Juniper smartens up the edge

Juniper Networks today announced an overhaul of its edge routing platforms meant to add greater intelligence, control and features to the network edge via the vendor’s Junos operating system. The changes are enabled by a series of new hardware and software upgrades expected to be available in full by next year’s third quarter.

Some of the new capabilities Juniper is bringing to its edge routers come from technology already included in other gear. For example, the vendor is using deep-packet inspection (DPI) technology developed for its security products to give vendors greater visibility into edge traffic on a per-application basis. Juniper is also bringing subscriber management functions built into its E-series broadband gear to the edge through Junos, allowing service providers to monitor and control edge-network traffic on a per-application, per-subscriber basis and implement network management policies based on that information. So, for example, particular apps for particular subscribers can be prioritized or limited as the service provider desires.

“You now are able to dynamically manage subscribers,” said Rami Rahim, vice president of product management for Juniper’s edge and aggregation business. “It gives you the ability to set up and tear down new subscribers as they join and leave a particular network. There’s also more visibility into the types of apps, digging deeper into packets than we have done in the past.”

That dynamic application awareness comes through a new line card for Juniper’s MX series edge routers that brings a number of new functions to the network edge. In addition to dynamic application management, the Multiservices DPC brings session border controller functionality into the edge routers by way of Junos. It also includes intrusion detection capabilities, allowing service providers to offer network-based security as a managed service without having to add a separate appliance to do it; service providers need only buy a software license.

The new line card also can be used to provide services created by third parties involved in Juniper’s Open IP Solution Development Program. For example, Juniper announced today the ability for carriers to use the Multiservices DPC to offer video service analysis as created by Juniper’s partner, Triveni Digital (a subsidiary of LG Electronics).

“Rather than a specific [new] service entailing a new platform, a new appliance and a new operating system to manage, this reduces it to inserting a line card or turning on a new software license,” Rahim said.