Connecting Customers with Services

Cisco IP Next-Generation Network Carrier Ethernet Design

welcome to
the human network.
The Connected Life
The Internet is not simply a network of computers; it is a network of people
who connect with each other when, where, and how they want—it is the
Human Network. Networking is the foundation for all of the collaboration and
co-creation that is happening online, and is the basis of a
‘Connected Life’, where empowered consumers access many services from
many screens.
As wireline, cable, and mobile service providers strive to
increase revenue with new integrated data, voice, and video
services, they must transition from being service access
providers to “experience providers” that offer compelling “any
play” services available anytime and anywhere. The Cisco® IP
Next-Generation Network (IP NGN) Carrier Ethernet Design is a
foundation to optimize the transport of any service consistently
with a high quality of experience (QoE). With this design service
providers can make this transition efficiently, and thus position
themselves to deliver a Connected-Life experience to a new
generation of subscribers (Figure 1).
Competition, Convergence, and Change
The race is on to replace single-purpose networks with all-encompassing
IP networks. The benefits of an IP NGN are well-understood: rapid delivery
of rich multimedia services, increased efficiency, enhanced resource
management, and superior service and network control—a complete
business transformation for service providers.
IP service delivery has supercharged competition in the marketplace. Cable operators are
offering voice over IP (VoIP) and wireline operators are countering with video-on-demand (VoD)
and IPTV offerings. Fixed mobile convergence (FMC) is required to ensure transparent delivery of
mobile “follow-me” services and revenue sharing across network boundaries. As many telecom
providers continue to develop their own any-play service strategies, new competition is coming
from operators who deliver services over their existing networks. The result is that service
providers face constant pressure to improve margins, reduce costs, and increase their average
revenue per user (ARPU) with integrated, higher-value multimedia services.
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design supports these business goals with five essential
attributes: convergence, resilience, intelligence, and scalability.
These attributes enable experience providers to combine a converged set of network elements
to offer a diverse set of advanced services that support the primary goal of simplifying network
operations and reducing capital costs.
Figure 1. Powering the Connected Life Into the Zettabyte Era
GPS Tracking/
Travel Info
Residential Video: Custom Downloads:
IPTV/VoD/DVR Music/Games/Video
Connected Home: Mobile Video:
Media/Storage Streaming Content
Unified Communications/Business Presence-Based
Collaboration Tools Services/Search
Remote Access/ Business Video:
Productivity TelePresence
One Network for Residential and Business Services
Service providers that implement converged multiservice networks
can anticipate cost savings from integrated network operations. The IP
NGN Carrier Ethernet Design supports a smooth integration of business,
residential, wholesale and managed services over a converged infrastructure
by leveraging Ethernet and IP/MPLS technology.
This design extends consistent transport of “any play” services to a purpose built and
cost-effective Ethernet fiber-to-the-x (FTTx) access solution complemented by validated support
for many broadband access technologies (e.g. Ethernet, DOCSIS, DSL, PON, WiMAX, WiFi).
Wholesale services are also supported for both residential and business customers whereby
retail service providers are given interconnectivity to their subscribers over a tunnel or virtual
private network (VPN). For managed services, the Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design fully
integrates multiservice edge functions into the aggregation network, thus optimizing the cost and
operational effort required for business VPNs.
Optimize Any-Play Services to the Home
IP customers, transitioning from cable-based TV or circuit-switched voice,
have high expectations of service reliability. Edge infrastructure must
accommodate more advanced service requirements that surpass those for
best-effort, high-speed Internet services.
Bundled IP triple-play services require enhanced policy management, service control, and
granular quality of service (QoS) to meet subscriber expectations. Wireline providers are
beginning to implement ”any play” networks that support integrated IPTV video, voice, Internet
access, and mobility as a single service package. Mobile service providers prefer to deploy their
third-generation (3G) and WiMAX services, Wi-Fi hotspots, and hot zones over a single scalable
aggregation network that uses Carrier Ethernet for broadband wireless backhaul that will evolve to
support higher-bandwidth Long Term Evolution (LTE) mobile services.
QoS, security, and resiliency requirements for these new residential services closely approximate
those of enterprise customers. Service providers need a stable entertainment-grade network. At
