Avici to ship OC-192c
Follows Juniper, may beat Cisco to market with clear channel 10G.
 
|
|||
 | |||
|
BOXBOROUGH, MASS. - Avici Systems Monday announced that it will ship OC-192c interfaces for its Internet core router next month.
With the availability of its 10G bit/sec OC-192c/STM-64 line cards, Avici becomes the second Internet core router vendor to ship concatenated-or "clear channel"-OC-192 interfaces on its platform. Juniper Networks has been shipping for almost a year, while Cisco has yet to ship but is expected to do so this quarter.
The single-port OC-192c line cards occupy two slots in a 40-slot Avici Terabit Switch Router (TSR) bay. A single bay-which is comprised of four 10-slot shelves-can therefore house up to 20 OC-192c interfaces, Avici says.
Juniper's M160 router can support up to eight OC-192c ports, while analysts believe Cisco's 12016 GSR will sport up 16 OC-192c interfaces. Juniper also has some packet ordering issues with the M160 and OC-192c (www.nwfusion.com/edge /news/2000/1205junipersnag.html).
Despite the density, some analysts do not believe Avici's OC-192c capabilities will translate into significant market share gains against Cisco and Juniper.
"Avici has the highest number of OC-192s in a single rack," says Muayyad Al-Chalabi, director of core switching and routing research at RHK in South San Francisco. "Most of [those vendors] already have customers committed to them in terms of OC-192 deployment. But it's definitely an important step for Avici."
According to the Dell'Oro Group in Redwood City, Calif., Avici had less than 1% of the $680.6 million market for Internet core routers in the third quarter of 2000. Cisco had 69% and Juniper 30%.
Cisco and Juniper, however, had to roll out new chassis to house their OC-192c interfaces. Avici's customers will not have to undergo a similar "forklift" upgrade, says Steve Duffy, Avici product marketing manager.
Avici is currently shipping a channelized OC-192 line-card that supports four multiplexed 2.5G bit/sec channels on a single 10G bit/sec link. The OC-192c supports a single 10G bit/sec payload, while the channelized module enables service providers to support four different 2.5G bit/sec payloads over the same 10G bit/sec link.
Avici also announced a dual port OC-48c module that extends the number of OC-48c ports per TSR bay from 40 to 80. That line card also will ship this quarter, Avici says.
The new OC-192c and OC-48c line cards are supported by Avici's Composite Link technology, which enables customers to dynamically aggregate multiple interfaces to create a single logical high-speed trunk between routers. Users can also migrate from OC-48 to OC-192 while their routers and networks are in service, Duffy claims.
Duffy would not divulge the names of customers trialing or deploying OC-192 or OC-192c. But one is expected to announce OC-192 capabilities soon, he says.
The OC-192c line card will carry a list price of $295,000 while the dual-port OC-48c cards will cost $145,000.
RELATED LINKS
 |
 |
 |
|||||
|
 |
|
|
|
|||
