Product Overview

The Cisco^® ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers (ASR 9000 Series) represent an exciting new paradigm in edge and core routing, with exceptional scalability, carrier-class reliability, environmentally conscious design, incredible flexibility, and an attractive price-to-performance benchmark. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series has a wide product portfolio (Figure 1), ranging from the Cisco ASR 9001 (2 Rack Units [2RU]) to the Cisco ASR 9922 (44RU), with each system designed to provide true carrier-class reliability using the Cisco IOS^® XR operating system, comprehensive system redundancy, and a full complement of network resiliency schemes. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series also offers service and application-level intelligence focused on optimized video delivery and mobile aggregation. Finally, the Cisco ASR 9000 Series is designed to simplify and enhance the operational and deployment aspects of service-delivery networks.

The Cisco ASR 9000 Series is an operationally simple, future-optimized platform using next-generation hardware and software. The following are highlights of this next-generation platform:

● The Cisco ASR 9000 System brings increased power and simplicity to the edge, and the ASR 9000v sets the industry benchmark as a virtualized compact carrier-class converged access and aggregation platform. Using the Cisco «network virtualization» or nV technology, the Cisco ASR 9000 System offers exceptional pay-as-you-grow scale, carrier-class reliability, and simplified service provisioning.

● Cisco IOS XR Software modular operating system: The Cisco ASR 9000 Series uses the Cisco IOS XR operating system, made famous by the highly successful Cisco CRS Carrier Routing System platform in core deployments. Built for distributed systems such as the Cisco ASR 9000 Series, the Cisco IOS XR operating system uses a microkernel architecture to achieve true modularity. This modularity provides the path to nonstop operations during software image upgrades or module changes, without affecting normal platform operations.

● Fully distributed system: The Cisco ASR 9000 Series operates in a fully distributed fashion; all packet-forwarding decisions and actions take place on the individual line cards. These high-density Ethernet line cards are equipped with a specialized network processor that provides a flexible programming infrastructure with high-density Hierarchical Quality-of-Service (H-QoS) services, security, and integrated Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE). The distributed nature of the Cisco ASR 9000 Series improves resiliency by adding a new dimension in scale for features such as Bidirectional Forwarding Detection (BFD) and Ethernet Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (EOAM).

● Operationally efficient and redundant hardware: The Cisco ASR 9000 Series provides an infrastructure where all common components, Route Switch Processors (RSPs), Route Processors (RPs), switching fabric, fans and power supplies are redundant. In addition, the platform is designed to use power on an as-needed basis, depending on system requirements. Power has been modularized for a true pay-as-you-grow approach, reducing Capital Expenditures (CapEx) and providing an operationally efficient deployment. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series also provides a space-optimized small-platform option that uses the common components of the series and retains a central-office deployment-ready capability.

● Environmentally conscious design: In today’s world of increasing awareness of human impact on the environment and the resultant fiscal implications, Cisco ASR 9000 Series Routers bring a fresh new «conscious» approach to product development. From optimal thermal design to the architecture of the power infrastructure, from the placement of line-card components to the pitch of each slot, every design aspect has one goal in mind: reduced environmental impact through lowered power consumption and decreased cooling requirements. Even the product packaging process was evaluated to minimize the use of packaging material and thereby reduce waste at customer locations. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series is an example of the continued Cisco commitment to efficient and future-friendly product design.

● Ready for the transition to IPv6: Cisco is delivering on our strategy of building out IPv6 next-generation networks to simplify design, deployment, and management of services for global service providers. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series Virtualized Service Module (VSM) provides a single touch point for carrier-grade IPv6 deployment across thousands of devices.

The Cisco ASR 9000 Series offers a significant added value compared to the prior generations of Carrier Ethernet routing offerings with significantly higher switching capacity, optimized power and cooling requirements, an innovative modular power architecture, a grounds-up high-availability design, and the Cisco IOS XR modular operating system to significantly lower the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for service providers the world over.

