The Juniper MX Series is a family of ethernet routers and switches designed and manufactured by Juniper Networks. In 2006, Juniper released the first of the MX-series, the MX960, MX240, and MX480. The second generation routers, called MX "3D", were first released in 2009 and featured a new Trio chipset and IPv6 support. In 2013, the MX routers were improved to increase their bandwidth, and a virtualized MX 3D router, the vMX 3D, was released in 2014. Utilizing the Juniper Extension Toolkit (JET), third party software can be integrated into the routers.
Manufacturer | Juniper Networks |
---|---|
Introduced | 2006 |
Type | Routers and Switches |
Processor | Internet processor |
Dimensions | 1–45 rack space units |
History
editEarly releases
editOn October 18, 2006, the MX Series was publicly announced.[1] Before its release, Ethernet aggregation was a missing component of Juniper's edge network products, which was causing it to lose market-share to Alcatel.[1] The MX Series was late to market, but it was well received by analysts and customers.[2] It was part of a trend at-the-time to incorporate additional software features in routers and switches.[3]
The first product release of the MX series was the MX960, a 14-slot, 480 Gbit/s switch and router.[1][4][5] In late 2006, Juniper introduced the MX240 and MX480, which are smaller versions of the 960.[6] They had a throughput of 240 Gbit/s and 480 Gbit/s respectively.[7][8]
Further development
editIn 2009 a new line of MX "3D" products were introduced, using Juniper's programmable Trio chipset.[9] Trio is a proprietary semiconductor technology with custom network instructions. It provides a cross between network processing units and ASICs.[10] IPv6 features were added[11] and the MX80, a smaller 80 Gbit/s router, was introduced the following year.[12]
In 2011 new switch fabric cards increased the capacity of MX 3D routers.[13] In May 2011 Juniper introduced several new products including the MX5, MX10 and MX40 3D routers, which have a throughput of 20, 40 and 60 Gbit/s respectively and can each be upgraded to an MX80.[14] A collection of features called MobileNext was introduced in 2011 at Mobile World Congress, then discontinued in August 2013. According to Network World, it allowed MX 3D products to serve as a mobile "gateway, an authentication and management control plan for 2G/3G and LTE mobile packet cores and as a policy manager for subscriber management systems."[15]
In October 2012, Juniper introduced the MX2020 and 2010 3D Universal Edge Routers, with throughputs of 80 Tbit/s and 40 Tbit/s respectively.[16] Juniper also released a video caching system for the MX family and a suite of software applications that include parental control, firewall and traffic monitoring.[16] New "Virtual Chassis" features allowed network operators to manage multiple boxes as though they were a single router or switch.[12]
Recent developments
editIn 2013, Juniper introduced new line cards for the MX series and a new switch fabric module, intended to upgrade the MX series' for higher bandwidth needs and for software-defined networking applications.[17] The capacity of the MX240, 480 and 960 were increased by double or more.[18] A new Multiservice Modular Interface Card (MS-MIC) was incorporated that supports up to 9 Gbit/s for services like tunneling software.[18]
In March 2013, Juniper released the EX9200 switch, which isn't part of the MX Series, but uses the same software and Trio chipset.[18] A virtualized MX series 3D router, the vMX 3D, was introduced in November 2014.[19] A suite of updates were announced in late 2015. New MPC line cards were introduced, which have a throughput of up to 1.6 Tbit/s. Simultaneously the Juniper Extension Toolkit (JET) was announced.[20] JET is a programming interface for integrating third-party applications that automate provisioning, maintenance and other tasks.[20][21] The Junos Telemetry Interface was also announced at the same time. It reports data to applications and other equipment to automate changes to the network in response to faults or in order optimize performance.[20][21]
Current products and specifications
editAccording to Juniper's website, Juniper's current MX Series products include the following:[22]
Router/Switch | Capacity (Gbps) | Size (rack units) |
---|---|---|
MX5 | 20 (upgradeable to 80) | 2U |
MX10 | 40 (upgradeable to 80) | 2U |
MX40 | 60 (upgradeable to 80) | 2U |
MX80 | 80 | 2U |
MX104 | 80 | 3.5U |
MX150 | 40 | 1U |
MX204 | 800 | 1U |
MX240 | 1,920 | 5U |
MX304 | 4,800 | 2U |
MX480 | 5,120 | 8U |
MX960 | 9,920 | 16U |
MX2008 | 40,000 | 24U |
MX2010 | 40,000 | 34U |
MX2020 | 80,000 | 45U |
MX10003 | 2,400 | 3U |
MX10008 | 19,200 | 13U |
MX10016 | 38,400 | 21U |
Virtual MX | 160[23] | N/A |
References
edit- ^ a b c Duffy, Jim (October 10, 2006). "Juniper set to roll out Ethernet switches". Network World. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- ^ Womack, Brian (August 28, 2008). "Cisco Suddenly Lagging Juniper In Some Router Technology". Investor's Business Daily.
- ^ Lawton, George (2009). "Routing Faces Dramatic Changes". Computer. 42 (9). Institute of Electrical: 15–17. doi:10.1109/mc.2009.297.
- ^ Wirbel, Loring (October 30, 2006). "Juniper router handles IPTV". Electronic Engineering Times. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "Juniper Preps Metro Ethernet Switch/Router". eWeek. October 11, 2006. Retrieved September 23, 2015.[permanent dead link]
- ^ Duffy, Jim (September 25, 2007). "Juniper extends Carrier Ethernet line; enterprise next?". Network World. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- ^ "Juniper Broadens Metro Ethernet Switch Line". eWeek.com. September 25, 2007. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ "Juniper takes its Ethernet gear to the edge". Telephony. September 25, 2007. Archived from the original on February 4, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Fratto, Mike (November 9, 2009). "Juniper Seeks Advantage Through Integration". InformationWeek.
- ^ Raiola, Ralph (September 14, 2015). "Juniper Processors Promise New Dimensions in Scalability". Chip Design Magazine. Archived from the original on January 31, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ Marsan, Carolyn (November 16, 2010). "Juniper defends poky pace on IPv6-enabling". Network World.
- ^ a b Duffy, Jim (May 20, 2010). "Juniper seeks to out-virtualize Cisco in data centers". Network World. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ Duffy, Jim (September 13, 2011). "Juniper follows Cisco with edge upgrade". Network World. Archived from the original on January 28, 2016. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- ^ Berndtson, Chad (May 2, 2011). "Juniper Adds Edge Routers With Focus On WAN Scalability". CRN. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Duffy, Jim (August 28, 2013). "Juniper kills MobileNext mobile packet product line". Network World. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ a b Duffy, Jim (October 11, 2012). "Juniper fortifies network edge with new routers". Network World. Retrieved September 22, 2015.
- ^ "Juniper Accelerates MX Routers for SDN". Enterprise Networking Planet. October 16, 2013. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Duffy, Jim (October 15, 2013). "Juniper seeks edge router advantage over Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent". Network World. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
- ^ Duffy, Jim (November 6, 2014). "Juniper virtualizes MX router to help companies more rapidly turn-up services". Network World. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ a b c Duffy, Jim (December 8, 2015). "Juniper Networks adds an edge to its router". Network World. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ^ a b "Juniper Boosts Router Automation & Performance". Light Reading. January 1, 2010. Retrieved December 8, 2015.
- ^ "MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers – Technical Documentation – Support". Juniper Networks. Retrieved September 24, 2015.
- ^ "Juniper's MX Router Goes Virtual". SDxCentral. November 6, 2014. Retrieved October 20, 2015.