MX480 Router Description
The MX480 3D Universal Edge Router is an Ethernet-optimized edge router that provides both switching and carrier-class Ethernet routing. The MX480 router has a capacity of up to 720 gigabits per second (Gbps), full duplex. The MX480 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 MX480 chassis provides redundancy and resiliency. The hardware system is fully redundant, including power supplies, Routing Engines, and Switch Control Boards (SCBs).
The MX480 router is eight rack units (U) tall. Five routers can be stacked in a single floor-to-ceiling rack, for increased port density per unit of floor space. The router provides eight slots that can be populated with up to six Dense Port Concentrators (DPCs) or Modular Port Concentrators (MPCs), three Flexible PIC Concentrators (FPCs), and two SCBs. Each FPC holds up to two PICs and each MPC holds up to two Modular Interface Cards (MICs).
Fully populated, the MX480 router provides an aggregate throughput of up to 720 Gbps, with line-rate throughput on 72 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, or oversubscribed forwarding at a gross ratio of 3:4 on all 96 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports.
Each DPC includes either two or four Packet Forwarding Engines. Each Packet Forwarding Engine enables a throughput of 10 Gbps. Many types of DPCs are available. For a list of the DPCs supported, see the MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers Line Card Guide.
The MX480 supports up to 3 FPCs containing up to 6 PICs or up to 6 MPCs containing up to 12 MICs. For a list of the supported line cards, see the MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers Line Card Guide.
The connections between DPCs, FPCs, MPCs, and SCBs are organized in three groups:
- Switch fabric—Connects the interface cards and provides for packet transport between DPCs, FPCs, and MPCs.
- 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 for low-level status diagnostic support.
