Gigabyte System Network Analyzer Function
The GSNA is not a stand-alone device - instead, it is an add-on card to a switch that
"vampires" off of the data stream through the switch. In this manner, the GSNA can see
a full GSN stream without affecting the connection.
In order to keep up with the 500MHz 16-bit wide GSN messaging, the first stage of the
GSNA breaks down the data into a much wider connection. The data then flows through a
series of fully-configurable specialized chips that match the data to patterns, filter
the matches, and then store the data into memory.
All of this configuration is done through an on-board MPC860T microprocessor (a complete
computer-on-a-chip) and a standard 10/100BaseT Ethernet connection. The software
running on the microprocessor allows anyone with an internet browser to setup, run, and
download tests through an interactive GUI.
The analyzer will be indispensable in the troubleshooting and diagnosis of network
problems. When the network analyzer is put into a problem link, a trained network
technician can diagnose not only the nature of the problem but also the source of the
problem.
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