the network edge they must have a sturdy, flexible, adaptable platform that can be easily extended
across the network to successfully support bundled residential services. Figure 2 shows how the
Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design provides flexible integration of any-play services.
Figure 2. The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet solution provides
flexible integration of Any-Play services
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design
Transforming Consumer and Business Services
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design (Figure 3) represents critical
elements of the Cisco IP NGN architecture that enable a best-in-class
implementation for consistent service delivery optimized to meet the specific
demands of each service. It is the end-to-end service transport foundation
from access to the IP/MPLS core. This design provides integrated linkages
with the service and application layer components providing a converged,
intelligent, reliable, and scalable network model capable of delivering current
and future network service requirements.
One of the important principles of the Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design is that multiple
networking technologies are used to provide optimal flexibility for current and
next-generation service offerings. This model allows service providers to support a broad range
of services while minimizing the capital expenditures and operating expenses associated with the
network infrastructure.
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design is also the most scalable approach to delivering
residential IPTV because it uses standards-based IP Multicast to deliver broadcast video to
the edge of the network. Design implementation is optimized for video and business services
to provide the fast routing convergence and rapid channel-change capabilities expected by
business and consumer video service subscribers.
Flexible and Scalable Service Intelligence
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design provides a platform-independent architecture and
Ethernet-based services model across all Carrier Ethernet platforms. Thus service providers can
optimize service transport with the intelligence of appropriate networking technologies (Ethernet,
IP, MPLS, and multicast) to meet their business and QoE goals. This network design is recognized
as the industry’s most scalable and optimized video and business services transport solution with
enhanced queuing and high-availability features.
Figure 3. The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design provides comprehensive and automated
instrumentation with Ethernet Operations and Maintenance (OAM) capabilities to allow service
providers to manage service connectivity all the way to the customer premises.
The industry has recognized the Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design with the following awards:
Frost & Sullivan Award Winner 2007: Frost & Sullivan Award Winner 2007:
Global Carrier Ethernet Market Leadership Global Product Differentiation
IPTV World Series Award 2008 for IPTV
Distribution, Transport, and Delivery
Packet Optical Transport
To accommodate the massive growth in video traffic and IPTV applications, service providers
are upgrading their core and aggregation networks using IP over dense wavelength-division
multiplexing (IPoDWDM) technology from Cisco. The Cisco IPoDWDM portfolio includes DWDM-
ready core, edge, and aggregation routers providing a unique transport solution that delivers
enhanced scalability and efficiency that help fulfill the promise of infinitely flexible and end-to-end
wavelength provisioning. The Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Transport Platform (MSTP) delivers
the latest in colorless and omni directional 2- through 8-degree reconfigurable optical add/drop
multiplexer (ROADM) technology, enabling it to transparently integrate with aggregation, edge,
and core nodes -- ultimately resulting in significant capital savings.
Carrier-Class Reliability
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design is a highly reliable solution that supports fast
convergence and 50-ms link restoration across the end-to-end network from the core through to
the access layer. Using MPLS Fast Reroute (FRR) and the Resilient Ethernet Protocol (REP), the
design provides 50-ms link restoration in a variety of configurations, including rings, mesh, and
dual-homed topologies.
Using Carrier-Grade Ethernet Management
Carrier Ethernet networks must be able to support a converged and multiservice infrastructure
with a management framework that can support consumer, business, wholesale, VoIP, video,
and broadband mobility services. The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design includes a
comprehensive open infrastructure of service activation and assurance methods to support the
workflow and business processes in a multi-vendor network environment.
Offering Network Availability Service-Level Agreements
In partnership with Cisco Advanced Services, service providers can build and operate their
networks with carrier-class availability, backed by service-level agreements (SLAs) from Cisco.
