The BPX Service Node offers up to 20 Gbps of high-throughput switching for multiple traffic types--voice, data, and image. The switch improves network and trunk use more than 95 percent and supports a wide range of interfaces, from Frame Relay to full broadband subscriber interfaces, up to 622 Mbps. You can offer multiple services for LAN, X.25, SNA, IP, Frame Relay, and ATM traffic from a single BPX platform.

The BPX Service Node provides 800/1600 Mbps of dedicated bandwidth for each of 12 available interface slots, allowing you to expand capacity and maintain high performance. Narrowband interfaces are provisioned on separate shelves to enable full use of the BPX Service Node's capacity to deliver narrowband and broadband services.

The BPX offers backbone ATM switching and integrates user services over broadband and narrowband ATM trunks. With 20 Gbps of high-throughput, low-latency switching, service providers can deliver innovative, revenue-generating data, voice, video, and Internet services. For large enterprises, the BPX Service Node combines LAN, SNA, voice, and other types of traffic over a single WAN. The BPX Service Node also enables organizations to migrate to the next generation of switched internetworks, while complementing existing investments in routers and Frame Relay switches.

The BPX Service Node provides the following services:

• Internet/intranet

The BPX Service Node aggregates Internet and intranet traffic, supports a full range of access options, and scales services to accommodate from hundreds to thousands of subscribers on a single node. BPX Service Nodes currently are deployed by many Internet service providers (ISPs) and at network access points (NAPs). Advanced traffic management capabilities provide the highest throughput and trunk use without risk of cell loss. With tag switching, the BPX substantially improves high-performance internet service by combining IP routing with high-speed layer 2 ATM switching.

• ATM

The BPX Service Node supports a wide range of interfaces for data traffic including ATM, Frame Relay, SMDS, LAN, SNA, X.25, Internet, and broadband video. Traffic is switched at speeds up to 622 Mbps.

• Switched internetworking

The BPX Service Node provides a reliable platform for delivering transparent or high-speed LAN-to-LAN solutions for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Token Ring, and FDDI traffic across a metropolitan or global ATM backbone.

• Frame Relay

The BPX Service Node provides a smooth migration path to ATM and broadband services with complete service interworking.

• Voice

The BPX Service Node provides the advanced traffic management features and class- of-service (CoS) guarantees required for delivering real-time, high-quality voice applications.

• Video

The BPX Service Node delivers the required quality of service (QoS) for video over ATM applications including video-on-demand, videoconferencing, and video telephony.

• Wireless

• Multishelf architecture

• Advanced switching capabilities

The BPX Service Node feature set includes intelligent call processing for Frame Relay and ATM switched virtual circuits (SVCs). The SVC functionality is implemented in a semi-distributed model that can be easily enhanced and is highly scalable as network size increases. The call processing and routing functions are provided in a central processor, while switching functions are performed in the BPX interface modules. This software model provides a robust call processing system with a firewall between PVC and SVC services, extensibility for enhanced call processing features, and ease of scalability as SVC capacity and performance demands change. The central processor includes a large data storage capacity necessary for the collection of statistics and call records for accounting, billing, and performance management. Redundancy is provided across all BPX Service Node components for the highest level of availability.

• Reliability

• Scalability

With high port density, each BPX Service Node supports numbers of users ranging from hundreds to hundreds of thousands, while lowering the cost per subscriber. Capacity can be added as demand requires, giving the BPX Service Node unmatched scalability to meet the demands of rapidly increasing numbers of subscribers and deployment of multiple services such as ATM, Frame Relay, Internet, and video. With a capacity of up to 20 Gbps, BPX Service Node-based networks deliver the highest levels of performance for large files, high traffic volumes, and delay-sensitive voice and video. Support for interface speeds up to OC-12/STM-4 (622 Mbps) enables organizations to deliver multiple, high-quality services ranging from transparent LAN services and virtual private network services to video and LAN-to-ATM access capabilities.

• High service availability and performance

The BPX Service Node is a proven switching solution, and is used in the world's largest public ATM and Frame Relay data services. Robust, redundant architecture ensures high service availability, allowing service providers to provide uninterrupted service to millions of subscribers worldwide. The breadth of interface options, advanced traffic management capabilities, and sophisticated built-in network management features maximize application performance. High throughput without data loss lets service providers guarantee quality of service and application performance.

The broadband shelf design includes four functional card groups--the common core group, the broadband switch group, the service interface group, and the network interface group. A separate network management interface provides the connection to the StrataSphere network management platform.

Common Core Group

• ATM cell switching

• Internal and remote node communication

• Node synchronization

• Network management communication

• Shelf management communication

• Alarm and status monitoring

The common core cards include the broadband controller cards (BCC) and the alarm/status monitor card (ASM).

