Cisco ASR 920 Series Aggregation Services Routers: Low-Port-Density Models Data Sheet

The Cisco^® ASR 920 Series Aggregation Services Router (ASR) is a full-featured converged access platform designed for the cost-effective delivery of wireline and wireless services. These temperature hardened, high-throughput, small form factor, low-power-consumption routers are optimized for mobile backhaul and business applications. The Cisco ASR 920 Router provides a comprehensive and scalable feature set of Layer 2 VPN (L2VPN) and Layer 3 VPN (L3VPN) services in a compact package. It also enables service providers to deploy Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS)-based VPN services from within the access layer. The Cisco ASR 920 Series offers key Carrier Ethernet features that simplify network operation; you can use them for premium services with enhanced service-level agreements (SLAs). An optional "pay-as-you-grow" feature and service activation model makes the Cisco ASR 920 Series flexible and cost-effective.

The Cisco ASR 920 Series has multiple models with different port densities, including the following models that feature lower port densities:

●   Cisco ASR 920 Series (part number ASR-920-12CZ-A)

●   Cisco ASR 920 Series (ASR-920-12CZ-D)

●   Cisco ASR 920 Series (ASR-920-4SZ-A)

●   Cisco ASR 920 Series (ASR-920-4SZ-D)

Major Applications

Broadband Access

The Cisco ASR 920 Router supports broadband access for delivering “any-play” services (voice, video, data, and mobility) to thousands of subscribers, with quality of service (QoS) on the Cisco ASR 920 Router capable of scaling up to a large number of queues per device. The large number of queues, combined with the three-level hierarchical QoS algorithm, results in an enhanced broadband user experience. This full-featured Layer 2 switch and Layer 3 router supports a variety of broadband applications including IPTV and video on demand (VoD), enhancing and extending the Cisco Evolved Programmable Network (EPN) architecture.

Converged Access for Mobile Applications

Deployed as a converged access platform for mobile backhaul, the Cisco ASR 920 Router can aggregate multiple base stations through multiple Ethernet and IP interfaces and can use MPLS as a transport for mobile backhaul traffic. It provides the timing services required in today’s converged access networks by offering integrated support for the Building Integrated Timing Supply (BITS), 1 Pulse Per Second (1PPS), and Time Of Day (TOD) interfaces. The Cisco ASR 920 Router also supports Synchronous Ethernet (SyncE) and IEEE-1588 and can act as the source for network clocking for time-division multiplexing (TDM), SDH and SONET, and SyncE interfaces. In addition to the timing services, the Cisco ASR 920 Router can be deployed in small and fully sealed cabinets in outside environments because of its small form factor and durability in extended temperature ranges.

Metro Ethernet Access

The Cisco ASR 920 Router is built to meet service provider requirements for Carrier Ethernet access. It is optimized for remote access and central offices for smaller aggregation sites where a full-featured, small-footprint converged platform is needed. The Router offers service flexibility and delivers Layer 2, IP, and MPLS transport for advanced L2VPN, L3VPN, and multicast services.

Major Differentiators

The Cisco ASR 920 Router helps service providers deliver differentiated, cost-effective advanced services such as residential broadband, mobile, and Metro Ethernet based on a variety of features.

Flexible Deployment Options

The Cisco ASR 920 Router is designed with a 1RU compact form factor to accommodate deployment in small spaces. Available with a range of mounting options, the router can be deployed in space-constrained locations such as ETSI 300-mm deep cabinets. A small footprint and extended temperature range allow service providers to extend the reach of their Carrier Ethernet networks to more challenging and remote locations.

Power-Supply Unit: High Availability

The Cisco ASR 920 product family offers a choice of AC and DC power supplies. They are redundant and built
into the chassis. The Ethernet interfaces are available in copper and fiber, with speeds ranging from 10 Mbps to
10 Gbps.

Powered by the Cisco Carrier Ethernet ASIC

Powered by the Cisco Carrier Ethernet application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), which was designed specifically for service providers, the Cisco ASR 920 Series delivers essential Carrier Ethernet technologies including hierarchical quality of service (HQoS), MPLS, and Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS). This custom and advanced ASIC design provides uninterrupted line-rate performance while delivering complex services such as access control list (ACL) and HQoS. The Carrier Ethernet ASIC integrates Cisco traffic-management innovation to deliver intelligent packet switching and routing operations.

Service Enhancement

In the Cisco ASR 920 Router, each service is assigned enhanced QoS and security attributes. The router provides advanced per-traffic-class metering and offers bidirectional packet-count and byte-count statistics. The service offering is enhanced with operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) functions that include Layer 2 Connectivity Fault Management (CFM), IP service-level agreement (SLA) for Layer 3, and MPLS OAM.

