Open Packet Broker 2.8: Elevating Network Monitoring and Performance

 

Introduction

As networks continue to scale, enterprises and service providers demand efficient, scalable and cost-effective solutions to manage, monitor and optimize network traffic. OPBNOS (Open Packet Broker), Aviz’s software-defined network observability solution, simplifies traffic aggregation, filtering and load balancing from hardware or virtual TAPs. The latest R2.8 release brings significant advancements, enhancing platform compatibility, traffic processing, and seamless software upgrades, ensuring high performance and security for network monitoring, analytics, and compliance.

New Platform Integration: Celestica DS2000

OPBNOS R2.8 now supports Celestica DS2000, a Broadcom chipset platform optimised for the aggregation layer in Open Packet Broker (OPB) deployments. It enhances traffic observability, filtering, and redirection for high-performance network monitoring.

Key Benefits :

• Traffic Aggregation: Collects network traffic from multiple TAPs/SPAN ports and consolidates it for efficient processing.
• Intelligent Filtering: Supports Layer 2/3/4 filtering (IPv4 & IPv6) to ensure only relevant traffic is forwarded for analysis.
• Optimized Traffic Distribution: Enables port redirection (Static LAG) and hybrid port lookups for load balancing across multiple monitoring tools.
• Enhanced Network Observability: Provides detailed port and flow statistics management for real-time monitoring.
• Seamless Control: Integrated with OPB Fabric Manager (FlowVision) Appliance for intuitive GUI-based configuration.

Port Breakout: Maximizing Flexibility & Efficiency

Port breakout in OPBNOS enhances traffic distribution by allowing high-speed ports to split into multiple lower-speed links, optimizing network adaptability.

Key Benefits :

• Dynamic Speed Adjustments: Break 100G ports into 4x10/25G, 2x50G, or other configurations to match network needs.
• Broad Hardware Support: Available on NVIDIA (Spectrum-2 & above) and Broadcom (EC7816, EC7326, EC7726) platforms.
• Connectivity: Efficiently connects multiple lower-speed servers (10G, 25G) to a single high-speed switch.

Use Case:

Port breakout in a network packet broker enhances both ingress and egress traffic handling:

• Ingress: Aggregates traffic from multiple lower-speed tapped links (10G, 25G) into a single high-speed port for efficient processing and monitoring.
• Egress: Distributes high-speed traffic (100G) across multiple inline tools, enabling maximum network performance, optimizing tool utilization and load balancing.

This ensures seamless traffic aggregation, better network observability, and future-proof scalability while minimising hardware costs.

GTP Extension Header Filtering

As mobile networks continue to evolve with 4G and 5G advancements, OPBNOS R2.8 introduces support for GTPU (GPRS Tunneling Protocol — User) extension headers, enabling enhanced network observability, traffic management, and performance optimization for telecom providers.

• PDU Session Container (0x85) Support — Enables advanced Quality of Service (QoS) control and accommodates proprietary extensions for improved network efficiency.
• Inner Header-Based Filtering — Supports filtering based on IPv4, IPv6, UDP, and TCP parameters, providing granular traffic control.
• Intelligent Load Balancing — Distributes traffic efficiently across multiple telco users to optimize network resources.
• Enhanced Traffic Monitoring & Analytics — Helps service providers analyze, manage, and optimize mobile data flows for better performance.
• Advanced Flow Control — Enables filtering based on inner source/destination IPs, Layer 4 ports, and protocols for precise traffic management.

GTP Filtering with VXLAN Headers

Conclusion

The OPBNOS R2.8 release delivers powerful enhancements to network traffic monitoring, filtering, and scalability. With expanded platform support, improved traffic handling, seamless upgrades, and enhanced FlowVision capabilities, OPBNOS continues to be the leading software-defined network observability solution.

FAQ’s

1. What’s new in Open Packet Broker (OPBNOS) 2.8 for network observability?

A. OPBNOS 2.8 introduces key upgrades including:

• Support for the Celestica DS2000 platform for enhanced aggregation
• GTPU extension header filtering for telecom-grade insights
• Advanced port breakout capabilities for better traffic distribution
• Improved FlowVision GUI-based configuration
  These features boost observability, performance, and scalability across enterprise and telecom networks.

2. How does OPBNOS 2.8 improve telecom network observability with GTP filtering?

A. OPBNOS 2.8 enables GTPU extension header support, specifically for:

• PDU Session Container (0x85) for QoS control
• Inner IP/port filtering for granular traffic analytics
• Load balancing across multiple users
  These upgrades allow telecom operators to manage mobile data flows more efficiently in 4G/5G networks.

3. What are the benefits of using port breakout in Open Packet Broker setups?

A. Port breakout allows splitting 100G ports into multiple 10G/25G/50G links, which:

• Maximizes port utilization without additional hardware
• Enables better traffic aggregation from low-speed links
• Supports scalable tool chaining and inline monitoring
• Reduces capex by optimizing tool and switch connectivity

4. Why is Celestica DS2000 support important in OPBNOS 2.8?

A. Celestica DS2000 is optimized for the aggregation layer in observability stacks. Its integration in OPBNOS 2.8 provides:

• Layer 2/3/4 filtering support for IPv4/IPv6 traffic
• Enhanced port redirection and hybrid load balancing
• Real-time flow and port statistics
• Tight integration with FlowVision for intuitive management

5. How does OPBNOS 2.8 help with network traffic filtering and load balancing?

A. OPBNOS 2.8 enhances filtering and distribution by supporting:

• Layer 2/3/4 protocol-based filtering
• GTP filtering with VXLAN encapsulation
• Static LAG and hybrid lookup-based redirection
  These capabilities ensure only relevant traffic reaches tools, improving network efficiency and monitoring precision