The CT503 is an excellent choice for testing high-performance networks and network components. The CT503 consists of a single 1U dual-processor system with up to 14 10/100/1000 Ethernet interfaces. The system can generate and receive about 4 Gbps (8 Gbps total across the backplane). If spread evenly over the 14 interfaces, this gives a little over 250 Mbps per port. If concentrated on 4 interfaces, this gives almost full line speed generation and reception on those two ports. Other quantities of ports are available, and additional systems can be clustered for increased traffic generation capacity.

The CT503 1U rackmount chassis fits into a standard rack and is about 26 inches deep. It supports standard VGA, Keyboard, and Mouse interfaces for easy console/desktop access to the system. The rackmount chassis is relatively noisy, so it is better for a data center deployment than a desktop environment. Other form factors better suited for traveling or desktop use are also available at similar prices and performance. This system includes the Armageddon feature at no additional charge. VoIP and virtual interface support is priced separately. Please communicate your preferences to your sales representative. No additional hardware or software is required, but you may wish to manage the system using the LANforge-GUI on a separate machine.

Larger Images: front back
NOTE: This configuration may have a different number of ports than the system pictured above.

NOTE: This configuration may have a different number of ports than the system pictured above.

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Candela Technologies , 2026 Main Street, PO Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618

 

1. Connect Management ethernet port to Management network or management PC. If connecting directly to a PC, an ethernet cross-over cable should be used. Or, connect VGA, Keyboard, and Mouse to the chassis and manage it locally.
2. Connect one or more traffic generating ports to the downstream side of the device under test. This usually is considered the 'client' side of the network.
3. Connect one or more traffic generating ports to the upstream side of the device under test.
4. Connect power plug to a standard US or European AC power source.
5. If managing remotely, install the LANforge-GUI on a separate management PC or Laptop. Windows and Linux GUIs are supported: Select the correct one from the CDROM or Candela Technologies Download page and install it.
6. The CT503 should now boot. If DHCP is enabled on the Management network, the CT503 will automatically acquire an IP address. If DHCP is not available, the IP address will be set to 192.168.1.101 by the LANforge scripts.
7. Start the LANforge-GUI on the management PC, or the CT503 server if managing locally, and click the 'Discover' button. It should find the CT503 appliance and add the IP address to the drop-down box in the Connect widget. Press 'Connect' and you will be connected to the CT503.
8. Select the Layer 3, Armageddon, Layer 4 and other LANforge-FIRE related tabs in the GUI to see existing traffic connections and to modify them or add new ones. You can also view a real-time report of the test with the 'Display' button for some traffic types.
9. LANforge can send Layer 3, Armageddon and most other traffic types between any two physical ports, so one can send traffic between port eth0 and eth1, eth0 and eth2, eth3 and eth4, etc. Use the Port Mgr tab in the GUI to configure the IP addresses for the interfaces as appropriate for your network and cabling.
10. Any modifications take place immediately after you click 'Submit'.



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Candela Technologies , 2026 Main Street, PO Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618

 
LANforge-FIRE Related Screen Shots
Layer 3 (Ethernet, UDP, TCP) Connections



Layer 3 Create/Modify Screen






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Candela Technologies , 2026 Main Street, PO Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618

  Software Features
• Supports real-world protocols:
  • Layer 2: Raw-Ethernet.
  • 802.1Q VLANs.
  • PPPoE: Integrated PPPoE support.
  • Layer 3: UDP/IP, IGMP Multicast UDP, TCP/IP.
  • Layer 4: FTP, HTTP, HTTPS.
  • Layer 4: VOIP Call Generator (SIP, RTP, RTCP).
  • Layer 3: Armageddon accellerated UDP/IP (line speed on appropriate hardware).
  • Layer 4: TELNET, PING, DNS, SMTP, NMAP (via add-on script).
  • Layer 4: Audio and Video streaming.
• The CT503 is able to generate 2Gbps or more, depending on protocols mix and speed of the network under test. Supports at least 70 VoIP (SIP, RTP) calls if appropriate licenses are purchased. The portable chassis configurations may run at different speeds than the 1U or 2U rackmount systems.
• Supports over 2000 TCP and UDP connections on a single machine.
• Supports real-world compliance with ARP protocol.
• Supports ToS (QoS) settings for TCP/IP and UDP/IP connections.
• Uses publicly available Linux and Windows networking stack for increased standards compliance.
• Utilizes libcurl for FTP, HTTP and HTTPS (SSL) protocols.
• Supports file system test endpoints (NFS, SMB, and iSCSI file systems, too!). NFS file system mounts can use the virtual interface feature for advanced testing of NFS file server applications.
• Supports custom and command-line programs, like telnet, SMTP, and ping.
• Comprehensive traffic reports include: Packet Transmit rate, Packet Receive rate, Packet Receive Drop %, Transmit Bytes, Receive Bytes, Latency, various ethernet driver level counters, and much more.
• Supports generation of reports that are ready to be imported into your favorite spread-sheet.
• Allows packet sniffing and network protocol decoding with the integrated Wireshark protocol sniffer.
• GUI runs as Java application on Linux, Solaris and Microsoft Operating Systems (among others).
• GUI can run remotely, even over low-bandwidth links to accommodate the needs of the users.
• Central management application can manage multiple units, tests, and testers simultaneously.
• Supports scriptable command line interface (telnet) which can be used to automate test scenarios. Perl libraries and example scripts are also provided!
• Comprehensive management information detailing all aspects of the LANforge system including processor statistics, test cases, and ethernet port statistics.
• Automatic discovery of LANforge data generators simplifies configuration of LANforge test equipment.
• LANforge traffic generation/management software is supported on Red Hat Linux and MS Windows.
Hardware Specification
• High-End Intel Multi-Core 1U rackmount server.
• Operating System: Fedora 8 Linux with customized Linux kernel.
• Up to 14 PCI-e Intel Pro/1000 10/100/1000 Ethernet ports Additional 10/100/1000 ethernet interface for management.
• At least one Quad-Core Intel processor (maximum of two processors).
• 3 PCI-e x8 slots.
• 4GB or more RAM.
• 80GB or larger Hard Drive.
• Slim CDROM drive.
• Standard US or European power supply (automatically detects EU v/s US power).
• Weight: 36 lbs or 16.4 kg.
• Dimensions: 17.2 x 25.6 x 1.7 inches (26-inch deep 1U rackmount server)   Metric: 437 x 650 x 43 mm.
• Estimated Power Usage: 8.5 Amps @ 120VAC under load, 1.7 Amps idle.
• ROHS compliant.



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Candela Technologies , 2026 Main Street, PO Box 3285, Ferndale, WA 98248, USA
www.candelatech.com | sales@candelatech.com | +1 360 380 1618
Last modified: Wed Nov 19 16:33:35 PST 2008