Lately, there’s been no shortage of news for the testing and measurement community from network transformation and optical innovation provider VIAVI Solutions.
First, the Viavi Xgig CXL Exerciser has been recognized as a CXL 1.1 Gold device by the Compute Express Link (CXL) Consortium, enabling it to qualify CXL device protocol implementations for the CXL Integrators List. The CXL Exerciser is designed to generate CXL data streams and responses for compliance testing and analysis at 32 gigatransfers per second (32 GT/s). With full, bit-level, repeatable control over CXL data traffic, it also can be used to debug difficult protocol communication problems. The platform features a modular architecture that reduces the need for extra hardware investments, while its familiar Xgig management interface may help to limit training needs and minimize overall design and development costs.
Testbed service
Next, Viavi announced along with Broadcom — which recently acquired VMware — an expansion of capabilities to their joint Testbed as a Service (TBaaS). The TBaaS combines Viavi’s TeraVM RIC Test with the VMware RAN intelligent controller (RIC) to create a digital twin for the evaluation and performance benchmarking of applications.
RIC applications address the need for simulations using realistic data, enabling communication service providers to capture information once and emulate it with multiple other applications — thus reducing the overhead expense of repeatedly capturing, processing and transmitting data. In addition, the RAN Scenario Generator within the TeraVM RIC Test allows developers and operators to model scenarios in the lab, either prior to launch or in environments where large volumes of real data are unavailable. Data captured can also be used for training artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) models.
Spirent acquisition
Finally, Viavi Solutions agreed to acquire Spirent Communications to create what it’s calling a “leading provider of test, assurance and security solutions for research and development labs, service providers, data centers and mission-critical infrastructure.”
The company said the “complementary nature of the respective businesses” is key to providing diversification and accelerated growth in adjacent verticals such as cloud service providers, enterprise/IT networks, 5G private networks, 6G+ and positioning, and navigation and timing verticals.