The broadband controller card is a microprocessor-based system controller that is used to control the overall operation and provide the circuit switching for the BPX Service Node. The broadband controller card is a front card that is usually equipped as a redundant pair, which is a system option. Slot 7 and slot 8 are reserved for the primary and secondary, or standby, broadband controller cards. Each broadband controller card requires a corresponding redundant line module back card.

• The broadband controller cards have the following features:

  • Front card optionally equipped as a redundant pair

  • Corresponding back card, which serves as an interface between the BPX Service Node and the BPX network management system

  • System software for controlling, configuring, diagnosing, and monitoring the BPX Service Node

  • 16 x 32 crosspoint switch matrix in which each of the 16 crosspoint matrix ports is a full-duplex-capable 800/1600-Mbps serial link

  • Arbiter, which controls the polling of each high-speed data port and grants access to the switch matrix for each port with data to transfer

  • Network synchronization and generation of system clocking

  • Communication of configuration and control information to all other cards

  • Communication with all other nodes in the network

  • Communications processor for an Ethernet LAN port, plus two low-speed data ports

• The ASM card has the following features:

  • Front card and associated back card (ASM-BC)

  • One card required per node

  • Support functions--Telco-compatible alarm indicators, controls, relay outputs, node power monitoring, monitoring of shelf cooling fans and temperature, sensing for presence of other cards installed in the BPX shelf

The BXM cards are also used to connect broadband network interface (BNI) modules to connect BPX Service Nodes to other BPX Service Nodes or Cisco IGX and IPX nodes. BXM cards support ATM to Frame Relay network interworking and service interworking. They enable configuration of PVCs or SVCs for the same service classes that are supported by the ATM service interface (ASI) modules. With BXM cards, the BPX Service Node supports up to 16 independent classes of service to protect your hardware investment as the industry defines additional traffic types.

The BXM cards offer the following features:

• Trunk and UNI card configuration options

• Conformance to ATM UNI V.3.0 and V.3.1

• Conformance to ATMF TM4.0 with full virtual source/virtual destination implementations

• Cards configurable for 16,000 or 32,000 connections per card (16,000 connections only for BXM-155)

• Dynamic cell buffering capability

• Supports up to 16 classes of service

• Supports ATM Forum Traffic Management Specification V.4.0, including explicit rate (ER) marking within the network elements and optionally to the end system

• Supports CBR, VBR, UBR, and ABR

• Supports ABR with ForeSight, ABR with ER marking, ABR with EFCI tagging, and ABR with virtual source/virtual destination (VS/VD)

• Support for per-virtual-circuit queuing, rate scheduling, statistics collection, CoS assignment

• Supports weighted fair queuing and UBR with early packet discard (EPD) on a per-virtual-circuit basis

• 1:1 Y-cable redundancy, provided as an option for all BXM cards

• ABR ER, VS/VD, and EPD features provided at no extra cost as part of the standard feature set

There are three high-density BXM card types for the BPX Service Node:

• BXM-T3/E3

The BXM-T3/E3 is a T3/E3 ATM interface card for the BPX switch platform. This interface card provides either 8- or 12-T3/E3 ATM ports per card, with a card configuration option for trunk or UNI application. The BXM-T3/E3 supports 16,000 or 32,000 connections per card. The supporting back card options provide up to 12 ports and can be used with the 8-port BXM or the 12-port BXM.

There are four BXM-T3/E3 interface cards:

• BXM T3-8: 8-port DS3, 45-Mbps interface card

• BXM E3-8: 8-port E3, 34-Mbps interface card

• BXM T3-12: 12-port DS3, 45-Mbps interface card

• BXM E3-12: 12-port E3, 34-Mbps interface card

• BXM-155

The BXM-155 is an OC-3c/STM-1 ATM high-capacity interface card for the BPX switch platform. Operating at the standard SONET/SDH rate of 155.520 Mbps, this interface card provides either 4- or 8-OC-3c/STM-1 ATM ports per card, which can be configured for trunk or UNI application. The BXM-155 supports 16,000 connections per card. Multimode, single-mode, and single-mode long reach optical interfaces are available.

There are two BXM-155 interface cards:

• BXM-155-4: 4-port OC-3c/STM-1 trunk or UNI interface cards

• BXM-155-8: 8-port OC-3c/STM-1 trunk or UNI interface cards

• BXM-622

The BXM-622 is an OC-12c/STM-4 ATM high-capacity interface card for the BPX switch platform. Operating at the standard SONET/SDH rate of 622.08 Mbps, this interface card provides either 1- or 2-OC-12c/STM-4 ATM ports per card, which can be configured for trunk or UNI application with full bidirectional 622-Mbps (OC-12c/STM-4) throughput per slot in the BPX Service Node. The BXM-622 supports 16,000 or 32,000 connections per card. Single-mode, single-mode long reach, and 1550 nm extra long reach interfaces are available.

