Juniper's supercore relegates routers to network edge
Combines optical and packet switching to simplify the core and cut capex for fixed and mobile carriers
Published: 4 March, 2011
READ MORE: Juniper Networks | Core Network
As vast volumes of data traffic, particularly video, become a feature of mobile as well as wireline broadband networks, the operators are investing more and more in hugely powerful core networks. Cisco has been aggressive in upgrading its routers and associated core elements for the exabyte era, but is being chased by Alcatel-Lucent and Juniper. The latter has announced a 'converged supercore' for wired and wireless carriers, claiming it will add power while simplifying the network to reduce cost.
In some ways Juniper is betraying its own heritage, focusing on a huge switch that could replace traditional IP routers in the core and push them out to the network edge, and pushing itself into the optical space alongside firms like Ciena. Many of its efficiencies come from combining optical and electronic technologies that are currently separately managed. The company's new packet optical switching platform aims to cut the cost of core network transport by reducing the number of elements in the network.
Luc Ceuppens, VP of product marketing, told ConnectedPlanet: "We look at it as a new category - the Layer 2 MPLS switch, adding that the product - officially the PTX packet transport switch - can reduce capex by 40% to 65% compared to traditional architectures and 35% compared to a pure IP routing approach. "You really don't need Layer 3 in the core," said Ceuppens.
The PTX includes interfaces supporting speeds as great as 100Gbps with a total capacity of up to three petabits, leveraging a "silicon breakthrough" that is highly optimized for transport applications. There is also a single management system for optical transport and for circuit and packet switching, and a range of accompanying professional services.
The announcement of PTX comes hard on the heels of Juniper's launch of an ambitious new approach to data center networking, indicating that the firm is prepared to take radical product directions to try to regain ground from Cisco and fend off ALU.
Juniper believes routers, which are processor intensive because they examine every data packet, no longer have a place in the core. Increasingly, carriers use a mixture of electronic MPLS and optical switching to handle traffic that is merely crossing the core, and does not need detailed analysis - neither technique involves full routing intelligence and legwork. The PTX combines both in one box and does no routing at all. Adding optical switching to a packet switch removes the time and cost involved in converting traffic between electronic and optical platforms, and is more scalable, says the vendor.
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