MX960 Router Overview

The MX960 3D Universal Edge Router is an Ethernet-optimized edge router that provides both switching and carrier-class Ethernet routing. The MX960 router has a capacity of up to 1,320 gigabits per second (Gbps), full duplex. The MX960 router enables a wide range of business and residential applications and services, including high-speed transport and VPN services, next-generation broadband multiplay services, and high-volume Internet data center internetworking.

The MX960 chassis provides redundancy and resiliency. The hardware system is fully redundant, including power supplies, fan trays, Routing Engines, and Switch Control Boards.

The MX960 router is 16 rack units (U) tall. Three routers can be stacked in a single floor-to-ceiling rack, for increased port density per unit of floor space. The router provides 14 slots that can be populated with up to 12 Dense Port Concentrators (DPCs) or Modular Port Concentrators (MPCs), six Flexible PIC Concentrators (FPCs), and two Switch Control Boards (SCBs) in nonredundant fabric configurations.

Fully populated, the MX960 router provides an aggregate throughput of up to 1,320 Gbps, with line-rate throughput on 132 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, or oversubscribed forwarding at a gross ratio of 2:1 on all 196 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports.

Several types of DPCs are available. Each DPC includes either two or four Packet Forwarding Engines. Each Packet Forwarding Engine enables a throughput of 10 Gbps.

Up to two PICs can be installed in each FPC. Fully populated, the MX960 supports up to 12 PICs.

Up to two Modular Interface Cards (MICs) can be installed in each MPC. Fully populated, the MX960 supports up to 24 MICs.

For a list of the supported DPCs, FPCs, MPCs, MICs, and PICs, see the MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers Line Card Guide .

The connections between interface cards and SCBs are organized in three groups:

• Switch fabric—Connects the interface cards and provides for packet transport between DPCs, FPCs, and MPCs. Two SCBs provide one nonredundant fabric. Three SCBS are required for a redundant fabric configuration.
• Control Plane—Gigabit Ethernet links between the combined SCBs/Routing Engines and each DPC, FPC, or MPC. All board-to-board information is passed over Ethernet except for low-level status and commands.
• Management signals—Provide low-level status diagnostic support.