New Cisco CRS Elastic Core Solution Improves Internet Efficiency With Programmability

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Oct 2, 2012) -  Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced new elastic core networking capabilities that enable service providers to cost-effectively launch and scale revenue-generating services within minutes instead of months.

The new solution includes the industry's first integrated coherent 100 Gbps Internet Protocol over dense wave division multiplexing (IPoDWDM) and Cisco's new nLight™ technology for the industry-leading Cisco® Carrier Routing System (CRS).

Cisco nLight technology converges IP and optical transport networks by introducing programmability to minimize network complexity, while maximizing service intelligence and monetization opportunities. This capability significantly reduces network total cost of ownership and is a key element of the Cisco Open Network Environment (ONE) framework. Cisco ONE fully integrates an operator's underlying network infrastructure with application environments, creating opportunities to deliver application-specific services.

With elastic core capabilities, service providers of all sizes can cost-effectively deploy multi-chassis routing configurations, which makes it easier to scale services. 

CESNET, the national research and education network which connects close to 100 science, research and education institutions in the Czech Republic, is now seamlessly transitioning to the Cisco CRS with 100 Gbps coherent IPoDWDM solution, using Cisco's nLight technology.

According to the most recent Cisco® Visual Networking Index Forecast, global IP traffic has increased eightfold in the last five years and will increase threefold over the next five years. With this exploding traffic growth, combined with complex traffic patterns, service providers are seeking core solutions that deliver converged IP and optical networks, for agility and efficiency and to provide bandwidth scale to interconnect data centers. 

Highlights/Key Facts

• Cisco's nLight technology enables coherent 100 Gbps transport services supporting industry-leading performance of 3,000 km without the need for costly signal regeneration. IPoDWDM solutions offer service providers an innovative way to introduce 100 Gbps technology in their networks and deliver ultra-long-haul, high-speed transport services. With nLight silicon, Cisco's 100 Gbps solution allows operators to utilize their existing fiber plant investments while also delivering maximum performance, especially on marginal or impaired fiber segments. 
  
  
• CESNET connects close to 100 science, research and education institutions in the Czech Republic. Its core network evolution is part of an ongoing network optimization process and will considerably advance the service capabilities and lower the cost structure of its IP/MPLS (Internet Protocol/Multiprotocol Label Switching) network.
  
  
• With over 8,000 systems deployed and nearly 1,000 multi-chassis configurations, the Cisco CRS is the industry's most robust, scalable, widely deployed multi-chassis core router. These latest updates allow it to add a second chassis without the space and cost of a separate fabric chassis. 
  
  
• The Cisco CRS elastic core architecture delivers flexible scale, transport, and services to help service providers minimize network complexity and maximize service monetization:
  • Elastic Scale: Cisco CRS platform is a 400 Gbps per-slot ready solution with a multi-chassis architecture designed for operators to economically grow capacity in-service and protect their core investments for decades. Innovations improve economics to deliver multi-chassis scale to service providers of all sizes.
  • Elastic Transport: Cisco CRS can converge IP and optical layers at 10 Gbps, 40 Gbps, and now coherent 100 Gbps speeds while reusing over 90% of existing fiber infrastructure. Cisco ONE innovations, such as nLight technology, help reduce provisioning times of separate IP and optical networks from months to minutes, saving as much as 36% on the total cost of ownership (capital and operational expense savings). 
  • Elastic Services: Cisco CRS simultaneously supports transit label-switching (LSR) and rich IP services in a single system, delivering as much as 42% savings in total cost of ownership (TCO) vs. conventional technologies. The 80 Gbps Carrier Grade Services Engine allows for high-value network services (e.g., Carrier Grade IPv6, NPS, Anti-DDOS Security, etc.) to be integrated into the platform to deliver premium value to subscribers.

Quotes

•  Jan Gruntorád, managing director and member of the board of directors, CESNET
  "CESNET is very happy to be the first customer to deploy Cisco's nLight silicon, enabling 100 Gbps IPoDWDM in a production network. IPoDWDM is a very innovative technology that will serve as the foundation for our high-speed data services, while helping us reduce network costs and improve network operations. The Cisco CRS provides an intelligent core solution with the ability to scale up to 400 Gbps per slot, which will meet our service demands well into the future. The CRS enables reliable and continuous operation, as well as a very smooth migration path from the CRS-1 to the CRS-3 platform."
  
  
• Bill Gartner, vice president and general manager, High-End Routing and Optical Group, Cisco
  "Service providers and large educational and research networks around the world are preparing for the next-generation Internet and the increasing demand for video, collaboration, and distributed computing. Innovations in 100 Gbps coherent IPoDWDM and Cisco nLight technology are a testament to Cisco's commitment to leading the industry in both Internet Protocol and optical technologies."

Supporting Resources

• CESNET
• Cisco
• Cisco Service Provider Solutions
  
• Cisco and BT recently conducted a landmark 100G DWDM trial
• Cisco Carrier Routing System
• Cisco Visual Networking Index home page: http://www.cisco.com/go/vni
• Read the complete Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) Forecast, 2010-2015
• Read: Cisco SP360 Blog

Tags:
Cisco, Carrier Routing System, CRS, CRS-3, Internet Protocol Next-Generation Network, IP NGN, Visual Networking Index Forecast, VNI, CESNET, 100GE

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About CESNET
The CESNET Association was founded by Czech universities and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. The association is engaged in research and development in information and communication technologies and builds and develops the CESNET Large Infrastructure for research and education. With its research activities and accomplishments, CESNET represents the Czech Republic in international projects, most notably the pan-European GÉANT network building project and grid projects (EGI.eu), and participates actively in their implementation.

About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

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