The Cisco 7200 Series VXR Routers Provide Gigabit Capabilities and Improve Data, Voice and Video Integration in Both Service Provider and Enterprise Environments
- Cisco Delivers Fourth Phase of Data/Voice/Video Integration Strategy
- More information on the Cisco 7200 Series Routers
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- November 3, 1998 -- Cisco Systems, Inc., today announced additions to the Cisco 7200 series high-performance multifunction routers, including new chassis, a new Network Processing Engine (NPE) and Multiservice Interchange (MIX) capabilities. The new Cisco 7200 series VXR routers, the new NPE-300 and enhanced data, voice and video integration capabilities enable customers to significantly reduce overall cost and simplify management through a high performance network architecture that requires fewer platforms and fewer networks.
New products and features include the four-slot Cisco 7204VXR, the six-slot Cisco 7206VXR, the NPE-300, as well as Cisco's first implementation of MIX capabilities. With new options available for the Cisco 7200 series routers, Cisco continues to deliver world-class solutions as part of its ongoing strategy to integrate data, voice and video. For further details, see press release on November 3, 1998 entitled, "Cisco Delivers Fourth Phase of Data/Voice/Video Integration Strategy."
"In order to support our customers and continue to reduce costs to stay competitive, we have had to look for high-performance solutions that are not only scaleable but flexible and cost-effective," said Dean Qualls, Network Operations Manager at Nashville, TN-based J.C. Bradford and Co. "Cisco has been working closely with us to integrate our network traffic and we have already seen tangible results from this team effort."
High Performance Data, Voice and Video
Enterprise regional offices or service provider customer premise equipment environments can benefit from both multiservice integration (data, voice, and video) and multifunction integration (i.e., integration of routing, Ethernet switching, digital service units , channel service units, and mainframe channel attachment into a single system). The Cisco 7200 series allows a single network element to be provisioned and managed, which significantly reduces costs and capital outlay when compared with multiple, separate network elements. Service providers can leverage a single platform to reach farther into the enterprise and increase revenue opportunities by offering differentiating services such as virtual private networks. Bundled services, including switched LAN and Internet, can also be offered to multiple customers but provisioned off the same physical platform.Also announced today was the NPE-300 3/4 the newest and highest performing processor for the Cisco 7200 series. The NPE-300 provides a 50 percent increase in performance (to 300,000 pps) for applications requiring higher bandwidth or processor-intensive features.
A Cisco 7200 VXR equipped with anNPE-300 can support up to six high-speed port adapters and enables connectivityvia higher speed interfaces, including Gigabit Ethernet and OC-12 ATM. Inaddition, the NPE-300 increases the amount of main memory to 256 MB double thelimit of from 128 MB on the NPE-200.
For the Cisco 7200VXR, Cisco has enhanced the Cisco 7200 midplane for increased throughput and maximum performance between port adapters and the NPE, especially the new NPE-300. The VXR midplane provides up to 1 Gbps of throughput and twice as much bandwidth as a standard 7200 midplane.
In addition, the VXR midplane includes a Multiservice Interchange (MIX), which supports switching of DS-0 time slots via MIX interconnects across the midplane to each port adapter slot. The MIX in the Cisco 7200 VXR provides the ability to switch DS-0 time slots between multichannel T1 and E1 interfaces, much like a digital cross connect or an add-drop multiplexer. In the future, this will enable the Cisco 7200 VXR to switch DS-0 voice channels on a T1/E1 interface on one port adapter to and from a separate voice processing port adapter. It will also enable DS-0's to be switched through the Cisco 7200 VXR without any processing, a requirement in certain voice configurations.
"The Cisco 7200 is widely deployed in both service provider and enterprise environments as a high performance multifunction router running a number of key applications," said Richard Palmer, vice president of marketing, enterprise line of business at Cisco Systems. "With the increased performance and MIX extensions, the Cisco 7200 VXR represents a major extension of Cisco's multiservice solution set."
Multifunction Performance and Scalability
The Cisco 7200 can be leveraged across both enterprise and service provider networks to reduce WAN provisioning costs, support differentiated services, and provide value-added applications such as traffic management, accounting, and quality of service--all from a single platform.Specifically, the Cisco 7200 series VXR offers scalable connectivity for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, 100VG-AnyLAN, Token Ring, serial, ISDN, High-Speed Serial Interface (HSSI) packet over T3/E3, multichannel T1/E1/T3, ATM, and Packet over SONET (POS).
With four- and six-slot chassis, the 7200VXR has the density to scale for every customer's needs. With high-density port adapters, the Cisco 7206VXR supports up to 48 Ethernet or serial (clear-channel or channelized) ports, 24 Token Ring ports, 12 HSSI ports, and six Fast Ethernet or ATM ports. For multichannel networking in channelized T1, E1, T3, or E3 environments, the Cisco 7200 series VXR can support up to 48 channelized T1/E1's and up to six channelized T3/E3's.
Availability
The Cisco 7200 series VXR will be available in December. The NPE-300 will also be available in December.Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is theworldwide leader in networking for the Internet.Cisco, Cisco IOS, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
