Juniper Unveils Four-Step Roadmap To SDN

Juniper Networks, the network innovation service provider, has unveiled new software and services enabling mobile service providers to realise immediate benefits while laying the foundation to build software-defined networks (SDN). By deploying Juniper Networks’ new services provisioning application, mobile infrastructure application and virtualised services engine, customers can achieve elastic capacity, increased service velocity, while lowering overall operating expenses (OPEX). Based on use cases and data from ACG Research, customers may realise up to 65 percent reduction in OPEX and up to 54 percent reduction in total cost of ownership. The software and services announced come on the heels of Juniper’s introduction of the most comprehensive SDN vision in the industry and follows Juniper’s roadmap to transition enterprises and service providers from traditional network infrastructures to SDNs. Specifically, with today’s announcement, customers can address two of the four steps to SDN:

Step 1: Centralise network management, analytics and configuration functionality to provide a single master that configures all networking devices
Recently announced, Juniper Networks Junos Space Services Activation Director application enables service providers to provision thousands of seamless services, including multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and Carrier Ethernet for mobile backhaul. Service Activation Direction lowers OPEX cost through simplified deployment and management, and greater business insight gained from service provider networks. The Services Activation Director, along with other Junos Space applications, is scheduled to be available for purchase in the first half of 2013, which allows the software to transfer to any network element with which it operates.

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Step 2: Extract networking and security services from the underlying hardware by creating service virtual machines (VMs)
Also announced recently, Juniper Networks Mobile Control Gateway (virtual MCG) is now running as a virtualised function on the JunosV App Engine, providing signaling and control (SGSN/MME) functions to LTE, 3G and 2G radio access networks. As a virtualised network function, mobile operators can rapidly scale up and down capacity to meet variable demand requirements. Comparing a standalone physical appliances approach to a virtualised approach, mobile operators have the ability to accelerate deployment time by as much as 46 percent and reduce deployment cost by as much as 61 percent, according to ACG Research. Part of Juniper Networks Mobile Packet Core solution, the virtual MCG is co-developed with Hitachi, the first third-party to virtualise a network service on the JunosV App Engine. Now shipping, Juniper Networks JunosV App Engine centralises the development, provisioning and management of both Juniper Networks and third-party applications on a common platform. This platform also enables customers to grow the compute, memory and processing resource needed for cloud-based applications and services attached specifically to the MX Series 3D Universal Edge Router.

“Mobile networks are perfectly suited to benefit from Juniper Network’s SDN approach. Exponential mobile data usage coupled with an increasingly wide array of multi-media smartphones and tablets put enormous demands on high-performance networking. Juniper Networks, a recognised leader in carrier-grade IP network equipment, is leading the industry by delivering the next generation of SDN software services,” said Bob Muglia, Executive Vice President, Software Solutions Division, Juniper Networks.