Cisco Systems introduced a compact version of its CRS-1 Carrier 
Routing System designed for deployment at regional Points of Presence (POPs), MSO hub locations and data center peering sites. The new platform is especially aimed at broadcast IPTV services and offers a multistage switch fabric with native multicast capabilities.
The four-slot CRS-1 joins the 16-slot platform (1.2 terabits-per-second (Tbps)) and the eight-slot platform (640 Gbps), all of which feature cross-slot-compatibility.
Key features of the Cisco CRS-1 include:
- 40 Gbps routing in all form factors, supporting scaling from 320 Gbps to 92 Tbps of throughput
- 100 Gbps ready
- Intelligent video distribution with fabric-based IP multicast replication
- Secure Virtualization using Secure Domain Routers (SDRs) to segregate and deliver advanced IP services on a common routing infrastructure to simplify network operations and reduce costs
- 40 Gbps and 10 Gbps IP over DWDM (IPoDWDM) Architecture for enhanced scale and efficiency
- 10 Gbps Ethernet density, supporting from eight to 9,216 ports on a single system
- I/O modules and forwarding engines can be shared across the entire CRS-1 product family and SPA compatibility with Cisco 12000, 7600 and 7300 platforms
BT tested a four-slot single chassis CRS-1 Cisco CRS-1 earlier this year. In the test, three Secure Domain Routers (SDRs) were established in-service on a single CRS-1 multi-chassis system for broadcast TV, video-on-demand and core applications. The test showed support for 400,000 simultaneous unique multicast streams, and support for priority queuing and traffic shaping, protecting important video or VoIP traffic from increases in latency and packet loss caused by oversubscription in lower traffic classes.
The CRS-1 four-slot single-shelf system will be available in November. The starting system list price is US$160,000.
Cisco also announced a major new customer -- KT has selected the CRS-1 for its KORNET backbone network. In addition, Sprint has been evaluating the CRS-1 since 2004 and will deploy it beginning in CYQ4 2006. National LambdaRail, a consortium of leading U.S. research universities and private sector technology companies, has been using the CRS-1 for more than a year and is evaluating the new four-slot platform.
http://www.cisco.com
- Publicly announced CRS-1 customers include BT, Cable & Wireless, Comcast, China Telecom (ChinaNet), China Education and Research Network (CERNET), Easynet, the National Institute of Informatics' SuperSINET research network in Japan, National LambdaRail, MTS Allstream, Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center (PSC), SaskTel, Softbank Yahoo! BB, Strato Medien AG, Swisscom, Shanghai Telecom, Telstra and VTR.
