Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO) says it has added new automation software, a new networking processor for high-density 100 Gigabit Ethernet line cards, and enhancements to the IOS XR network operating system for its ASR 9000 edge routing platform. The company also has unveiled a new network-wide license pooling business model.
The license pooling option helps enable operators to activate ASR 9000 ports on-demand, without having to first purchase licenses on a site-by-site basis. Operators can dynamically allocate licenses across their networks, even on a global scale, Cisco says. Such licensing models is becoming a trend, with optical systems vendors offering similar capabilities (see, for example, “Infinera offers Instant Network, Automated Capacity Engineering capabilities”). Cisco is helping make such a model appealing by upgrading IOS XR to enable access to the Cisco Crosswork Network Automation portfolio, a closed-loop, mass-scale automation capability for multi-vendor networks.
On the hardware side, the fourth generation of Cisco’s forwarding and traffic management silicon chipset enables up to 3.2 Tbps per slot, according to a Cisco blog. The network processor’s power efficiency (0.5 W per gigabit) and what Cisco asserts is low cost-per bit enable operators to deploy the ASR 9000 in what the blog terms “smaller, power-constrained locations.” The processor will power 32-port, 16-port, and 8-port 100 Gigabit Ethernet line cards.
“With these advancements to the Cisco ASR platform, we are simplifying, automating and converging our networking technology for the 5G and multicloud era,” said Sumeet Arora, senior vice president of engineering, Service Provider Network Systems at Cisco and author of the blog. “We are committed to helping our customers deliver better experiences for their customers, enabling them to optimize the capex spend with an easy roadmap for network planning purchasing and optimization.”
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