Ixia(R), the Ixia four petal logo(R), IxExplorer(R), and Optixia(R) are registered trademarks of Ixia; IxLoad, IxScriptMate, IxVoice, IxVPN, IxAccess, IxAnalyze, IxANVL, IxAuthenticate, and IxChariot, are trademarks of Ixia. Unless otherwise indicated, other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.