Updates to Cisco Cloud-Scale Networking platform tap NFV and SDN to ease telecom operator moves towards updating central office deployments.
Cisco Systems said it has updated its IOS XR Cloud-Scale Networking platform for greater telecommunications operator support in central office deployments.
The updates include support for Ethernet virtual private network designed to provide separation between the data plane and control plane supporting a centralized overlay control plane based on border gateway protocol and “industry standards,” according to Cisco; end-to-end segment routing for a common-forwarding underlay designed to simplify network operations; and model-driven telemetry said to support increased, granular and real-time visibility using “native, open, common data models for automation and efficient operation of physical and virtual resources.”
As part of the bigger Cloud-Scale Networking solution, Cisco said deployments can benefit from large-scale automation to help in speeding up provisioning and network changes; software extensibility for modular service deployment; real-time visibility and control through streaming telemetry; and claimed reduction in total cost of ownership and doubling of efficiency and performance over a five year period compared with current operation models.
Cisco said the enhancements were done with a commitment to using OpenConfig data models, while it continues to work with the open source development operations community.
The firm noted the expansion is designed to allow service providers and web companies to tap into software-defined networking and network functions virtualization technologies in transitioning their “central offices to next-gen data centers.” Specifically, Cisco said the platform can be used to ease creation of a unified network-as-a-fabric across central office, metro, core and data center environments.
“Our continued progress with the Cloud-Scale Networking platform is proof of our commitment to NFV and SDN solutions for open, programmable and automated networks,” said Yvette Kanouff, SVP for Cisco’s Service Provider Business, in a statement. “Central office transformations are part of our customers’ top priorities worldwide, and we are in a unique position to help them with easy upgrades to their existing routing platforms using the Cisco IOS XR software.”
Updates to the central office has become a growing focus of telecom operators, vendors and the open source community.
The Open Network Operating System project last year launched its central office re-architected as a data center platform focused on accelerating the adoption of open source SDN and NFV solutions for service providers using open source platforms like ONOS, OpenStack, Docker and XOS. The project was recently folded into the Linux Foundation as an independent open source project, and was quickly followed up by the release of its first open reference implementation targeted at providing a single integrated solution platform for creating new customer services. The reference design is said to allow developers to autobuild CORD on a single node within one hour.
Current CORD members include AT&T, China Unicom, Google, NTT Communications, SK Telecom and Verizon Communication; and vendor partners Ciena, Cisco, Fujitsu, Intel, NEC, Nokia, Radisys and Samsung. Comcast last month also joined the organization.
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