Netronome unveils new network flow processors

The new NFP-32xx line will allow devices to better secure data over networks

Networking hardware vendor Netronome has unveiled a new line of chips which the company hopes will greatly expand the security and monitoring capabilities of network hardware.

The new NFP-32xx line of network flow processors (NFPs) will allow devices such as routers, security systems and servers to better analyse and secure data over networks.

The 40-core chips operate at speeds of up to 1.4GHz, allowing for some 56 billion instructions to be executed every second. Netronome claimed that, at that speed, a device can manage every data packet flowing through a 20Gbit/s pipeline.

A 2007 licensing deal signed with Intel has allowed Netronome to equip the NFP chips with Intel's own IXP development kit, offering developers a familiar programming environment.

Bill Duggan, NFP product manager at Netronome, said that the new chip will target three different hardware markets.

In addition to expanding the power of traditional network security chips, the NFP chip offers a more powerful alternative to traditional security and embedded communications processors, and a more flexible option to traditional network processors.

"It gives you an incredibly powerful device in a small footprint," said Duggan. "By integrating these capabilities we can reduce the number of extra devices in a design."

Duggan added that some early uses for the new chips will be in network security appliances, and hardware such as routers. Additionally, he sees the chips appealing to server vendors that want built-in management capabilities.

Netronome plans to offer the new NFPs to hardware vendors in basic chip-only 'silicon' form, or as programmable PCI cards which can be dropped into a device.