Solving the Challenges of Tomorrow, Today

The Cisco ASR 9000 Series is built on the premise of addressing the challenges that service providers face when deploying current networks and planning for the networks of tomorrow:

● Power-efficient deployments: The Cisco ASR 9000 Series has a significantly improved energy-efficient design thanks to its low Gbps/Watt ratio. This amazing breakthrough ultimately translates to lower power costs, lower carbon footprint, and the ability to serve more customers and deliver more services in less rack space.

● Increasing Average Revenue Per User (ARPU): Service providers may increase the price models of existing services or increase the service offerings per user. Although traditional service prices continue to decline, the Cisco ASR 9000 Series helps establish a new financial reality by facilitating reliable and scalable video, next-generation mobile aggregation, and advanced Carrier Ethernet service offerings.

● Managing services efficiently: The Cisco ASR 9000 Series provides leading-edge network, device, and service management through a full complement of management solutions. The Cisco Prime for Evolved Programmable Networks provides a framework for service-activation provisioning, assurance, and management. Combining these elements with a comprehensive set of Ethernet and Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) capabilities, the Cisco ASR 9000 Series provides an operator-friendly environment.

● Network convergence: A common objective among service providers is to migrate their networks to a single, converged infrastructure that supports all services. This goal is compelling because it ultimately results in decreased CapEx and Operating Expenses (OpEx) because of a reduction in network elements. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series is a critical component in optimizing service-transport infrastructure because of its service flexibility, comprehensive feature set, wide interface capability, and transparent integration of Carrier Ethernet and WAN interfaces as the foundation for services delivery. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series provides a powerful single solution to the providers’ MultiService Edge (MSE), Ethernet-optimized MSE (E-MSE), and Carrier Ethernet needs.

● Meeting tomorrow’s service requirements: Designed into the Cisco ASR 9000 Series are critical capabilities supporting the services of tomorrow. Providing increased bandwidth capabilities for network devices at economically viable prices is one of the primary criteria for true carrier transport platforms. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series can scale to unprecidented levels, providing the ideal foundation for a full suite of next-generation services. Another crucial component for true network and service convergence is the integration of service intelligence in network elements. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series is designed to offer advanced subscriber management using silicon-based security and video services. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series offers integrated Video-on-Demand (VoD) streaming and caching, inline video-quality monitoring, accelerated fast-channel change, and real-time video error correction.

Hardware

The Cisco ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers provide unsurpassed 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 100 Gigabit Ethernet scale and density. The Cisco ASR 9000 and ASR 9900 Series Routers provide an in-place upgrade roadmap to a higher density of 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 100 Gigabit Ethernet ports without the need for a complete chassis replacement. These line cards, offered in base and extended-scale configurations, are complemented by the nonblocking fabric (on the RSP for the Cisco ASR 9006, ASR 9010, ASR 9906, ASR 9910 and ASR 9904 Routers and on separate fabric cards for the Cisco ASR 9906, ASR 9910, ASR 9912 and ASR 9922 Routers), and by the innovative backplane, thermal, and power infrastructure on the chassis.

The Cisco ASR 9000 Series has a modular power architecture available in both AC and DC. The power supplies are housed in field-serviceable Power Entry Modules (PEMs), which also come in AC and DC forms. Each PEM can hold up to three or four modules depending on its corresponding type, with no power zones or placement restrictions (mixing of AC and DC supplies is not supported). Service providers can add more power as their bandwidth and feature requirements increase over time, by adding more line cards to the chassis. This capability translates to lower CapEx initially and optimal OpEx over the product life.

The Cisco ASR 9000 Series also features a fully integrated timing infrastructure, allowing the routers to take in timing inputs (for example, SynchE, Building Integrated Timing Supply [BITS], and DOCSIS^® Timing Interface [DTI]) and distribute them over the backplane to each slot. This capability allows extensive support for transparent mobile convergence, mobile Radio Access Network (RAN) backhaul, and Time-Division Multiplexing (TDM) circuit emulation, without sacrificing performance or scale.

The optimized thermal infrastructure of the Cisco ASR 9000 Series is designed to be scalable to support future capacity requirements. Variable-speed high-efficiency fans provide reduced power requirements under normal operating environments while retaining the capability to cool current and future line cards under extreme conditions.

Table 1 lists the chassis hardware available for the Cisco ASR 9000 & ASR 9900 Series.