There are two BXM-622 interface cards:

• BXM-622: 1-port OC-12c/STM-4 native ATM access and trunk interface card

• BXM-622-2: 2-port OC-12c/STM-4 native ATM access and trunk interface card

Service Interface Group

ATM service interface (ASI) modules provide standard interfaces for connecting to cell-based customer premises equipment (through an ATM UNI standard user interface) or to non-Cisco networks (through an NNI network interface).

ASI modules support native ATM sessions at speeds of T3/E3 and OC-3c/STM-1. On the BPX AXIS interface shelf, service interface cards support speeds of T1/E1 and n x T1/E1 inverse multiplex ATM (IMATM). These interfaces enable configuration of permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) or switched virtual circuits (SVCs) for the following service classes:

• Constant bit rate (CBR)

• Variable bit rate real time (VBR)

• Unspecified bit rate (UBR)

• Available bit rate (ABR)

ASI modules support up to 16 classes of service and both ATM to Frame Relay network interworking and service interworking, giving them the ability to handle all currently defined ATM traffic types, and future types.

• The ASI-2-T3/E3 card has the following features:

  • Two 45-MB T3 ATM ATM UNI/NNI ports

  • Maximum of 1000 connections per card

  • 64,000 cells of input buffering allocated per-virtual-circuit

  • Aggregate transport rate of 96,000 cps per port (T3) or 80,000 cps (E3)

  • Operation with a corresponding T3 or E3 back card (BPX-T3-BC or BPX-E3-BC)

• The ASI-155E card has the following features:

  • 2-port OC-3 SONET/SDH (155.520 Mbps, 353,208 cells per second)

  • 8-K cell input VBR buffer, 32-K cell output buffer

  • Usage parameter control to control admission to the network

  • Selective cell discard including partial packet discard

  • Operation with a corresponding back card (SMF-2-BC, single-mode, intermediate; SMFLR-2-BC, single-mode long range; MMF-2-BC, multimode)

Network Interface Group

Broadband network interface modules (BNI-T3, BNI-E3, BNI-155) connect the BPX Service Node to other BPX, IGX, or IPX nodes. These modules support up to 16 classes of service and network interfaces at speeds of T3/E3 and OC-3/STM-1. Network interfaces at n x T1/E1 are supported by the inverse multiplexing for ATM trunk module on the AXIS multiservice concentrator.

• The BNI-T3 and BNI-E3 cards have the following features:

  • Three broadband data ports operating at 44.736 Mbps (T3) or 34.368 Mbps (E3)

  • Trunk transmission of up to 96,000 cells per second (T3 trunks) or 80,000 calls per second (E3 trunks)

  • 24,000 cell buffers per port

  • Card operation as a pair with a corresponding back card (BPX-T3-BC and BPX-E3-BC)

• The BNI-155 card has the following features:

  • BPX interface with ATM OC-3/STM-1 broadband trunks

  • Three back cards: SMF-2-BC, single-mode intermediate (20 km); SMFLR-2-BC, single-mode long range (40 km); MMF-2-BC, multimode (2 km)

  • Up to 353,208 cells per second

  • 8-K cell input VBR buffer, 32-K cell output buffer

Multicast service offers the easiest design to implement and can be implemented a number of ways: from a single server in which multicast traffic is replicated by a single central server, to a server in every switch in which all nodes contain the BME and a multicast tree is created for full optimization.

Multicast services are defined for both ATM (UNI V3.0, 3.1 and 4.0) and Frame Relay (FRF.7). The ATM Forum has defined unidirectional point-to-multipoint ATM services, in other words, zero-return bandwidth. The Frame Relay Forum has defined one-way, two-way, and n-way Frame Relay PVC services.

The BME support the following features:

• ATM virtual channel connection (VCC) multicast

• Frame Relay one-way and two-way multicast

• AAL5 frame merge functionality for reverse traffic from leaves back to the root

• AutoRoute PVCs supporting root and leaf multicast connections with UNI/NNI addressing

• Up to 1000 multicast groups supported per BME

• Up to 2000 leaf connections supported per BME

• CBR and VBR service classes

• Both physical (or spatial) and logical multicast supported

• SV+ GUI support for multicast service management

• Optional 1:1 card level redundancy

The BPX Service Node offers the following software features:

• FairShare

• ForeSight

• OptiClass

• AutoRoute

• StrataSphere network management