Benefits

MPLS in the Access layer

The Cisco ASR 920 Series extends MPLS into the access layer by allowing service providers to initiate MPLS-based Layer 2 and Layer 3 VPN services from within the access layer. The router gives service providers the ability to expand MPLS toward their network edge to gain the advantages of a single unified MPLS control plane across their networks. It offers full VPLS support, allowing multipoint services definition. For additional flexibility, VPLS can be deployed as a full mesh or as Hierarchical VPLS (H-VPLS).

Pay-as-You-Grow Investment Model

The return on investment (ROI) on an access element is heavily influenced by its location in the network and proximity to customers. The ability to deploy the Cisco ASR 920 Series and later activate features on demand delivers investment protection. This protection allows flexible timing for deploying MPLS and10-Gigabit Ethernet services and boosting service capacity.

Advanced Service-Level Agreements

Service-aware QoS allows service providers to expand and differentiate their services portfolio with highly advanced and differentiating SLAs. The HQoS capabilities of the Cisco ASR 920 Series scale to eight queues per service, three levels of scheduling, and buffer volumes capable of accommodating today's most demanding wireline and wireless applications.

Mobile Timing and Synchronization Services

The Cisco ASR 920 Series provides the timing services required in a converged access network to support mobile solutions including Radio Access Network (RAN) applications, and offers integrated support for the Building Integrated Timing Supply (BITS), 1 Pulse Per Second (1PPS), and Time Of Day (ToD) interfaces. The Cisco ASR 920 Series also supports SyncE with Ethernet Synchronization Messaging Channel (ESMC) and Synchronization Status Messages (SSM) to allow excellent clock-source traceability. The Cisco ASR 920 Series supports IEEE-1588, and can act as the source for network clocking for TDM, SDH and SONET interfaces, and SyncE.

Operational Efficiency for Carrier Ethernet Access Deployments

The Cisco ASR 920 Series features major enhancements that help service providers simplify and facilitate the management of their networks, resulting in diminishing operational costs. This innovative feature set allows the Cisco ASR 920 Series to be deployed in a variety of applications including business service with 10-Gigabit Ethernet User Network Interface (UNI) and Ethernet mobile backhaul.

These features enhance performance awareness, facilitate troubleshooting, and simplify service turn-up and restoration, ultimately reducing operational costs. "Dying gasp" for power indicators and four external alarm inputs to detect changes in remote sites further help service providers manage the health of network elements.

Universal Customer Premises Equipment

With all interfaces built in, this fixed-form-factor platform is versatile and can cover many deployment scenarios including Gigabit Ethernet and 10-Gigabit Ethernet deployments. The licensing mechanism supports enabling additional 1-Gigabit/10-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces as required for a particular deployment, allowing service providers to customize the configuration of the device and pay only when their services grow.

Software

The Cisco ASR 920 Series routers are supported in Cisco IOS^® XE Software, which is a modular operating system. Cisco IOS XE Software is designed to provide modular packaging, feature velocity, and powerful resiliency. For more information on the supported features and software capabilities, see the Cisco IOS XE Software for Cisco ASR 920 Series Aggregation Services Router data sheet.

Network Management

Cisco ASR 920 Series Routers are supported in the Cisco Prime^™ for EPN architectures. The Cisco Prime end-to-end network management solution drastically simplifies the design, provisioning, and management of carrier-grade networks. It is a comprehensive solution that centralizes and automates service design, fulfillment, assurance, and performance analysis to help service providers and enterprises lower their costs while meeting high customer expectations.

Optics Support

Hardware components for the Cisco ASR 920 Series Router are shown in Table 1.

Table 1.       Hardware Components for Cisco ASR 920 Router

Tables 2 through 4 list the product, power, and environmental specifications for the Cisco ASR 920 Router. Table 5 provides safety and compliance information.

Table 2.       Cisco ASR 920 Router System Specifications

Table 3.       Power Specifications

Table 4.       Environmental Specifications

Table 5.       Safety and Compliance

Warranty Information

Find warranty information on Cisco.com at the Product Warranties page.

Service and Support

Cisco offers a wide range of services programs to accelerate customer success. These innovative services programs are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, resulting in high levels of customer satisfaction. Cisco Services help you protect your network investment, optimize network operations, and prepare your network for new applications to extend network intelligence and the power of your business. For more information about Cisco Services, refer to Cisco Technical Support Services or Cisco Advanced Services.

Cisco is committed to minimizing your total cost of ownership. Cisco offers a portfolio of technical support services to help ensure that Cisco products operate efficiently, remain highly available, and benefit from the most up-to-date system software. The services and support programs described in Table 6 are available as part of the Cisco Carrier Ethernet Switching Service and Support solution and are available directly from Cisco and through resellers.

Table 6.       Service and Support