Network & Communication

Ethernet Interface Modules

The Cisco ASR 900 Ethernet interface modules are designed to give customers flexibility and value. All Ethernet interface modules share a common core that supports time-stamping on the module for Y.1731 operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) delay measurement functions, to achieve precise results for one-way and two-way delay measurement. The modules also provide time-stamping functions for the IEEE 1588-2008 protocol. These time stamps help ensure that the Cisco ASR 900 Series Routers achieve outstanding results when deploying IEEE 1588-2008 protocols for frequency and phase synchronization. Not all customers will deploy IEEE 1588-2008 for synchronization, therefore the Ethernet interface modules also support input and output frequency synchronization using synchronous Ethernet (SyncE).

The Cisco ASR 903 Router has six interface module slots. There are two types of interface module slots. Four slots support all of the available interface modules. The remaining two slots support only the Gigabit Ethernet and TDM Interface modules, the 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules are not supported in these slots. One of these two slots is limited to a maximum of seven Gigabit Ethernet ports with the Cisco ASR 900 Route Switch Processor (RSP1).

Legacy Copper Access Networks, based on Plesiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH), and Optical Metro Networks, based on Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) or Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) technologies, set the standards for reliability, capacity and efficiency transporting time-division multiplexing (TDM) traffic and carrying voice and data services. Service Providers and Carriers are nonetheless faced with many challenges and limitations imposed by these legacy networks and need alternatives for migrating their circuit-switched transport networks to future-proof packet-based network.

The Cisco® ASR 900 Series address the legacy network inefficiencies by delivering a cost-effective, modular solution based on a protocol-independent fabric architecture. The Cisco ASR 900 Series, as part of the Cisco Evolved Programmable Network (EPN) architecture, is capable of delivering unbounded scale and unmatched Circuit Emulation (CEM) and Optical Transport Network (OTN) capabilities, in addition to Carrier Ethernet business services, over a redundant and protected packet-based network (Multiprotocol Label Switching [MPLS]/FlexLSP).

Cisco^® ASR 900 Series interface modules are designed to support a wide range of services, speeds, temperature ranges, and capabilities. They provide cost-effective delivery of converged circuit emulation, optical transport network and business Ethernet services.

Product overview

Overcome the limitations of legacy network technologies in your access network (PDH, SONET, SDH) and evolve beyond a circuit-switched transport networks to a future-proof packet-based network with the Cisco ASR 900 Series. The ASR 900 Series addresses legacy network inefficiencies by delivering a cost-effective, modular solution based on a protocol-independent fabric architecture. The ASR 900 Series, delivers unbounded scale with Circuit Emulation (CEM) and Optical Transport Network (OTN) capabilities, in addition to supporting Carrier Ethernet business services, over a redundant and protected packet-based network (Multiprotocol Label Switching [MPLS]/FlexLSP).