The TX Matrix Plus router is the centralized switch fabric of the routing matrix, which is a multiterabit routing system for interconnecting routers.
The routing matrix multichassis architecture provides scalable growth for aggregation and core services for voice, video, and data networks. It provides a flexible and cost-effective means to simplify large point-of-presence (POP) and central office environments. The routing matrix delivers high availability services from tunnel services, ATM, DS3, OC3/STM1, OC12/STM4, Gigabit Ethernet, 10-Gigabit Ethernet, OC48/STM16, OC192/STM64, and other high-speed interfaces.
The routing matrix leverages the intelligent virtual services capabilities of Junos OS, which enable you to create multiple application-specific logical networks over a single physical topology. This gives you the ability to virtually separate traffic types that require unique network attributes—such as ATM or high-priority voice over IP (VoIP) and third-generation (3G) mobile traffic—from bulk transit IP traffic.
The router architecture cleanly separates control operations from packet-forwarding operations. This design eliminates processing and traffic bottlenecks, permitting the routing matrix to achieve terabit performance levels. Control operations in the routing matrix are performed by the host subsystem, which runs Junos OS to handle traffic engineering and configuration management. High availability, interchassis communications are provided by an Ethernet LAN that interconnects the host subsystems in the TX Matrix Plus router and the line-card chassis (LCC) routers.
A TX Matrix Plus router is also referred to as a switch-fabric chassis (SFC). The command-line interface (CLI) uses sfc to refer to the TX Matrix Plus router. You manage the routing matrix by connecting the TXP-CB in the TX Matrix Plus router to external management devices.
The TX Matrix Plus router is a modular, rack-mountable system that can be installed in one standard 23-in. wide, 78-in. high, EIA telco rack.
A T1600 router in a routing matrix is also referred to as a line-card chassis (LCC). The CLI and some labels on TX Matrix Plus router hardware components use LCC or lcc to refer to a specific T1600 router.
The routing matrix with an A4 configuration consists of the following components:
Each T1600 router connected to the TX Matrix Plus router adds 1.6 terabits per second (Tbps) of nonblocking subscriber switching capacity to the routing matrix.
Switch Interface Boards (TXP-F13 SIBs) in the TX Matrix Plus router connect with the SIBs in the T1600 routers (TXP-T1600 SIBs) to create a high-speed switch fabric.
Figure 1 shows a routing matrix that connects to four T1600 routers.
Figure 1: Routing Matrix
