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JUNE 18, 2008 -- Foundry Networks Inc. (search for Foundry Networks), which supplies equipment for end-to-end switching and routing, is offering enhanced features and functionality in its multiservice NetIron XMR backbone routers and NetIron MLX metro routers to deliver efficient and scalable growth for service providers. Fulfilling ongoing demands by service providers worldwide to maximize energy and cost efficiency while increasing network capacity and reliability, Foundry now delivers 320-Gbit/sec link aggregation capacity. In addition, the company says, its router lineup allows the efficient scaling of metro/Carrier Ethernet services through Multi-Protocol Label Switching (MPLS) integration with Layer 2 networks and enhances the stability of large-scale Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) networks through the isolation of unstable customer networks.
"Worldwide, bandwidth demands continue to increase exponentially. Internet growth and the explosion of online content and applications are forcing service providers to take a hard look at their network requirements. Scaling their networks to handle this unlimited growth is no longer an option but a necessity if they want to stay competitive in an increasingly tight market," says Ray Mota, chief strategist and president of consulting for Synergy Research Group. "Service providers must select solutions that support their networks, and these solutions must have the features, upgrades, and expansion path that fulfill their mission-critical requirements. Additionally, these solutions must scale efficiently without sacrificing performance as well as support and decrease CapEx."
To prepare carriers for upcoming capacity needs and to help protect network infrastructure investments, Foundry offers new and existing NetIron XMR and MLX customers the ability to aggregate up to 32 ports of 10-Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) to provide an aggregated link capacity of 320 Gbits/sec. The company has applied advanced load-sharing algorithms in order to fully utilize the increased capacity, enabling the NetIron family of routers to scale trunked connectivity to 320 Gbits/sec. According to the company, the patent-pending load-sharing algorithms help ensure optimal utilization of all links in a link aggregate and reduce correlation between equal cost multipath and link aggregation. The design reportedly eliminates polarization effects in a network, thus enabling service providers the flexibility to optimally design large-scale networks.
With the high 10GbE density of up to 128 ports of wire-speed connectivity in a single router, service providers can trunk existing 10GbE ports without having to purchase additional router hardware or invest in costly optical infrastructure upgrades or increasing router overhead. The Carrier Trunk supports scalable and flexible adjustment of trunk capacity to meet operational needs.
Using Foundry's NetIron MLX router, service providers can integrate standard Layer 2 metro protocols, Spanning Tree Protocol (STP) and Rapid Spanning Tree Protocol (RSTP), and Foundry's Layer 2 metro protocols, Metro Ring Protocol (MRP) and Virtual Switch Redundancy Protocol (VSRP), with VPLS/MPLS services.
Benefits of MPLS integration with Layer 2 networks include scaling Carrier Ethernet services across Layer 2 metro and MPLS networks, simplified and uniform end-to-end monitoring using IEEE 802.1ag (Connectivity Fault Management), and increased resiliency by coupling MPLS resiliency with advanced Layer 2 protection mechanisms. Service providers can simultaneously utilize the advanced Layer 2 and VPLS/MPLS features on the NetIron MLX router, thereby reducing the number of devices in the network. Service providers can also offer end-to-end Carrier Ethernet Services over diverse Layer 2 and MPLS network topologies and benefit from service differentiation through Ethernet and VPLS/MPLS quality-of-service (QoS) integration.
Foundry is extending the NetIron XMR Series' Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) capabilities to enable service providers to suppress the instability of customer networks from the provider backbone while maintaining reachability to the customer network. This reduces the routing changes in the network, leading to greater stability and improved resiliency in the provider core network, says the company, as a result of the ability to increase peering with other service providers and the ability to increase the number of IP services and BGP/MPLS Virtual Private Network (VPN) services.
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