10/14/2014

3 Strategies for an IP Core Network Refresh | TechZine | Alcatel-Lucent

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Te c h n o lo g y

3 Strategies for an IP Core Network

Refresh
BY: B EN T A N G ( H T T P : //W W W 2 . A L C A T EL - L U C EN T . C O M /T EC H ZI N E/A U T H O R /B EN - T A N G /) AND
EN R I Q U E H ER N A N D EZ- VA L EN C I A ( H T T P : //W W W 2 . A L C A T EL L U C EN T . C O M /T EC H ZI N E/A U T H O R /EN R I Q U E- H ER N A N D EZVA L EN C I A /) | MARCH 14, 2014 | A R T I C L ES
( H T T P : //W W W 2 . A L C A T EL - L U C EN T . C O M /T EC H ZI N E/C A T EG O R Y /A R T I C L ES /) , T EC H N O L O G Y
( H T T P : //W W W 2 . A L C A T EL - L U C EN T . C O M /T EC H ZI N E/C A T EG O R Y /T EC H N O L O G Y /)

HIGHLIGHTS
Legacy IP core networks must evolve to meet evolving capacity demands

Traffic growth, 100/400G technology, and equipment obsolesce drive IP core

evolution

A detailed methodology helps service providers evaluate transformation options

CUT COSTS WITH AN IP CORE NETWORK REFRESH

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Next-generation core routing platforms give service providers new opportunities to rethink
and refresh IP core networks . These platforms take advantage of recent breakthroughs in
100 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) IP transport and 400 Gb/s network processors

[1

(http://www2.alcatellucent.com/techzine/3strategiesipcorenetworkrefresh/#3strategiesipcorenetworkrefreshn1)]. As a result,
they allow service providers to move to higher capacities and more cost-effective network
architectures.

A recent Bell Labs study with a Tier 1 European service provider highlighted the key role that
a next-gen core routing platform plays in an IP core network fresh. The service provider was
operating a multi-tier, dual-plane IP core network with more than 100 node sites and faced 3
main challenges:

IP core network links and node capacities were underutilized.

The IP core network was expensive to operate.

Upcoming deregulation of IP peering points would massively increase traffic volumes and
change traffic patterns through the IP core.

To deal with these challenges and work toward cost-cutting goals, the service provider asked
Bell Labs to help them identify strategies for capacity and cost improvements. After detailed
analysis, the joint team recommended 3 strategies:

Increase link utilization targets to recover stranded capacity.

Reduce the number of IP backbone nodes to optimize and simplify the IP core
architecture.

Adopt a next-generation core routing platform for more scalable and cost-effective
transport .

S tra te g y 1 : I n c re a s e lin k u tiliz a tio n

Increasing link utilization targets will help the service provider run hotter networks and save
transport costs with only marginal impact on quality of service (QoS) for best-effort (BE)
traffic (Figure 1). Premium traffic is protected and unaffected. The study found that the
service provider could increase overall link utilization targets:

From 50% to 67% to save 23% in transport costs with 12% of best effort traffic affected.

From 50% to 80% to save 30% in transport costs with 18% of best effort traffic affected.

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(http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NP2014014116_fig012.jpg)
Source:BellLabs
Figure1.Increasinglinkutilizationcutstransportcosts

S tra te g y 2 : Re d u c e n o d e s in th e I P c o re
Reducing the number of IP backbone nodes in the IP core will help the service provider save
on capital expenditures (CAPEX). It will also help to save on space and power costs
(http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/why-hotter-networks-need-a-cooler-core/) while
meeting service availability targets (Figure 2). The study found that reducing the number of IP
backbone nodes from more than 100 to 40 would allow the service provider to:

Save 23% in router CAPEX over 5 years

Save 48% in router space and power costs over 5 years

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(http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NP2014014116_fig021.jpg)
Figure2.ReducingIPbackbonenodescutsCAPEX,spaceandpowercosts

S tra te g y 3 : A d o p t a n e xt- g e n c o re ro u tin g p la tf o rm

Adopting the Alcatel-Lucent 7950 Extensible Routing System (XRS) (http://www.alcatellucent.com/products/7950-extensible-routing-system), which is a next-generation core
routing platform, will give the service provider more scalable and efficient transport. The
study found that the faster the service provider moves to the new platform, the lower the
total cost of ownership (TCO) over the long-term (Figure 3). The new routing platform requires
only a single chassis at most IP core node sites across the five years study period, as opposed
to having to keep adding new chassis in the case of legacy router , resulting in far less
deployment churn and maintenance cost down the road.

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(http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NP2014014116_fig031.jpg)
Figure3.FasterrouterreplacementreducesTCO

Moving immediately to next generation IP core nodes with higher capacity, port density and
performance, along with a smaller footprint, would allow the service provider to:

Save 37% in TCO over 5 years (FMO2 in Figure 3) compared to the 30% saved by moving
gradually to the next-gen core routing platform (FMO1 in Figure 3).

Save 60% in space and power costs (both FMO1 and FMO2 in Figure 4).

