Cisco’s single-chip ASIC-based architecture dubbed Silicon One breaks so many well-established precepts, it can help to approach some of the biggest ones first. In fact, once you can accept that a single silicon design, can work well for both routing and switching, other breakthrough claims become easier to swallow as the hyperbole begins to make sense. Distinctions between routing and switching often feel superfluous to the casual observer. Hardware differences are justified by the unique role or place in the network. A network, by definition, requires coordination between elements built from ..read more

There are a number of industry trends now converging on a singular decision point for network designers looking to remain competitive going forward. In the wake of crushing traffic volume rising without any positive revenue correlation, network investments become all the more perilous. Cisco’s Cloud Native BNG may be one of the best examples of how a singular set of technologies form the nadir from which new profitable services emerge. Join us as we spend the next hour sharing the innovation, the history and the opportunities that lead to this point, plus a set of specific guideposts you shoul ..read more

The Cisco NCS 500 series access family promises the most appealing answer to the challenges faced by service providers.Part 1 of our 2 part series covered hardware details along with benefits of using segment routing to direct application behavior on the network and EVPN as a framework to provision new services without having to stitch protocols together.  In part 2, we cover the architectural changes to what used to be called the backhaul spurred by the new eCPRI or enhanced Common Public Radio Interface which is fully supported in the NCS 500 series.For the very first time, service prov ..read more

The Cisco NCS 500 series access family promises the most appealing answer to the challenges faced by service providers.IOS-XR makes it debut in the access layer offering to extend the network fabric into areas previously dominated by finicky older protocols supporting legacy services. Part 1 of our 2 part series introduces two new router families.  The NCS 540 series of fixed, hardened, 1 RU boxes and the NCS 560 modular chassis based systems.  ExplaiNerds host Robb Boyd digs into the details with Director of Product Management Prakash Daga, Product Manager Sairam Potnuru and Technic ..read more

With Cisco forecasting 30 billion connected devices by 2023, service providers must be prepared for an onslaught of network traffic that will ride the tide of this IoT- and 5G-enabled tsunami.  Cisco’s recently announced Network Convergence System (NCS) 5700 is poised to help them do exactly that – delivering high-density 400 gigabit Ethernet (GE) line cards that can run inside customers’ existing 5500 series chassis! In Cisco NCS 5700: Massive scale for the 5500, ExplaiNerds Podcast host Robb Boyd sits down with Cisco’s Mass Scale Infrastructure Group to learn more about this new Jericho ..read more

Once again, Cisco has geared up its ASR 9000 Series Routers with greater functionality, throughput, and scale in a smaller, more efficient package. The new 5th generation line card gives service providers the performance punch they need to meet unprecedented bandwidth demand.  But what about providers with prior-generation ASR Routers who aren’t ready to turn up all that bandwidth? Cisco has them covered. Ports on the new line card can be activated only when needed, even within ASR chassis installed ten years ago.  In Cisco ASR 9000: The Innovation Never Stops, host Robb Boyd sits do ..read more

As iOS app development explodes in popularity, development teams are faced with in an escalating set of challenges in their attempt to scale. Mac hardware is not designed for enterprise grade scale, yet it is required for iOS development.  Data Center efficiency may not be an Apple feature, but it is a problem that must be overcome to be competitive.  Multiple developers in multiple locations cannot share anything more than a mac or two without eroding confidence and quality as things quickly devolve into chaos.  Learn how MacStadium offers IAAS on Apple optimized for CI/CD tool ..read more

It takes a lot of cables running around the entire planet just to get us the data connectivity we expect. There was a time when all those cables were copper and the companies that had put them there were certainly going to maximize that investment.  But as often happens, someone came along and saw an opportunity to disrupt it all in a very fundamental way.  Dave Schaefer is CEO and founder of Cogent, a multinational Tier 1 Internet Service Provider consistently ranked as one of the top five networks in the world. Dave started with contrarian ideas formed within one of the most turbul ..read more