The suite of lifecycle services and operational best practices can help a provider
manage and maintain a network with a high degree of availability. This structure helps align
priorities and improve communications, resulting in optimized network performance and
operational efficiencies.
Digital Video and the New IPTV Frontier
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design supports numerous features
for advanced video service delivery by using state-of-the-art multicast
techniques. With this design, an IP NGN can also manage oversubscription
while incorporating major innovations that enhance the subscriber experience
with IPTV.
Innovating to Preserve the Visual Experience
Employing Layer 3 intelligence in the aggregation network can enhance video service delivery.
As part of the Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design, the Cisco 7600 Series Routers support
Cisco Visual Quality Experience (VQE) technology, a combination of innovations that resolve many
perplexing challenges to successful IPTV delivery. The Cisco VQE allows wireline providers to
match baseline performance expectations for picture quality and channel-change times that are
inherently difficult to achieve on copper-based transport while maintaining the overall viewing
experience.
Cisco VQE offers service providers the following
benefits:
Video error repair
Cisco VQE enables providers to precondition DSL lines for advanced video services such as IPTV
by detecting and repairing packet loss on degraded copper lines. With this technology, a set-top
box (STB) detecting packet loss can requests a retransmission while holding the video sequence
in queue. The Cisco VQE technology automatically repairs the error by transmitting the missing
packet, which is resequenced by the STB without interruption. The entire error repair cycle takes
place in less than 100 ms, and is imperceptible to the viewer.
Rapid channel change
Transparent channel change is a critical determinant for subscribers. Cisco VQE standards-
based fast channel-change technology reduces channel-change times from several seconds to
less than 1 second by initiating video streams in less than 100 ms after a request is made. This
technology works in conjunction with STBs to detect and accelerate channel-change requests.
The result is transparent to viewers, who see an uninterrupted channel change followed by
successive video motion.
Video Connection Admission Control (CAC)
Occasional peaks in traffic usage can dramatically affect video quality. A single incremental
access request for high-demand broadcast channels or VoD, if permitted, can disrupt the
viewing experience for that entire community of viewers because network bandwidth becomes
oversubscribed. Comprehensive and reliable admission control can help preserve the viewing
experience for all subscribers.
By employing in-path usage analysis that quickly and accurately tracks network bandwidth, Cisco
Video CAC prevents initiation of a request when it is determined that the network temporarily
lacks the capacity to handle additional video streams in response to new requests. Subscriber
notification is provided to gracefully delay a service request, and simultaneously preserve the
visual experience for subscribers enjoying existing feeds.
Video Assurance Management Solution
The Cisco Video Assurance Management Solution (VAMS) provides real-time, centralized
monitoring for broadcast video transport. It monitors video streams in real time and sends
providers proactive alerts if picture quality is degraded, enabling them to determine the cause
of the degradation and correct it before call centers are overwhelmed. In addition, the VAMS
maintains and tracks the dynamic mapping of video channels to multicast addresses, giving the
service providers the means to easily pinpoint video quality issues anywhere in their network.
 Mobile Backhaul
Mobile service providers need to build a robust yet flexible IP transport network that takes
advantage of packet economics. At the same time they must also support 2G, 3G, and emerging
4G technologies while continuing to align their network architecture with Third-Generation
Partnership Project (3GPP/3GPP2) standards. To achieve these goals, mobile service providers
must evolve their Radio Access Network (RAN) transport from traditional circuit-based technology
to a packet-based solution.
The Cisco Mobile Transport over Pseudowires (MToP) solution uses industry-standard (PWE3)
pseudowire and native Ethernet technology to extend the features and benefits of the packet-
based core into the RAN. The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design integrates the Cisco MToP
solution using circuit-emulation-over-packet (CEoP) shared port adapters (SPAs) that work
with traditional 2G and 3G radio equipment for IP RAN backhaul. These network capabilities
are combined with the integrated Cisco Content Services Gateway (CSG) modules to create a
differentiated billing model through traffic analysis, data mining, content filtering and intelligent
business policy enforcement. Mobile backhaul services to the cell site are complemented
by Cisco Mobile Wireless Router (MWR) series, supporting trouble-free expansion to support
emerging 4G technologies.

