Nokia Takes New Approach to IP Routing with 7730 SXR Range

Nokia recently expanded its IP router portfolio with the new 7730 SXR (Service Interconnect Router) product family, along with new chipset technology and a SR Linux (SRL) operating system.

The company says traditional routers are optimised for simple IP transport applications, while evolving network architectures result in frequent churn in these networks to meet the needs of new protocols and services, driving up network costs.

What’s required is a fresh approach to IP routing to provide secure, adaptable connectivity in modern network operations.

During the GITEX Global event in Dubai earlier this month, Bassel Megallaa, Nokia’s IP Business Centre head for the Middle East and Africa (MEA) region, said the company wants to target the continent’s data centre sector, and capitalise on opportunities related to subsea cable infrastructure deployments to enhance broadband connectivity.

“The continent is home to the largest potential future internet user base, and every player is rushing to reach these users. Applications, whether for industrial or residential use, are evolving and becoming increasingly sensitive to delay. There is no option but to place content as close as possible to users,” said Megallaa.

He noted that the growing deployment of broadband access, including fixed, fixed-wireless access, and 5G, is pushing for enhanced capacity and intelligence in aggregation and metro networks.

There is an increasing demand for capacity and capability due to broadband investments and evolving cloud network architectures.

Additionally, the proliferation of end devices is expanding the attack surface and security threats.

Fresh network architecture

Nokia claims that the scale and capabilities of the new routers make them ideal for smaller/distributed IP edge locations.

“The call of the day is to provide secure and assured connectivity on a platform that fully leverages modern network operations and has the silicon and software flexibility to easily adapt to new requirements,” said Megallaa.

The 7730 SXR platform is built with Nokia’s SR Linux network operating system (NOS) and network services platform (NSP) automation suite, and is said to enhance service router performance, security, assurance, and sustainability at the IP edge and core.

These systems, suitable for smaller and distributed IP edge locations, address the growing capacity needs due to broadband investments and cloud network architectures, the company added.

All 7730 SXR systems run on Nokia FPcx routing silicon and support secure connectivity with features like MACsec, ANYsec, and DDoS mitigation with traffic inspection. The FPcx chipset and the SRL open network operating system allow for modular upgrades, extending upgrade cycles and reducing operating expense for customers.

Nokia explained that with eight clusters, traffic can be routed to four of these clusters while the other four are upgraded.

“There’s no need to restart the router or the line cards. This technology will significantly reduce the time required to upgrade routers in the network, a process that can take anywhere from six months to several years depending on network complexity,” said Megallaa.

The new 7730 SXR IP routers are immediately available in the MEA region.