Cisco's Next-Gen Architecture Focuses on Video, 100 Gig

Cisco today announced its CRS-3 Carrier Routing System (CRS) as the foundation of its next-generation Internet architecture, focusing on video and on speed.

"Video is the killer app," said John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco Systems, in a webcast for media.

Chambers said it was obvious from the Consumer Electronics Show and Mobile World Congress earlier this year that most apps will quickly move toward video. "Video brings the Internet to life," he said.

Cisco’s new CRS-3 is also about speed, with the ability to provide 322 terabits per second (Tbps).

To give an example of what 322 Tbps means, Pankaj Patel, SVP and GM, service provider business for Cisco, said every man, woman and child in China could make a video call simultaneously. Or the entire printed collection of the Library of Congress could be downloaded in one second.

Keith Cambron, president and CEO at AT&T Labs, participated in the Cisco webcast today. He said, "We’re making an announcement today on 100 gig trials. We’re already seeing where 40 gig is not enough."

The trials were done over AT&T’s live network between New Orleans and Miami, and the trials included Cisco’s CRS-3.

"We also had side-by-side 10 gig and 40 gig wavelengths (with the 100 gig trial) to reassure us," said Cambron. "The CRS-3 is key to our network. We need the 100 gig technology put in production over the next few years."

Following are key facts about the CRS-3:

• ?The CRS-3 triples the capacity of its predecessor, the Cisco CRS-1.
• The CRS-3 does not make obsolete the nearly 5,000 Cisco CRS-1s deployed worldwide.
• Cisco’s cumulative investment in the Cisco CRS family is $1.6 billion.? 
• ?The CRS-3 enables unified service delivery of Internet and cloud services with service intelligence spanning service provider Internet Protocol Next-Generation Networks and data centers.
• The CRS-3 is currently in field trials, and its pricing starts at $90,000 U.S.?
• ?The new capabilities in the platform can be achieved by reusing the existing chassis, route processors, fans and power systems with the addition of new line cards and fabric. These upgrades can be performed by Cisco in-service.
• Unique core and data center/cloud services intelligence provides tight linkages between the Cisco CRS-3, Cisco Nexus family and Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) to enable unified service delivery of cloud services.
• Includes carrier-grade IPv6 (CGv6) and core IP/MPLS technologies.
• Cloud virtual private network (VPN) for infrastructure as a service (IaaS)-enables ‘pay-as-you-go’ for compute, storage and network resources by automating Cisco CRS-3 and Cisco Nexus Inter-Data center connections for Cisco UCS.
• The CRS-3 is powered by the new Cisco QuantumFlow Array Processor, which unifies the combined power of six chips to work as one.
• The CRS-3 is slated to be available during calendar year 2010.

CEO’s Key Takeaways

Chambers said the next generation architecture moves Cisco away from "being a plumber."

"It’s about the media experience," he said. "At the heart of that is a video architecture. We have very little interest in stand-alone devices. It’s an architectural play. You have go across any kind of networks on any continent."

-Linda Hardesty