News
New Cisco Aggregation Services Routers to Transform the Network Edge for Service Providers and Enterprises
March 2008 by Marc Jacob
Cisco announced the introduction of the Cisco
ASR 1000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 1000 Series). The ASR 1000 Series
features software virtualization to enable "instant-on" provisioning and simultaneous use of a
wide range of service functionality, including firewall, IP security virtual private networks
(IPSec VPNs), deep-packet inspection (DPI) and Session Border Control (SBC). Such broadranging
embedded capabilities eliminate the need to deploy multiple single-function
appliances in addition to a router, offering dramatic savings in capital costs, operations
expenses and reducing users’ carbon footprints.
The Cisco ASR 1000 Series is driven by the new Cisco QuantumFlow Processor (QFP), the
industry’s first fully-integrated and programmable processing engine. The Quantum Flow
Processor results in not only outstanding scaling of service intelligence and performance but
also in the platform’s ability to be retasked to meet many emerging requirements as
networking evolves over the coming decade.
In addition, The ASR 1000 Series
features Cisco IOS® XE software, a virtualized Cisco IOS implementation optimized for
compact routers at the edge to deliver in-service software upgrades and software redundancy
in a form factor much smaller than previously possible. In addition to the rich Cisco IOS edge
feature set, IOS XE provides IOS command line control to provide a familiar look and feel for
Cisco IOS users. Together, these silicon and software elements help to make the Cisco ASR
1000 Series, which was purpose-built for edge networks, the most powerful compact router in
the market. Cisco invested $250 million U.S. over more than five years in the research and
development of the Cisco ASR 1000 Series. This figure includes $100 million invested in the
Cisco Quantum Flow Processor.
The Cisco ASR 1000 Series combines all of the necessary service features into a single router
platform, resulting in a substantial increase in IP forwarding performance. It also simplifies
network design because a single router can be used in different hardware deployments and
provides different services based on software enablement.
· For providers, the Cisco ASR 1000 Series enables not just faster, application-aware
services, but also increases the overall service capacity due to more flexible, efficient,
and cost-effective delivery of complex "any-play" consumer and business services,
whether they be hosted or managed.
· For enterprises, the Cisco ASR 1000 Series addresses the wide-area network (WAN)
edge as a key gateway for business success where information, communication,
collaboration and commerce converge, helping to enable anytime, everywhere access
to applications.
The Cisco ASR 1000 Series also enables service providers and enterprises to reduce their
carbon footprint. By surpassing the capabilities possible in multi-device, multi-vendor
solutions, the Cisco ASR 1000 Series dramatically decreases both the architectural
complexity of deployment for service providers and enterprises but also their carbon
footprints as well. Analysis conducted by Synergy Research found that, when compared to
competitive offerings, each implementation of the Cisco ASR 1000 Series can result in carbon
footprints savings up to 3754 gallons of gasoline or 17 tons of coal annually.
– Availability:
The Cisco ASR 1000 Series Is scheduled to be generally available in April 2008 in two-, fourand
six-rack-unit sizes, with pricing starting at $35,000 U.S.
