Thursday, June 25, 2015

Automating Visibility inside the Cisco Live Network with Gigamon and JDSU

The Cisco Live Network and its state-of-the-art network operations center serve all of the attendees of Cisco's big annual event. Equipment must be deployed rapidly. As soon as the show begins, the network supports tens of thousands of clients and pushes terabytes of data to the Internet.

This video takes a look at the Cisco Live Network and the use of Gigamon's new software-defined visibility,  which leverages APIs to make real-times changes in the types of data under analysis. Software-defined visibility allows the NOC to change the nature of the visibility fabric to provide only the type data needed by the testing tools in real-time.  In addition, the video features a live use-case presented by JDSU covering software-defined visibility and their tools.

Presented by Andy Huckridge, Director of Service Provider Solutions at Gigamon; Joe Clarke, Distinguished Engineer at Cisco; and Charles Thompson, Senior Director, Product Line Management, at JDSU.

See video:  https://youtu.be/giYXwy2thlQ

Masergy Deploys Commercial NFV at the Network Edge

Masergy, which owns and operates an independent global cloud networking platform for enterprises, has commercially deployed pure-play network functions virtualization (NFV) at the edge of its network using technology from Overture, Brocade, Fortinet  and Intel.

The deployment provides Masergy with greater agility, enabling it to deliver new and advanced premium services quickly and easily.

“Our primary focus is on service agility and our pure-play NFV deployment sets the stage for immediate response to customer requests,” said Tim Naramore, Masergy’s chief technology officer. “Masergy has long been an innovator, providing our customers with solutions that give them real-time control and the ability to get the services they need, when they want them.  With this launch, we’re adding incredibly agile and flexible solutions to our Managed Network f(n) family of distributed, fully managed network functions.”

Masergy’s NFV deployment, Virtual f(n) comprises virtualized network services at the edge of the network and is based on the Overture Ensemble Carrier Ethernet (ECE), Brocade Vyatta 5600 vRouter and Fortinet FortiGate-VM firewall virtualized network functions (VNFs) running on the Overture 65vSE VNF compute node platform, based on the Intel Atom processor, at the customer premise.

“The promise of pure software-based NFV has become a reality. Other operators have been taking a hybrid approach, using software functionality in existing Layer 2 devices or leveraging proprietary features in backbone switching equipment to deliver NFV-like services,” said Prayson Pate, Overture’s chief technology officer. “Masergy’s deployment, with our Ensemble Carrier Ethernet platform as the foundation, shows how a completely software-defined NFV environment can deliver performance comparable to today’s hardware-based solutions.”

“We work closely with Intel Network Builders members, including Overture, to ensure that their NFV solutions meet the stringent requirements of operator networks,” said Lynn Comp, Director of Market Development, Intel Network Platforms Group. “These collaborative efforts with the ecosystem have helped service providers understand the many benefits of running virtual network functions on open, Intel architecture-based systems in their deployments.”

http://www.overturenetworks.com/first-deploy
http://www.masergy.com

New RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) Initiative Gets Underway

A new RDMA over Converged Ethernet (RoCE) Initiative has been launched by the InfiniBand Trade Association (IBTA) to raise awareness about the benefits that RoCE delivers for cloud, storage, virtualization and hyper-converged infrastructures.

Remote Direct Memory Access (RDMA) enables faster movement of data between servers and between servers and storage with much less work being done by the CPU. RoCE utilizes RDMA to enhance infrastructure solutions for hyper-converged data centers, cloud, storage, and virtualized environments (see RoCE video). The technology brings greater network utilization with lower latency and improved CPU efficiency, in addition to reducing overall financial investment by increasing server productivity while leveraging Ethernet technology. RoCE technology transports data across Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks, providing better traffic isolation and enabling hyperscale data center deployments.

“The RoCE Initiative will be the leading source for information on RDMA over Ethernet solutions,” said Barry Barnet, co-chair, IBTA Steering Committee. “The IBTA remains committed to furthering the InfiniBand specification, of which RoCE is a part. The RoCE Initiative expands our potential audience and will enable us to deliver solution information and resources to those requiring the highest performing Ethernet networks.”

http://www.RoCEInitiative.org

Juniper Debuts 3 Tbps PTX1000 Supercore Router

Juniper Networks introduced its compact, 3 Tbps, PTX1000 supercore router.

