Juniper Networks introduces carrier-grade virtual router

• Brings the performance and reliability of MX routing platform to the cloud
• Aimed at service providers and enterprises, operates as software on x86 servers

JUNIPER Networks has introduced a virtualised version of its flagship MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routing platform to deliver what it said was the industry’s first full-featured, carrier-grade virtualised router.
 
The Juniper Networks vMX 3D Universal Edge Router, which operates as software on x86 servers, gives service providers and enterprises the ability to seamlessly leverage the benefits of both virtual and physical networking so they can rapidly deliver services and cost-effectively keep ahead of customer demand.
 
Juniper also unveiled a new set of capabilities designed to help customers build High-IQ networks that leverage the benefits of virtualisation and automation.
 
It is estimated that there will be 50 billion networked devices worldwide by 2020, according to the Boston Consulting Group.
 
Service providers are pushing connectivity beyond simple access to fuel economies and deliver more personalised and life-enhancing services, Juniper said in a statement.
 
As the appetite and reliance on customised services grow, service providers are looking for ways to address this need while staying profitable and capitalising on revenue growth opportunities.
 
This requires them to adopt a more agile business approach, one that allows them to develop, scale up as well as scale down new services at the pace of business, while also maintaining a high-performance infrastructure to keep up with increasing traffic volumes.
 
Likewise, enterprises are also looking for ways to increase business agility, as seen by the adoption and deployment of cloud services and private clouds.
 
As a fully functional virtual router, the vMX brings cloud-like agility to the network, allowing businesses to quickly roll out new applications, resources and initiatives to support internal and external clients.
 
By virtualising the company’s flagship routing platform – first introduced in 2006 and now deployed at most of the world’s top 100 service providers – Juniper said it is bringing the feature-set, performance and reliability of the MX to the cloud.
 
The software-driven technology delivers the agility to scale up and scale out as quickly as customer business needs dictate, it claimed.
 
Customers can combine the vMX with Juniper’s complete physical router portfolio delivering the tools service providers and enterprises need to maintain a common operations environment for both virtual and physical routers, while matching network investment with revenue growth.
 
With the vMX, carrier-grade routing can be deployed in the time it takes to spin up a virtual machine, scaled elastically with virtual capacity, and if the need arises, migrated to the high-performance physical MX Series platforms for high-volume workloads.
 
This provides customers with greater freedom to start small, experiment with new services, grow rapidly and stay profitable throughout the entire service lifecycle, Juniper said.
 
Juniper Networks vMX will be available in the first quarter of 2015.
 
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