Cisco unveiled its ASR 9000 Aggregation Services Router providing up to 6.4 terabits per second of total capacity and designed for the delivery of video services over next-gen access networks. The Cisco ASR 9000, which will be offered in 10- and six-slot models, leverages the same 40-core "QuantumFlow" processor that is featured in the smaller capacity Cisco ASR 1000 edge router introduced earlier this year. The QuantumFlow processor can be used for advanced subscriber management functionality and/or silicon-driven security processing per packet. The ASR 9000 also uses the same IOS XR as the network core 92-terabit Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System (CRS). Each of the slots on the ASR 9000 delivers up to 400 Gbps of capacity, enabling it to handle high densities of 1, 10, 40 or future 100 Gbps links. Cisco said it spent four years and over $200 million to develop the platform
The Cisco ASR 9000 will also extend IP over dense wavelength-division multiplexing (IPoDWDM) with Ethernet services to the aggregation edge by integrating optical transponders. Cisco argues that by providing IPoDWDM from core to edge with Cisco CRS-1, Cisco XR-12000 and Cisco 7600 Series Routers, its IP Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) architecture can significantly reduces network complexity and cost while reducing the carbon footprint.
The Cisco ASR 9000 also incorporates the Cisco Advanced Video Services Module (AVSM), which enables terabytes of streaming capacity at the aggregation edge while simultaneously offering content caching, ad insertion, fast channel change and error correction. More specifically, the Cisco AVSM eliminates the need for standalone content-delivery network elements and inherits all the high-availability characteristics of the router, which optimizes the network insertion point for advanced content services and moves content sourcing closer to the consumer. Fast channel change and onboard error correction for both unicast and multicast video traffic helps ensure that errors can be detected by any set-top box and retransmitted within milliseconds to maintain a transparent and optimized visual experience for the audience.
As for scalability, Cisco said its ASR 9000 Series brings six times the capacity of competing products to Carrier Ethernet backhaul. Moreover, every Cisco ASR 9000 line card is SyncE-ready, which means that it inherently works with cell site routers to deliver seamless mobile handoff capabilities, avoiding the need and costs incurred to dedicate slots for additional synchronization cards.
Cisco is also introducing a number of green features with this platform, including a modular electrical power system that consumers energy only when slots are put into active service. The six-slot unit has design advantages utilizing a patent-pending side-to-back ventilation scheme that helps service providers free up side-by-side rack space.
In summary, Cisco is positioning the ASR 9000 series as the "Carrier Ethernet Foundation for the Zettabyte Era." According to the "Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast and Methodology, 2007-2012" study, which analyzed network traffic data from major Cisco Service Provider customers globally, IP traffic will increase at a combined annual growth rate of 46 percent from 2007 to 2012, nearly doubling every two years. This will result in an annual bandwidth demand on the world's IP networks of approximately 522 exabytes, or more than half a zettabyte. This demand on networks is equivalent to downloading 125 billion DVD movies per month.
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- In March 2008, Cisco introduced a new aggregation platform powered by its 40-core "QuantumFlow" processor and designed for massive scalability in packet intelligence in both service provider and enterprise networks. The new Cisco Aggregation Services Router (ASR) 1000 is the company's most significant new product since the CRS-1 debuted in 2004. The Cisco Aggregation Services Router (ASR) 1000 series, which was developed over more than five years at a cost in excess of a $250 million, packs up to 20 million packet per second (PPS) forwarding rate performance in a compact single router platform. As such, the ASR 1000 could be used to consolidate a number of networking appliances, including firewall, IPSec VPNs, deep-packet inspection (DPI) and Session Border Controllers (SBC). Over 42 patents were filed on the Cisco Aggregation Services Router 1000 Series.
