SAN JOSE, Calif., October 7, 2002 - Cisco Systems, Inc., today introduces a new Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) bandwidth protection solution that provides a cost-effective alternative to SONET/SDH protection. The Cisco MPLS Bandwidth Protection solution is a network architecture that uses MPLS Traffic Engineering Fast Reroute and an offline application called Tunnel Builder Pro which is designed to maximize bandwidth protection at a network-wide level, and to increase network resiliency. This solution helps service providers to minimize and eliminate non-productive redundant circuits, to offer cost-effective global bandwidth protection services resulting in "carrier-class" service-level agreements (SLAs), and to capture increased revenue opportunities.
According to Joe Fusco, director of Private IP Services at Infonet, "MPLS Traffic Engineering with Fast Reroute and off-line computation tools such as Tunnel Builder Pro are major steps forward in providing QoS-based traffic optimization. This will allow for improved multi-class network management capabilities and delivery to QoS targets, and will aid in resolution of performance issues quickly and with confidence."
Widely deployed Cisco MPLS technology, enabled by Cisco IOS. Software, provides traffic engineering capabilities that facilitate efficient and reliable network operations while simultaneously optimizing network resource utilization and traffic performance. MPLS Traffic Engineering today uses an online capability to compute best available paths. MPLS using Fast Reroute Link and Node protection alone does not provide network-wide protection. Tunnel Builder Pro solves this problem by computing backup tunnels for bandwidth protection by using a sophisticated algorithm called Hybrid Optimization. The algorithm is intelligent enough to back up bandwidth irrespective of the number of traffic engineering tunnels in the network. To support bandwidth protection, additional Cisco IOS Software features have been added to Fast Reroute Link and Node protection.
"Today's announcement demonstrates the enormous potential of MPLS to enable service providers to provide guaranteed bandwidth protection in a cost-effective way," says Irwin Lazar, senior consultant, The Burton Group.
Cisco has expanded its widely deployed MPLS Traffic Engineering technology to support new features. Fast Reroute Link and Node protection that offers protection from link failures and node failures (i.e., failure of entire router) have been enhanced to support Resource Reservation Protocol (RSVP) Hellos, which are used as a failure detection mechanism for interfaces other than packet over SONET (POS)-as in Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet.
Tunnel Builder Pro, developed with Parc Technologies, is an offline application that uses client-server architecture. The client is an HTML-based Java applet that can run on a standard Web browser, while the server communicates with Cisco routers to configure and monitor them for MPLS Traffic Engineering.
Availability
Cisco was first to deliver MPLS Traffic Engineering, beginning with Cisco IOS Software Release 12.0 in 1999. The Cisco MPLS Bandwidth Protection solution is available now. Service providers interested in testing or deploying Cisco MPLS Bandwidth Protection Solution should contact their local sales office. Additional information about Cisco MPLS solutions and supported platforms can be found at www.cisco.com/go/mpls.