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(http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NP2014014116_fig041.jpg)
Figure4.Anextgencoreroutingplatformreducespowercosts

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(http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/NP2014014116_fig05.jpg)
Figure5.Fewerchassisreducesdeploymentandmaintenancerequirements

While the results of the study are specific to this service providers network, the rationale
behind the study and the methodology used can be applied to IP core networks in general.

ITS TIME FOR AN IP CORE NETWORK REFRESH

Many service providers are facing similar evolution requirements as the use case described in
this study, and could benefit from a rethink and refresh of their IP core network:

Service providers, like the one described in this article, are rethinking their IP core network
architecture and evolution requirements because:

Traffic is increasing. On average, service providers will face a 3 to 8-fold traffic increase
in IP core networks over the next 5 years

[2

(http://www2.alcatellucent.com/techzine/3strategiesipcorenetworkrefresh/#3strategiesipcorenetworkrefreshn2)]

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(http://www2.alcatellucent.com/techzine/3strategiesipcorenetworkrefresh/#3strategiesipcorenetworkrefreshn2)]. Bell Labs

predicts that Internet video consumption (http://www2.alcatel-lucent.com/techzine/whyyou-need-to-take-video-to-the-edge/) alone will grow more than 6 times by 2017.

Core network architectures are not designed for emerging services requirements. Older
10G technology and lower capacity platforms are not optimized for the traffic patterns of
cloud and highly distributed applications.

There is too much stranded capacity. Past network upgrades, economic constraints and
ad-hoc network engineering mean traffic routing is not optimal.

Network equipment is approaching end-of-life. Legacy equipment often suffers from

inefficient capacity expansion, power consumption and sparing. A lack of data or control

MENU

plane scaling means further investments are not an effective way to control networks
costs.
(HTTP://WWW2.ALCATEL-LUCENT.COM/TECHZINE)

Forced events force a rethink. Network transformation and consolidation due to

acquisitions, mergers, government policy or regulatory changes affect traffic patterns.

MENU

Networks need a redesign to streamline operations and costs.

TECHBLOG
(HTTP://WWW2.ALCATEL-LUCENT.COM/TECHZINE/CATEGORY/TECHBLOG)
Competition
is fierce. Service providers want to make the best possible use of network

capacity and to continuously reduce per-bit transport costs.

LANGUAGE

CONTACT (MAILTO:TECHZINE.EDITOR@ALCATEL-LUCENT.COM)

EVALUATE YOUR IP CORE EVOLUTION

SUBSCRIBE (HTTP://RESOURCES.ALCATEL-LUCENT.COM/WEBFORM/CWF318)

There are a few practical steps to evaluate the options for an IP core network refresh.
Through engagements with network planning and operations teams of several service

providers, Bell labs developed the following approach:

1.

SEARCH

Determine baseline traffic and growth trends. Anticipate future traffic patterns and
volumes for broadband, enterprise and mobile services. Collect enough measurement
data to forecast traffic demands and to characterize current traffic demands for traffic
modeling purposes.

2.

Incorporate new design requirements. Think about future traffic patterns and volumes. In
some cases, that may mean anticipating government or regulatory changes that will affect
traffic routing. Traffic analysis must consider these types of challenges and it must work
with incomplete traffic data sets to create a long-term traffic forecast.

3.

Explore all viable network architecture and traffic reengineering options:

Optimizing the existing IP core network design to reflect changing traffic patterns.

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Adjusting traffic engineering objectives to recover stranded network capacity from the
existing network design

Consolidating high-volume demands into more cost-effective 40 GbE/100 GbE

technology

Consolidating central office resources where there are cost advantages

Moving to smaller nodal topologies; larger topologies are less efficient and more
expensive
2014 Alcatel-Lucent

4.
|

Terms of Use (http://www3.alcatel-lucent.com/wps/portal/termsofuse)

Evaluate next-generation routing technology and compare network transformation

options.
Quantify and contrast the scalability
Privacy
(http://www3.alcatel-lucent.com/wps/portal/privacy)

and costs of adopting a next-gen core

routing platform versus upgrading and evolving the existing network.

GET THE RIGHT TOOLS AND EXPERTISE

Bell Labs can assist service providers with the tools and expertise to achieve a more nimble IP
core to reduce costs and maintain network performance. Figuring out the best way to get
there requires:

Advanced traffic modeling and forecasting tools

Traffic engineering and network optimization algorithms

Expert techno-economic analysis capabilities

With the insight these tools and expertise offer, service providers can identify the right steps
required to:

Rethink IP core networks and reduce costs.

Grow network capacity in a cost-effective way without increasing their resource footprint.

MORE INFORMATION
Read the Financial White Paper Rethinking Core Economic (http://resources.alcatellucent.com/asset/158049)

To contact the authors or request additional information, please send an e-mail to

techzine.editor@alcatel-lucent.com (mailto:techzine.editor@alcatel-lucent.com?subject=3
Strategies for an IP Core Network Refresh).

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FOOTNOTES
[1]
s.

[2]
s.

Based on the results of IP core network studies Bell Labs has conducted for various service provider

Based on the results of IP core network studies Bell Labs has conducted for various service provider

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