A virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) enables Communication Service Providers to reduce cost by moving core network components of the Long-Term Evolution (LTE) network from high-cost dedicated hardware to low-cost commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) servers. This document illustrates the high performance of the Affirmed Networks virtualized Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) solution on 2nd Generation Intel® Xeon® Platinum 8280L processors (formerly codenamed Cascade Lake). The test results achieved a throughput of up to 168 Gbps and a packet rate of up to 29 Mpps on dual-socket servers powered by these Intel Xeon Platinum 8280L processors, using Intel XXV710 25G NICs.

The test environment utilized Red Hat OpenStack Platform (RH OSP) version10 (Newton) and the Spirent Landslide physical traffic generator, as a standardized framework for testing and characterizing the performance of the Affirmed vEPC virtual network function (VNF) in an NFVI environment.

Intel Xeon Scalable processors incorporate unique features for virtualized network workloads, leading to impressive performance gains compared to systems based on prior Intel processor generations. The increased performance of Intel Xeon Scalable processors can significantly improve the capability for software-centric, carrier-grade virtualization which aids communications service providers in attaining and enforcing service level agreements and increasingly demanding quality of service requirements.

Affirmed Networks delivers a fully virtualized mobile core solutions supporting both vEPC and Next Generation 5G Core. Affirmed Network’s solution enables operators to economically scale networks and deliver differentiated services tailored to specific use cases covering:

• Consumer
• Mobile Virtual Network Enabler (MVNE)
• Enhanced Mobile Broadband
• Private Long-Term Evolution (LTE)
• Internet of Things (IoT)
• WiFi*
• Mobile Network Operator (MNO)
• GiLAN
• Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)
• Voice over LTE (VoLTE) to Fixed Wireless

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