Microsoft Ramps up its US Test Pad
By CXOtoday Staff
Mumbai, Oct 15, 2008 1451 hrs IST

Microsoft has deployed NetIron MLX Series routers from Foundry Networks at its enterprise engineering center (EEC). The MLX series are 10 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) MPLS routers that are compatible with both IPv4 and IPv6.

Microsoft's Enterprise Engineering Center is a state-of-the-art testing ground for complex computing environments and is based in Microsoft's Redmond headquarters in the United States. The Microsoft EEC can replicate production environment for customers to gain a clear view of how Microsoft's pre-release products will perform in their home environments prior to installation.

Microsoft's objective for the EEC was to deploy a network that provides internal and external customers access to resources located within the EEC and labs connected to its new 10 gigabit campus area network (CAN). The center's operators demanded a solution that would scale to meet escalating performance requirements, but would be flexible enough to allow staff to reconfigure the network regularly to meet customer needs.

With this in mind, Microsoft selected NetIron MLX-16 routers for its core and the NetIron MLX-4 routers in additional labs to allow for virtual private LAN services (VPLS) across a 10 gigabit connection.

"We needed a network infrastructure that would allow us to utilize the same network for multiple customers without compromising the security or performance of the network," said John Cressey, lead program manager for Microsoft's EEC. "However, we also wanted a solution that would let us better realize the potential for Microsoft products. Scalability and capacity were also critical criteria. Ultimately, we needed the ability to expand as EEC customer needs require."

The EEC can now create a VPLS instance for each customer, offering customers improved traffic separation. With the new solution installed, the EEC also implemented Q-in-Q in conjunction with VPLS to achieve a hierarchical design to meet its goals. "Today, we have a network capable of handling the cutting edge converged applications our customers use as well as a network that's easy to manage, delivers wire-speed performance and offers a rich feature set to provide the EEC with greater versatility," said Cressey.


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