Cisco Develops Vision for an Elastic Core

Cisco, currently controller of 66% of the core router market, is planning to leverage its position even further by launching a vision for an elastic core that will focus on the network’s software-based capabilities. According to a report by ACG Research, the vision includes cloud intelligent networking, massive multichassis scale, carrier-grade network services, and continuous operation. Cisco’s elastic core will provide a solution that merges IP and optical domains, connect data centers and improve efficiency and agility for expanded network traffic with complex patterns.

The core network, which comprises the hub of the Internet, is facing a number of demands including a high volume of traffic, increasing use of cloud services, low core utilization, and increased service threats. There is currently little integration with cloud services or optimization of networking capacities, which makes the core less flexible than it could be and sluggish in response to changes in user demand, the AGC report explains.

ACG also examined the financial benefits of Cisco’s proposed three software-based initiatives for the elastic core. The first is an anti-DDoS service utilizing the carrier routing system. The report assessed that this service implementation will yield a 156 percent return investment over a period of five years.

The second initiative is demand engineering enabling optimization of routing and cloud usage throughout the network. This is predicted to produce 24 percent savings in total cost of ownership (TCO) through improving network routes and relocating workloads of cloud services.

The third initiative is nLight, which integrates and optimizes packet and optical layers throughout the network. nLight will enable Gbps transport services which will support a performance of 3,000km without the necessity for enterprises to spend extra money on signal regeneration. This is forecast to reduce the TCO by as much as 50% through its support of automated signaling between packet and optical layers. 

According to Bill Garner, Cisco’s vice president and general manager, large education and research networks and service providers throughout the world are getting ready for the next generation of Internet along with a growing demand for distributed computing and video collaboration. He added that Cisco’s new vision for an elastic core is committed to paving the way to advancements in optical technologies and Internet Protocol.

The innovative elastic core vision is aimed to keep Cisco ahead of core router competitors, such as Huawei, Juniper Networks and Alcatel-Lucent. Its success will depend on how the vision can be transformed into reality. (CU) Link