Table 1. Hardware Available for Cisco ASR 9000 & ASR 9900 Series

More details about the individual Cisco ASR 9000 Series components, such as the RSPs, the Ethernet line cards, and the Shared Port Adapter (SPA) and SPA Interface Processor (SIP) are available in the respective data sheets at: Cisco ASR 9000 Series Data Sheet Listing.

Software

Cisco ASR 9000 Series routers deliver exceptional scale, service flexibility, and high availability to Carrier Ethernet transport networks. The routers are powered by Cisco IOS XR Software, an innovative self-healing, distributed operating system designed for always-on operation while scaling system capacity up to 160 Tbps. This OS is the same operating system that powers industry-leading routers such as the Cisco CRS Carrier Routing System, bringing the same reliability, scalability, performance, and comprehensive features that have made the Cisco CRS the dominant entity in the service provider core. Cisco IOS XR Software also allows for an end-to-end IP/MPLS solution to service provider requirements based on the same software, thereby reducing the operational complexity of managing multiple operating systems. Cisco IOS XR Software Release 3.7.2 introduced support for the Cisco ASR 9000 Series Routers, which are designed to address the Carrier Ethernet foundation for visual networking. The Cisco ASR 9000 Series further enhances the IP Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) Carrier Ethernet design for converged, resilient, intelligent, and scalable transport of consumer, business, wholesale, and mobile services.

Cisco ASR 9000 Series Carrier Ethernet applications include business services such as Layer 2 VPN (L2VPN) and L3VPN, Internet Protocol Television (IPTV), Content-Delivery Networks (CDNs), and mobile backhaul transport networks. Features supported include Ethernet services; L2VPN; IPv4, IPv6, and L3VPN; Layer 2 and Layer 3 Multicast; IP over Dense Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (IPoDWDM); SyncE; EOAM and MPLS OAM; Layer 2 and Layer 3 Access Control Lists (ACLs); H-QoS; MPLS Traffic Engineering Fast Reroute (MPLS TE-FRR); Multichassis Link Aggregation (MC-LAG); Integrated Routing and Bridging (IRB); and Cisco Nonstop Forwarding (NSF) and Nonstop Routing (NSR).

For more information about the Cisco ASR 9000 Series IOS-XR software features supported, visit:
Cisco ASR 9000 Series Product Bulletins.

Product Specifications

Table 2 provides details about the Cisco ASR 9006 and ASR 9010. Table 3 provides details about the Cisco ASR 9904. Table 4 provides details about the Cisco ASR 9906 and 9910. Table 5 provides details about the Cisco ASR 9912 and ASR 9922. All of these systems are designed to the same high standards of performance and reliability; they feature the same power and thermal innovations; and they can share the line cards, PEMs, and power supplies for maximum flexibility in your network planning. The RSPs can be shared between the Cisco ASR 9010, ASR 9006, and ASR 9904 chassis; the Cisco ASR 9922 and ASR 9912 chassis come with their own route processors and up to seven fabric cards. The Cisco ASR 9910 and ASR 9906 chassis share common RSPs and each come with their own chassis specific five fabric cards.

Table 2. Cisco ASR 9006 and ASR 9010^[1]

Table 3. Cisco ASR 9904^[3]

Table 4. Cisco ASR 9906 and ASR 9910^[5]

Table 5. Cisco ASR 9912 and ASR 9922^[7]

Cisco Services for Cisco ASR 9000 Series

Through a lifecycle services approach, Cisco delivers comprehensive support for service providers to help them successfully deploy, operate, and optimize their IP Next-Generation Networks. Cisco Services for the Cisco ASR 9000 Aggregation Services Routers provide the services and proven methodologies that help assure service deployment with substantial return on investment, operational excellence, optimal performance, and high availability. These services are delivered using leading practices, tools, processes, and lab environments developed specifically for Cisco ASR 9000 Series deployments and post implementation support. The Cisco Services team addresses your specific requirements, mitigates risk to existing revenue-generating services, and helps accelerate time to market for new network services.

For more information about Cisco Services, contact your local Cisco account representative or visit: https://www.cisco.com/go/spservices.

Ordering Information

To place an order, visit the Cisco Ordering Home Page.

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