Summary Bullets:
- The move to server-based network functions could have an interesting impact on the edge service router’s future role in the network; growth in router-based service cards will slow.
- This is potentially good news for an operator’s CapEx, but success will rely on effective service orchestration and carrier-grade implementations, and consistent performance will remain critical.
The industry has been immersed in deep discussions regarding SDN and NFV for the past several years; these discussions have now turned to multiple feature demonstrations, proof-of-concept (PoC) initiatives and a limited number of vendor/operator trials. What has not been widely discussed is the role that the traditional IP service edge router will play in this new world of centrally controlled networks and network applications hosted by generic servers (with generic still under debate). Continue reading “NFV’s Impact on the Future of Service Routers: Back to the Classical PE Router?”