Like the larger PTX3000 and PTX5000 core routers, the new two-rack unit (RU) router uses Juniper's 28nm ExpressPlus chipset for IP/MPLS performance applications. The 28-nanometer chip can drive 5x100G interfaces and leverages 3D memory architecture, which reduces power consumption and space requirements. In addition, the PTX1000 features flexible port interface options to maximize investment protection and ensure smooth upgrade cycles.

Commercial deliveries are expected in Q3.

“For telecom service and cloud content providers, the network is the lifeblood of their business. Juniper is always looking for new ways to ensure the network is a true competitive advantage for them. In developing the PTX1000, we recognized that these customers can increase performance while reducing operational complexity by distributing the load of serving up content across multiple peering points to deliver the high quality user experience that consumers expect,” stated Paul Obsitnik, vice president of service provider marketing, Juniper Networks.

http://www.juniper.net


In March 2015,  Juniper Networks rolled out a series of enhancements to its Converged Supercore PTX Series router based on new custom silicon and expanded software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities. The PTX routers combine full IP and MPLS functionality, transport integration and SDN programmability.

Juniper said its new ExpressPlus custom ASIC is capable of performing more than 1.5 billion filtered operations per second and scaling up to 500 Gbps (1 Tbps half-duplex).It delivers four times the performance and three times the efficiency gains over Juniper’s previous-generation Express chipset. 

The new silicon enables the PTX5000 routers to deliver 3 Tbps per slot (30x100GE interfaces) for a total capacity of 24 Tbps (48 Tbps half-duplex).  Energy efficiency is estimated at 1/2 watt per gigabit. In terms of size, the PTX3000 is designed for space-constrained environments and can scale up to 8 Tbps or (16 Tbps half-duplex) in a form factor 91 percent smaller than its nearest competitor. Juniper will also introducing new line cards for the PTX Series core routers.

In addition, Juniper has extended the capabilities of its NorthStar Controller to provide visibility and control into additional layers of the network and fully support and handle dynamic traffic, such as that driven by mobile and cloud applications. Juniper said these capabilities enable the NorthStar Controller to increase utilization by dynamically adjusting to changing network conditions in real-time.

Qwilt Raises $25 Million for its NFV-based Open Video Caching Delivery

Qwilt announced $25 million in Series D funding for its open caching and online video delivery solution.

Qwilt’s solution is 100 percent software-based, running on commodity, off-the-shelf hardware. Its open cache software architecture leverages the NFV/SDN environments being implemented by network operators worldwide. The company said its sales grew 400 percent year-over-year in 2014 with more than 80 deployments of its Qwilt Video Fabric solution worldwide.

The funding round was led Disrupt-ive with a $16 million investment, and includes new funding from Google Chairman Eric Schmidt’s Innovation Endeavors and continued funding from Cisco Investments. Existing investors Accel Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Marker LLC and Redpoint Ventures also contributed to the round. The company has raised $65 million to date.

“Since we launched just a few years ago with a vision to solve the streaming video problem for network operators, the strategic value of open caching has been broadly embraced as a crucial part of the new network architecture that is required to scale online video for the future,” said Alon Maor, CEO and co-founder of Qwilt. “We recognized the full scope of the opportunity early on and enhanced our open caching solution to support all types of online video, including live streaming. Furthermore, we have proactively extended our product line to address any network medium or configuration, including mobile, telco, cable and even university campus networks. This new funding speeds our ability to scale the company and get our technology deployed faster. We’re proud to be included in the impressive portfolios of these strategic investors.”

http://www.qwilt.com

Blueprint: Next Gen Mobile Video Optimization


Mobile Streaming is the Future – It’s Also the Problem We Must Solve by Mark Fisher, VP Marketing and Business Development at Qwilt To be sure, streaming video really is the future. The online video phenomenon is creating a market and technology transformation that rivals some of the greatest technology disruptions in history. Just like the disruption of broadcast radio and cable television in their day, streaming video is transforming both...

Qwilt: iOS 8 Update Causes Big Spike in Network Traffic


Qwilt, a provider of online video delivery and analytics solutions, published data showing a huge spike in Internet traffic due to Apple's release of iOS 8 on Wednesday.  iOS 8 weighs in at 1.3GB (compared to 750 MB for iOS 7) and over the coming days is expected to be installed by hundreds of millions of iPhones and iPads worldwide. Qwilt has been tracking the effects of iOS 8 in networks where its transparent caching solutions are deployed. Daily...

