The New Network

In my last post, I mentioned that there are two key steps service providers can take to prepare themselves for their next-generation networks: deploying the “New Network” and creating new business models that focus on virtualization and partnerships. Understandably, there are lots of questions about what this New Network looks like. This month I’ll share what the architecture of the New Network is and the key pieces required in making it a reality.

Technological progress is typically characterized by two components — evolution and revolution. Parts of the old are improved upon while new ideas are enabled. It’s the same with the New Network. It would be unrealistic to expect an organization to completely throw away an old infrastructure and replace it with a brand-new one. In this fashion, the New Network will utilize existing network investments but bring in fresh architectures and technologies that provide new features and capabilities. One benefit of the New Network is that it will turn discrete data centers into a global cloud, thereby expanding the scale, resources, services and capabilities of existing networks. Further, the New Network will have five key segments that look slightly familiar, but which are greatly improved upon from the current generation:

• User facilities and devices
• Mega Data Centers (MDCs)
• Next Generation Central Offices (NGCOs)
• MegaPOPs
• Service Control Layer

At the edge, the user facilities remain relatively unchanged (apart from the ever-increasing degree of mobility), providing the user with the interfaces and devices they are accustomed to. What changes, however, is the plethora of services that they have access to. These new services are built upon a service layer that draws on new policy, security, and access control elements. They connect users to one another regardless of their location and device, allowing the user to deploy new home-grown applications if they desire, as well as connecting users to computing, storage, or content components that reside in the Mega Data Centers (MDCs).

The MDCs are linked into a computing cloud by the network’s access and transport fabric. This fabric is a general purpose packet switched network based on Ethernet, IP and MPLS designed to allow for the full QoS range of services, from completely deterministic to best-effort.

The Next-Generation Central Office, or edge office, is typically the most forward point within this fabric. It is the point where most of the service intelligence is deployed.

MegaPOPs will be very similar in structure and function to the NGCOs, but in addition to serving as interconnect points for NGCOs and Mega Data Centers, MegaPOPs will also interconnect the networks of other service providers.

The final element in the architecture of the New Network is the Service Control Layer, which determines how service components such as network connectivity, processing power, software, storage and content can be assembled into complete services.

The key to this new architecture really lies in the NGCO. Its functions and capabilities will breathe new life into old networks. At Juniper, we call them CO2s. CO2s will be built much like Mega Data Centers. At their core will be a large networking fabric connecting five key elements that are required to deploy and deliver services to end customers:

• Highly Scalable Edge for Subscriber and Session Management: For scaling and cost purposes, this function should be comprised of a single platform that delivers multiple services, including fixed line and mobile, consumer and business services. Hence, it should be able to deliver IPTV and high speed internet at the same time as VPNs, VPLS and E-LANs
• Routing and Transport: At the core, the New Network must provide MPLS traffic engineering and fast failover mechanisms. To optimize network efficiency, it must also support high-speed optical interfaces such as 40G and 100G, OTN integration and the ability to run IP on an MPLS infrastructure layered on the wavelength network.
• The CO2 must include a Multilayer Security platform which provides not only service security but also network security, including stateful firewall and intrusion prevention capabilities without compromising performance. This platform scales to millions of sessions and supports flexible traffic growth options.
• The CO2 must include Content Servers and Storage. This allows the CO2 to have popular applications and content located closer to the user, which optimizes traffic flows within the service provider network. It also allows service providers to leverage their edge facilities to provide CDN services to partners.
• Interconnect Fabric: The CO2 components must be linked to each other by a high-capacity, non-blocking interconnect fabric to ensure the overall scalability that is required to support very large numbers of subscribers, exponential bandwidth growth and an ever-increasing number of new services.

While it will take some time to execute on this New Network vision, service providers have the option to spread the migration over various phases. The flexibility, scalability, and security that will be offered by the New Network will enable both the user and the service provider to create new levels of work productivity, expanded levels of connectivity to friends and co-workers, and faster and more exciting ways to communicate.

Luc Ceuppens is vice president of product marketing, High-End Systems Business unit at Juniper Networks (JNPR).