Ixia and Extreme Networks Demonstrate Wire-Speed Switching Across 768 Ports using Ixia's Optixia, the World's Highest Port Density Test Platform.

Business Editors & High-tech Writers

CeBIT 2002

HANNOVER, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 12, 2002

Ixia's Optixia and Extreme Networks BlackDiamond 6816 Switch Showcased

at CeBIT, March 13 - 15, Hannover, Germany, Hall 16, Stand C06

Ixia (Nasdaq: XXIA), a leading provider of high-speed, multiport network performance analysis and network monitoring systems, is being showcased in Extreme Networks Inc.'s (Nasdaq: EXTR) booth at the CeBIT exhibit.

Extreme Networks is utilizing the powerful capability of Ixia's Optixia, the world's largest performance analysis platform with the highest port density available, to transmit traffic through its largest core switching platform, the BlackDiamond(R) 6816. Optixia is the first network performance analyzer and traffic generator to offer up to 480 ports of 10/100 Mbps Ethernet or 240 ports of Gigabit Ethernet in one chassis with one RISC CPU running LINUX per port. The BlackDiamond 6816 switch features 768 10/100 Mbps Ethernet ports and can support a maximum of 1536 10/100 TX ports. The Optixia platform will verify the performance of the BlackDiamond switch while emulating a fully meshed Layer 3 Internet Protocol (IP) network at wire-speed.

"We are very excited to be working with Ixia at CeBIT," said Martin Van Schooten, marketing director of EMEA for Extreme Networks. "With its support and technology we will be able to fully demonstrate the powerful capabilities of Extreme Networks' Ethernet switching solutions. The BlackDiamond 6816 core switch offers an industry leading combination of wire-speed performance, very high port density and Layer 2 and Layer 3 routing capabilities in a single Ethernet platform. The advanced testing capabilities offered by the Optixia platform will truly demonstrate these capabilities and highlight the BlackDiamond 6816's position as the leading hardware-based, Layer 3 switch."

Extreme Networks' BlackDiamond 6816 leads the industry in density with up to 192 Gigabit Ethernet ports in a single chassis and will accommodate a maximum of 1536 10/100BASE-TX ports, or 512 100BASE-FX ports when fully populated with the F32Fi module. The BlackDiamond switch also supports a maximum of 128 Gigabit Ethernet ports when fully populated with the G8Xi and G8Ti modules, or 192 Gigabit Ethernet ports when fully populated with the G12SXi modules.

"We are extremely pleased to join with Extreme Networks in this unprecedented test at the CeBIT show," said Eran Karoly, vice president of marketing for Ixia. "Optixia offers our customers the kind of comprehensive solution for performance verification that simply wasn't available before. Ixia is dedicated to providing its customers with products like the Optixia platform that support today's need for very high port density as demonstrated by Extreme Network's BlackDiamond 6816."

Optixia supports Ixia's existing interface Load Modules, including OC-3c/12c/48c/192c Packet Over SONET, OC-48c/OC-192c BERT, 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, and USB interfaces. Optixia offers unprecedented port density and enables verification of sophisticated networking protocols such as BGP-4, MPLS RSVP-TE, OSPF, IS-IS, and RIP, as well as hardware assisted Layer 4-7 application stressing of content aware routers. Optixia supports all of Ixia's existing interface Load Modules, including its 10 Gigabit Ethernet Load Modules -- the industry's most comprehensive 10 Gigabit Ethernet test solution, including XAUI and XAUI BERT electrical interfaces, 10BASE-SR, 10GBASE-LR, 10GBASE-ER, 10GBASE-LW, 10GBASE-EW optical interfaces, and a combined OC-192 POS/BERT/WAN solution.

About Extreme Networks, Inc.

Extreme Networks, Inc., delivers the most effective applications and services infrastructure by creating networks that are faster, simpler and more cost-effective. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., Extreme Networks markets its network switching solutions in more than 50 countries. For more information, visit www.extremenetworks.com.

Extreme Networks and BlackDiamond are registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc.

About Ixia

Ixia (Nasdaq: XXIA) delivers powerful, distributed, multiport traffic generators and performance analyzers for wire-speed verification of optical networking equipment, LAN, MAN and WAN multi-layer switches and routers. Its products utilize a variety of interfaces -- Packet Over SONET, BERT, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, and USB. Ixia's network operations applications address the industry's growing requirements for a higher level of control over network operations monitoring, traffic engineering, traffic profiling, and security. They are distinguished by their accuracy, reliability, high port density, support for emerging protocol standards, and adaptability to the industry's constant evolution. For more information, contact Ixia at 26601 W. Agoura Road, Calabasas, CA 91302; [phone], Fax: [phone]; Email: [e-mail] or visit our Web Site at http://www.ixiacom.com.

The Ixia logo is a registered trademark of Ixia. Extreme Networks and BlackDiamond are registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries.