NPE-G2 vs. Sup720-3BXL

Fri May 15 19:56:57 UTC 2009

> We need true full routes and more CPU horsepower for crunching BGP
> (+12 smaller peers + ISIS). OC3 interfaces are going to be mandatory,
> one each at two locations. Oh yeah, we're still a larger startup
> without endless pockets. Power, rack space, and SmartNet are not
> concerns at any location (on-site cold spares). We may need an
> upstream OC12 in the future but that's a ways out and not a concern
> here.
>
> Our engineering team has settled on three $20k/node options:
> - Sup720-3BXLs with PS and fan upgrades
> - Sup2s as switches + ISIS + statics and no BGP, push BGP edge routing
> off to NPE-G2s across a 2-3Gbps port-channel
> - Sup2s as switches + ISIS + statics and no BGP, push BGP edge routing
> off to a 12008 with E3 engines across a 2-3Gbps port-channel.
>
> Ideas and constructive opinions welcome, especially software and
> stability-related.
>

For about $6k all in, you could pickup a monster dual Xeon server with a few
10GE PCI line cards and run a subscription service of the Vyatta open source
router.  With high end machine specs, we've been able to run 5 full tables
and a solid amount of peers with about 6.5Gbps sustained to the net without
any stress.  For  access, we just trunk one of the PCI cards down to a 6506
or a 3750 and it runs nice and clean.  The only downside to this setup is
the lack of cisco proprietary software features which it sounds like you
might need.  If anything you might be able to keep your existing setup and
uplink everything to one of these routers as an edge device.

Adam

_______________
Adam LaFountain