This last month was full of action, personally as well as professionally, as another peak has now arrived for Telco Systems with the launch of our new next generation mobile backhaul product, the T-Marc 3312SC, at Ethernet Expo Americas 2012 in the storm-recovering NYC.
When we first discussed this product, we wanted to bring to the market something disruptive, that will help our customers face the mobile data tsunami and support them in their efforts in introducing innovative technologies like small cells.
We wanted something smaller.
We wanted something denser.
We wanted something smarter.
T-Marc 3312SC
We’ve heard from our customers that they are looking for something that will fit a small footprint, but at the same time, will provide high density to support a variety of deployment scenarios, especially the combination of Macro cells and small cells, and the convergence of 2G /3G networks. Furthermore, they want their products to have the brains to support assured SLA, very high quality of service (QoS) and time synchronization.
Our engineers really pulled it together and managed to push 12x1G ports + 8xE1/T1 CES ports into a 1 RU high, half-shelf wide box that consumes very low power – thus lowering operating expenses (OPEX). Despite its small size, we insisted not to compromise its functionality, and managed to continue to extend MPLS to the demarcation point implementing full standard MPLS control plane signaling. On top of that, the T-Marc 3312SC offers very sophisticated and flexible HQoS (hierarchical QoS), as assuring SLA is key when replacing the legacy TDM networks and being a part of the mobile network infrastructure.
Resiliency is also mandatory in such a critical location, so dual redundant power supplies are implemented, as well as a variety of protection mechanisms like FRR, dual homing and secondary path for MPLS; G.8031, G.8032, and xSTP for Carrier Ethernet, and of course link aggregation (LAG).
Operation, administration and maintenance (OAM) technologies are being widely adopted in deployments around the world. They enable providers to reduce OPEX by doing real-time service testing during service activation and troubleshooting using embedded RFC-2544 and Y.1564 test heads. The OAM tools also enable service monitoring using Y.1731, which provides fault management, diagnostics and performance management. And of course, as a mobile backhaul demarcation device, the T-Marc 3312SC supports the required time synchronization and CES to substantiate a smooth migration of the legacy 2G / 3G equipment that’s already installed.
As for my personal peak, when we showed this device to Telco Systems’ CEO, he asked me “Well, what will you tell the customers this device does best?”
So I answered “It was designed to run…” and then continued, “their mobile traffic”.
He said “Prove it”.
So I had to… I had to prove to him that it was “designed to run”….
So I ran the Amsterdam Marathon.