IBM Corp. last month announced two Ethernet adapters aimed at offering server customers improved security and performance. The Gigabit Ethernet SX Server Adapter supports 1000M bit/sec Ethernet LANs and PCI 2.2-compliant, 64-bit, 66-MHz server buses. With optional support for Jumbo Frames, packet-processing overhead can be reduced even further, improving throughput and efficiency, IBM said. The IBM 10/100 Ethernet Server Adapter offers network security features such as IP Security encryption and decryption of data packets as they are sent and received over the LAN. The adapter’s onboard encryption coprocessor off-loads encryption from servers to free system resources for other critical server tasks. Both adapters support packet prioritization (IEEE 802.1p) and virtual LANs (IEEE 802.1Q), helping to optimize performance for crucial applications. The adapters are now available. Pricing starts at US$95 for the Ethernet Server Adapter and US$635 for the Gigabit Ethernet SX Server Adapter.
Early last month, Intel Corp. announced the release of two network processors, extending its family of networked processors into equipment that manages voice and data communications across the growing base of digital subscriber lines (DSL), according to the vendor. The Intel IXP225 DSL Network Processor is an open-system software-and-hardware offering to combine voice and data in DSL-based Internet access devices and gateways. The other offering, the Intel IXP220 DSL Network Processor, offers a software suite and performance features that are available in the other offering, but is for data-only equipment. The two new network processors are being offered on reference platforms, enabling designers to concentrate on developing new customer applications. According to Intel, the IXP220 and the IXP225 DSL Network Processors, as well as its IXP225 ADSL Reference Platform will be available for sampling before the end of the year. Samples of the SHDSL reference platform will be available in Q1 of 2001. Production quantities of all the announced products will be available in the first half of next year. The network processors are priced at US$25 for the IXP220, and US$40 for the IXP225. The reference platform is priced at US$7,500. For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.intel.com.