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Router Wars
Chris Holland writes "On the heels of Juniper Networks' recent release of its TX Matrix Platform, Om Malik is giving an interesting overview of current and upcoming battles between protagonists of the Router Game, armed with their Terabit toys."
Did anyone else think Linksys Routers, hehehehehe *passes out on the couch*
I'm pretty sure that summary says something meaningful, but heck if I can figure out what it is.
The sound...of 2 teeeeeerrrrrrraaabits...of raw poowweerr.
Watch the Juniper Junker take on the Cisco Crusher this SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY.
Kids's tickets are just five buuuuux!
Please help metamoderate.
if that's not redundant.
c _id=63 958&site=lightreadingm /document.asp?doc_id=63 916&site=lightreadingm /document.asp?site=test ing&doc_id=63606
This is a large battle, but not one that is won or lost over a few months and not one that is won by comparing simplistic metrics that the press like to use. Software, management, and operations support have always been key in the routing market. Many faster or bigger router companies with unique technologies have gone nowhere. The list is long and depressing. In any case, Cisco has made a dangerous jump ahead by introducing a new operating system that is loosely based on QNX and enables multi-chassis systems. It also enables in-service software upgrades and host of other operations friendly features. Juniper was perceived as having an edge in software, but Cisco will have leapfrogged them if their software delivers (and that's a big if in many people's minds).
Juniper's TX is somewhat handicapped in it's first release (I believe only 2 systems can be linked) and doesn't have a paying customer. Cisco's CRS-1 is limited in interface types in it's first release and has adubious first set of customers. There are many more issues including: weight, power consumption, scalability, support for specific features, handling lawful intercept across a system that large, integration with management systems, etc., etc, etc.
In short, the market is hesitant to purchase either system due to tight CapEx budgets and other pressures. Given the relatively diminutive size of the core router market when compared to edge routing and LAN switching, this a more a battle for prestige than for anything else.
For more info and industry commentary, see:
http://www.lightreading.com/document.asp?do
http://www.lightreading.co
http://www.lightreading.co
Never known anybody who's even tried a Cisco router. I've been pretty happy with my DeWalt DW625 plunge router - 3 horsepower, electronic variable speed, soft start, and a nice rack-and-pinion depth adjuster. And what is this tera bit everybody is talking about? I've heard of straight bits, v-groove bits, mortising bits, rabbeting bits, cove bits, roundover bits, and tongue-and-groove sets of bits, but never a tera bit. Anybody care to give me the lowdown on this new woodworking equipment?
Link to power-point presentation (Works great in OO.org): New Cisco Router presentation
I think the coolest thing to come out with these is going to be the GUI router and PIX config. You can see some screenshots of it in the presentation, its mind-boggling and worth drooling over.
These routers also have specialized processors on them for everything they do. They have crypto chips to encrypt/decrypt things, they have DSP cards to decode voice, VPN accelerator chips, chips to process ACLs etc. They also have some badass modules for them including Unity (voice-mail) module for the router itself! A module with full voice-mail capability including a 10GB hard disk to store the messages along with 4+ DSPs on the card to decode the voice traffic going to/from that card. This takes a hell of alot of load of the CPU for more generic tasks.
Anyway, the link again is http://blaze.topside.org/~topside/isr.ppt