Citrix introduced its next generation NetScaler MPX 25000 series, a carrier-grade application delivery controller (ADC) for communications service providers. The new NetScaler is a two rack-unit (2RU) 160 gigabit-per-second appliance that enables operators to scale mobile S/Gi-LAN data plane capacity to 3.5 Tbps while preserving earlier capacity investments.
Significantly, the NetScaler MPX 25000 series can enable the transition to NFV by converting to a multi-tenant platform supporting dozens of virtual ADC instances. The company said it is able to capture cloud-scale efficiencies and economics in the NetScaler MPX 25000 series by using merchant silicon rather than the custom ASICs common to competing ADC products.
Key benefits of the NetScaler MPX 25000:
- Scale mobile S/Gi-LAN services – Enables operators to scale any network use case, including optimization and gateway load balancing, CGNAT and traffic-steering in the data plane; and LTE DNS, SMPP, SIP, and Diameter load-balancing in the control plane.
- Consolidate multiple use cases on a single platform – Allows operators to reduce use case-specific deployments that add complexity and inefficiency to the S/Gi-LAN environment. The most impactful consolidated scenario is that of carrier-grade network address translation (CGNAT) and data-plane load balancing and, optionally, traffic steering.
- Minimize stranded investments – Helps operators protect their network infrastructure investment through Citrix TriScale scale-out clustering, which enables multiple appliances to be treated as a single logical and functional unit. As operators look to minimize up-front investment and scale capacity with new hardware, they can continue to make use of the original hardware.
- Bridge the NFV gap – Helps operators protect and transition their network infrastructure to multi-tenant appliances supporting up to eighty virtual ADC instances with Citrix TriScale scale-in multi-tenancy.
“The NFV-driven discontinuity in the mobile industry is challenging operators to re-architect and rethink their delivery networks. Drawing on our experience from deployments in more than 140 mobile networks and in the world’s largest public clouds, Citrix continues to deliver the technology innovation to help mobile operators transform their networks. This is made possible by NetScaler – the industry’s only fully software-defined ADC,” stated Klaus Oestermann, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Delivery Networks, Citrix.