AT&T deployed a next-gen open disaggregated IP edge routing platform into its production environment with support from Broadcom, Cisco, and UfiSpace.
The hardware platform being used for this edge application is identical to that previously announced for AT&T’s IP/MPLS core, demonstrating the true openness of the hardware. AT&T said common hardware enables consistent maintenance processes and sparing. The Broadcom Jericho2-based hardware designs have been accepted by OCP, and compatible products are available from other ODMs. The UfiSpace portfolio consists of three components: a 40x100G line card system, 10x400G line card system, and a 48x400G fabric system. These building blocks are deployed using the highly flexible Distributed Dis-Aggregated Chassis (DDC) design in various configurations to build routers with capacity anywhere between 4 Tbps to 192 Tbps.
Cisco’s IOS-XR Network Operating System provides the management and control functions for the solution. Some of the key features for the peering use case are BGP Flowspec, unicast Reverse Path Forwarding (uRPF), and port mirroring which collectively will allow AT&T fine granular monitoring and mitigation actions for security threats such as Directed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
“The first IP edge use case is peering – the system that connects AT&T’s IP network with that of other Internet Service Providers (ISPs)”, said Andre Fuetsch, AT&T’s CTO for Network Services. “But this is just the tip of the iceberg; we are working with Cisco on developing additional edge use cases that will include broadband, IP content, Ethernet, mobility, and VPN services. We have started the journey to converge the disparate edge implementations we have today onto common software and hardware driving uniformity, simplification, and agility.”
“Jericho2's scalability allows the hardware platform to be used from the core to the edge of the AT&T network, while enabling a thriving ecosystem that supports their vision of a disaggregated, flexible, and simplified network infrastructure, said Ram Velaga, senior vice president and general manager, Core Switching Group, Broadcom. “Broadcom is pleased to work with AT&T to enable merchant silicon solutions for end-to-end deployments,”
“The internet of the future is supported by an automated, software-defined network that can easily support the cloud-and-app-powered world we live in,” said Jonathan Davidson, SVP and GM , Mass Scale Infrastructure Group, Cisco. “Cisco’s broad portfolio of industry -leading silicon, systems and software disaggregation is making the internet better and stronger. Together with AT&T we are marking a milestone in the industry with the convergence of the IP edge using open, dis-aggregated hardware and software-only models designed to fit a broad spectrum of commercial arrangements.”
“This is a really big development in the networking eco-system,” Fuetsch said. “This model gives us options and flexibility in our supply chain and enables us to use best-in-breed products whether they come from established or disruptive suppliers. And this is well past lab experiments; the technologies and eco-system have matured, and we are now into the production deployment phase.”
AT&T deploys open disaggregated core router
AT&T has deployed its open disaggregated core routing platform on its 400G transport network. The router leverages technology from Broadcom, DriveNets, and UfiSpace.
The white box hardware, which was designed and manufactured by UfiSpace, is based on Broadcom’s Jericho2 switching silicon and Distributed, Dis-aggregated Chassis (DDC) design. It consists of three components: a 40x100G line card system, 10x400G line card system, and a 48x400G fabric system. These building blocks can be deployed in various configurations to build routers with capacity anywhere between 4 Tbps to 192 Tbps.
DriveNets Network Cloud solution and its Network Operating System (NOS) software provides the management and control of the white box hardware. This enables MPLS transport across AT&T's global, multi-service core backbone. The software then connects into AT&T’s centralized SDN controller that optimizes the routing of traffic across the core.
AT&T notes that the deployment of this dis-aggregated core routing platform is coupled with the deployment of the company’s next gen long haul 400G optical transport platform.
“I’m proud to announce today that we have now deployed a next gen IP/MPLS core routing platform into our production network based on the open hardware designs we submitted to OCP last fall,” said Andre Fuetsch, AT&T’s CTO of Network Services, in his keynote speech at the Open Networking and Edge Summit (ONES). “We chose DriveNets, a disruptive supplier, to provide the Network Operating System (NOS) software for this core use case.”
“We are thrilled about this opportunity to work with AT&T on the development of their next gen, software-based core network,” said Ido Susan, CEO of DriveNets. “AT&T has a rigorous certification process that challenged my engineers to their limits, and we are delighted to take the project to the next level with deployment into the production network.”
AT&T contributes Distributed Disaggregated Chassis white box to OCP
AT&T has contributed its specifications for a Distributed Disaggregated Chassis (DDC) white box architecture to the Open Compute Project (OCP). The contributed design aims to define a standard set of configurable building blocks to construct service provider-class routers, ranging from single line card systems, a.k.a. “pizza boxes,” to large, disaggregated chassis clusters. AT&T said it plans to apply the design to the provider edge (PE) and core routers that comprise its global IP Common Backbone (CBB).
“The release of our DDC specifications to the OCP takes our white box strategy to the next level,” said Chris Rice, SVP of Network Infrastructure and Cloud at AT&T. “We’re entering an era where 100G simply can’t handle all of the new demands on our network. Designing a class of routers that can operate at 400G is critical to supporting the massive bandwidth demands that will come with 5G and fiber-based broadband services. We’re confident these specifications will set an industry standard for DDC white box architecture that other service providers will adopt and embrace.”
AT&T’s DDC white box design, which is based on Broadcom’s Jericho2 chipset, calls for three key building blocks:
- A line card system that supports 40 x 100G client ports, plus 13 400G fabric-facing ports.
- A line card system that support 10 x 400G client ports, plus 13 400G fabric-facing ports.
- A fabric system that supports 48 x 400G ports. A smaller, 24 x 400G fabric systems is also included.
