BANGALORE, INDIA: Not long ago did Juniper Networks and Alcatel Lucent announce their foray into 100Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) router interface space.

Now when the networking industry is pepping up for 100GbE, how can Cisco, the one who tested the first router interface a year back, be left behind?!

Let's us hear it from Chandan Mendiratta, VP, System Engineering, Service Provider, Cisco India & SAARC, on Cisco's plan with regard to 100GbE router interface card.

CIOL: When can the networking industry expect an announcement with regard to 100GbE router interface card from Cisco?

Chandan Mendiratta: Cisco does not comment on future products. That being said, we were the first to demonstrate 100GbE interface on a router more than a year back, in June 2008. We showed this interface on the CRS-1 on Comcast’s production DWDM network over 300kms. Also, Cisco is committed to a standards-based 100GbE solution.

Cisco has actively taken leadership roles in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, Inc. (IEEE) and Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) to define the future standards and continue to drive innovation and development through close collaboration within the community of vendors and service providers.

CIOL: Cisco had tested a 100Gbit/sec interface for its CRS-1 router, a year back. However, Cisco hasn't made any official announcements yet. Why?

CM: We believe that the availability of 100GbE interface will depend on the finalization of the IEEE standards (which is due only in summer of 2010) and the readiness of customers to deploy it. The demonstration a year back was an affirmation of the leadership Cisco has in this technology space.

CIOL: Will it be an aggregation of 10*10GbE cards or a full-fledged 100GbE card? How will it be different from Juniper Networks' and Alcatel Lucent's?

CM: Cisco’s demonstration of 100GE was in the real-world on Comcast’s production network spread between 2 cities in 300kms (McLean, VA & Philadelphia, PA). Cisco led the way with the technology available at the time (which was multi-mode ribbon cable). The interface optics between the router and the optical network was in line with the inverse multiplexing mechanism (e.g. 10x10Gbps) being standardized within the IEEE standards.

This was a year back before any vendor announced 100GE roadmaps. To date, this remains the only 100GE router demonstration on a customer production network.

CIOL: What will drive the demand for 100GbE router interface card in the networking space?

CM: At the outset, as natural for any new interface, 100GbE technology will be applicable in high speed interconnects. These could be within data centers and between carrier points-of-presence (POPs). IEEE is defining 40GbE at the same time as 100GbE, and the former is targeted towards server connectivity.

CIOL: Will Cisco fall behind Juniper Networks and Alcatel Lucent, as it is a late arriver into the 100GbE space?

CM: 100GbE technology will start being adopted by customers once the standards are final in summer of CY2010 as they are then assured of interoperability. Cisco was the first to show the viability of this technology by building the world’s first 100GbE router interface card more than a year before any of our competitors even announced their roadmap.