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Juniper Expands SDN Capabilities, Starting with Silicon
Juniper Networks Inc. expanded its software-defined networking (SDN) capabilities with new silicon, switches and software.
The company introduced its line of new QFX10000 spine switches based on a purpose-built Q5 application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) chip to help enterprises deploy networks up to Internet scale in public and private clouds.
"With deep buffers and an architecture that supports diverse, demanding applications, the Q5 ASIC offers reliable performance, scalable virtualization for SDN, and logical scale for applications such as Big Data, video and IP storage," the company said. The new switches, starting with the first platform -- QFX10002 -- will be available in the second quarter.
Custom silicon also lies at the heart of Juniper's improved Converged Supercore also announced last week at its 2015 Innovation Showcase. Juniper said improved ExpressPlus custom silicon switch is part of its three-pronged Supercore approach -- along with systems and software -- to solving today's networking demands for scale, simplicity and efficiency.
The systems part of the triad comes in the form of new PTX Series core routers. "Juniper's PTX routers, featuring the new ExpressPlus silicon, combine full IP and [Multiprotocol Label Switching] MPLS functionality, transport integration and SDN programmability for uncompromised performance and ease of deployment," the company said.
The third key piece of the Converged Supercore approach -- software -- is the Junos OS, "the single OS that allows you to manage it all: the Supercore, the services edge and the transport network."
[Click on image for larger view.]
Juniper Says Converged Supercore Architecture Combines Service-Rich Universal Edge
with Cost-Efficient Core Transport.
(source: Juniper Networks)
Finally, on yet another SDN front, Juniper extended its multilayer WAN SDN NorthStar Controller capabilities, bringing enhanced visibility and control into more network segments to manage the huge amount of dynamic traffic generated by cloud and mobile apps.
"As the industry's only traffic-engineering controller capable of automatically controlling and programming multiple network layers, the NorthStar Controller will enable service providers to increase utilization by dynamically adjusting to changing network conditions in real-time and at the click of a button," the company said.
About the Author
David Ramel is an editor and writer at Converge 360.