Qwilt and Procera Partner on Transparent Caching + Policy Control


Qwilt, a provider of online video delivery and transparent caching solutions, and Procera Networks have formed a partnership to offer a transparent caching and Internet Intelligence solution for service providers. Qwilt’s QB-Series transparent caching technology and Procera’s PacketLogic platform together provide a plug-and-play solution to seamlessly deliver over-the-top (OTT) video traffic and improve quality of experience (QoE). “Our PacketLogic...

Qwilt Enables Transparent Caching for Live Video Streaming


Qwilt, a start-up based in Redwood City, California, introduced a  transparent caching solution for live-streamed events online. The Qwilt Live Stream Cache, which is a software upgrade for the company's QB-Series Video Fabric Controllers, detects trending and popular live OTT video streams, enabling the QB-Series to instantly direct those streams into the controller's FastCache, a dedicated control and storage path optimized for quick delivery...


ADVA Joins T-Systems’ Advanced Terabit Demonstrator Project

ADVA Optical Networking announced its participation in T-Systems’ advanced Terabit Demonstrator project, which focuses on the transportation of terabit applications between high-performance computing centers in Dresden and Stuttgart (a span of over 1000 km) using T-Labs’ SASER optical testbed.  T-Systems is using software-defined networking and virtualized network functions to show how programmability can be used in advanced networks.

ADVA is supplying key components of this project, including 100 Gbps coherent systems along with its latest 33GHz ultra-narrow channel spacing technology.

“The Terabit Demonstrator isn’t simply about showcasing the future of our networks. It’s about collaboration. It’s about harnessing our strengths to see what’s truly possible,” said Eduard Beier, head, Terabit Demonstrator, T-Systems. “That’s what’s so special about the team at ADVA Optical Networking and their technology. They’ve developed an open optical networking solution that is so different to others on the market. This is especially true when you consider its transparency. It interoperates with other vendors’ equipment in such a unique way. This is a key advantage in today’s heterogeneous network infrastructures and especially in our testbed. ADVA Optical Networking was able to interoperate with a broad range of other vendors’ technology without any need for special conversions.”  

http://www.advaoptical.com

ZTE and OFS Mark 400 Gbps Optical Transmission Record

ZTE and OFS achieved a new record for 400 Gbps optical transmission by carrying 128.8-GBaud wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) QPSK signals over 10,130- and 6,078-kilometer terrestrial fiber links.

Specifically, the tests transmitted single-carrier 515.2-Gb/s polarization division multiplexing (PDM)-QPSK/9-QAM signals over 10,130km and 6,078km links of OFS TeraWave optical fiber. It was the highest ETDM-based symbol rate reported so far, and the longest WDM transmission distance of single-carrier 400G signals with terrestrial span lengths (100km). For the first time, the 515.2-Gb/s single-carrier PDM-QPSK signals in 200-GHz-grid are successfully transmitted over distances over 10,000km in a terrestrial transmission environment. Researchers have also demonstrated the transmission of single carrier 128.8-GBaud filtered QPSK signals in 100-GHz-grid over 6,078km, which has the line SE of 5.152b/s/Hz.

ZTE said this result sets a new record for 400G transmission in both symbol rate and distance. The milestone, published recently on Optics Express (OSA), surpasses the record last year of 110 GBaud over 3000 km transmission distance of 400G set by the same group from ZTE.

According to Dr. Jianjun Yu, the Chief Scientist on high-speed optical transmission at ZTE and OSA Fellow, “400G transmission on a single optical carrier emerged as an attractive solution since it would offer benefits in terms of system complexity. Namely, the employment of the highest feasible electronic multiplexing rates with a minimum number of channel subcarriers reduces the number of deployed optical components, which typically dominates the transponder cost. ZTE has been relentless in pushing forward-looking research and development on the single carrier 400G transmissions, and we have solved most of key technologies for this 400G product.”

http://www.zte.cn.com

CESNET Tests 400G with ALU

CESNET, a national research and education network (NREN) e-infrastructure provider in the Czech Republic, has completed a trial of a 400 Gbps optical transmission system in partnership with Alcatel-Lucent.

The CESNET network spans all major cities in the country, primarily serving organizations involved in research and development, science, education and healthcare.  The trial used Alcatel-Lucent’s 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS) together with the 400G Photonic Service Engine (PSE).

http://www.alcatel-lucent.com