Mobile IP: WiMAX

WiMAX is a fourth-generation (4G) wireless solution based on the IEEE 802.16e standard for
delivering advanced broadband wireless services in emerging, high-growth and established
markets. Service providers can take advantage of Mobile IP technologies to provide ubiquitous
service and deliver a persistent connection for users, independent of their location. The Cisco
IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design supports integrated Broadband Wireless Gateway (BWG) to
perform Access Service Network (ASN) functions for end-to-end QoS, Network Admission
Control, mobility, and security.

Metropolitan Wi-Fi Mesh Networking

The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design provides industry-leading ability to converge services
over Ethernet, which also include metropolitan Wi-Fi mesh networks. The Wireless Services
Module (WiSM), integrated in the Cisco 7600 Series Routers, offers integrated, secure Wi-Fi
access-point aggregation capabilities, enabling service providers to deliver scaleable mobility
services to customer on the move .
The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design supports a wide range of evolving broadband mobility
services and can be adapted to support future high-bandwidth 4G mobile applications (LTE). This
design supports easy, secure, transparent roaming and provides integrated QoS capabilities to

Optimized Broadband Mobility optimize the mobile user experience.

Mobile wireless networks are poised to become a primary vehicle for a wide
variety of telecom applications. Service providers are focusing on building
networks that can deliver a host of real-time multimedia solutions in addition
to supporting business-class data applications and services.
 Cisco Intelligent Services Gateway
Cisco Catalyst This platform-independent software, available in intelligent edge routers including the Cisco
3750 Metro Aggregation Services Router (ASR) 1000, Cisco ASR 9000, Cisco 7600 and Cisco 10000 Series
Routers, automatically detects when users are accessing the network and determines both the
type of services each user is requesting and the type of device each user employs.
Cisco MWR 2941-DC
Cisco ME 4924 Capabilities such as multidimensional identity simplify subscriber authentication, permitting sign-
on to a multitude of services from any access point. Subscriber profiles become extensible based
upon usage, enabling high-quality, tailored service delivery. Integrated local policy management
Cisco ME 3400 allows service providers to dynamically apply QoS on a per-subscriber and -application basis.
By locally administering policy for well-defined services, experience providers can dynamically
personalize services and address subscriber-specific preferences that significantly enhances the
overall user experience.

Cisco Service Control Engine

Cisco ME 6524 Cisco Integrated This carrier-grade network element inspects packets within each traffic flow, making the network
Services Router both application- and subscriber-aware. The Cisco SCE communicates with a policy manager
to differentiate between traffic types and prioritize traffic flows, thereby optimizes the network to
meet specific SLAs.

Policy Management
Cisco policy management uses the intelligence in edge routers to automatically detect when
users access the network, while enabling the ability to use authentication, authorization, and
accounting (AAA) servers for operational duties. The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design
enables the network-based or centralized policy management system to detect policy triggers or
Cisco ASR 1000 make policy decisions.
Cisco 10000

Enhancing the User Experience Cisco ONS 15454

Cisco ONS 15310-MA

Industry’s First Subscriber – and Cisco Catalyst 6500

Application-Driven Solution
Personalized Subscriber and Application Management
As service providers transform into experience providers, they must sufficiently control network Cisco 12000/XR
access in order to identify, in real time, subscribers and the services they use. This access control 12000
requires a clear understanding of who subscribers are, what services they are using, and what Cisco Catalyst 4500
policies govern each account.
The close coupling of subscriber- and application-aware functions enabled by the Cisco
Intelligent Services Gateway (ISG) and Cisco Service Control Engine (SCE) allows service Cisco CRS-1
providers to dramatically enhance the QoE for any-play services. The integration of the Cisco
ISG and Cisco SCE into the IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design enhances the user experience
and enables new push-based network features that are personalized, allowing subscribers to
select their preferred set of services for automatic prioritization based on individual needs and Cisco ASR 9000
preferences.
Cisco 7600

Figure 4. The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design Product Portfolio

Welcome to the Human Network
Realizing the Promise of the IP NGN
The potential of the Internet is being fulfilled by more than the physical
network alone. Today, it is about the power of the human network, where end
users are creating collaborative websites, mixing content, and deciding how
companies will interact with them.
Today’s consumers demand a unified, personalized, high-performance experience for data, voice,
and video services at home, at work, and on the move—and the Cisco IP NGN is the fundamental
platform that enables these rich Connected Life experiences.
Service providers can now apply Cisco IP NGN and partner technologies to blend and integrate
data, voice, and video services to create unique “connected experiences” for their residential
and business consumers, and in doing so, transform from being a service provider to being an
experience provider.
With the Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design, residential and business consumers can
personalize and define their connected lives using the next-generation services that experience
providers deliver. With ubiquitous mobility for home- and office-based services, consumers are
never out of touch with friends, family, or business associates; nor are they ever disconnected
from their business networks and tools or unable to view and listen to their preferred
entertainment. Integrated service delivery requires a network infrastructure that can converge
functions and decrease costs so that providers can successfully—and profitably—deliver on
the promise of ”any play” services. The Cisco IP NGN Carrier Ethernet Design offers service
providers the most extensive set of configurable options to meet evolving needs while enabling
unsurpassed cost savings.

Figure 5 Experiences on the Human Network

Printed in USA 01/09

© 2009 Cisco Systems, Inc. All rights reserved. This document is Cisco Public Information. 12928-0109/Cisco