Juniper Networks MX960
Carrier-Grade Performance and Reliability at Scale for Service Provider and Enterprise Applications

Overview:

The SDN-ready MX960 3D Universal Edge Router brings high performance, reliability, and scale to the broadest range of service provider and enterprise applications. It offers 10.56 Tbps of system capacity in one-third of a standard telco rack, with support for high-density 10GbE, 40GbE, and 100GbE interfaces, as well as legacy SONET/SDH, ATM, and PDH connectivity.

The high-performance MX960 is packed with highly scalable routing, switching, security, and service features that enable revenue-generating applications, network consolidation, and service convergence. Key features include support for a wide range of L2/L3 VPN services and advanced broadband network gateway functions, along with integrated routing, switching, and security services.

Powered by Junos OS and the programmable Trio chipset, the MX960 is deployed in mission-critical service providers and enterprise networks worldwide, helping network operators transform their networks—and their businesses—to thrive in our hyper-connected world.

Product Description

In the midst of worldwide digital transformation, consumers rely on networks more than ever. Global e-commerce sales are growing 20 percent annually; more than 300 hours of video are uploaded to YouTube every minute,1 and analysts expect 26 billion Internet of Things devices to be generating data by 2020. These trends are straining traditional service provider and enterprise networks—and budgets—to the breaking point.

Powered by the Junos operating system and the programmable Trio chipset, MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers provide powerful routing, switching, security, and services features that help network operators transform their networks—and their businesses—in a hyperconnected world.

The continuous expansion of mobile, video, BYOD, and cloud-based services is disrupting traditional networks and negatively impacting the businesses that rely on them. While annual double-digit bandwidth growth requires massive resource investments to prevent congestion and accommodate unpredictable traffic spikes, capturing return on that investment is elusive. Emerging Internet of Things communications promise even greater network challenges in the near future.

At the same time, traditional operations environments are increasingly out of touch with consumer and business requirements for rapid service delivery and cloud-like network experiences. At the same time, issues related to monitoring and managing transitions are placing additional stress on already strained budgets and personnel. And nascent technologies like Network Functions Virtualization (NFV) and SDN introduce an entirely new set of operational questions.

Our hyper-connected world demands more agile, automated, and scalable networks. Now more than ever, network operators need to transform their networks—and their operations environments—to accommodate this reality.

Utilizing state-of-the-art software and hardware innovations, Juniper Networks MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers are helping network operators successfully transform their networks and services. Powered by the Juniper Networks Junos operating system and the programmable Trio chipset, MX Series routers offer a rich set of IP/MPLS services, consistent low latency, and wire-rate forwarding at scale, while providing the reliability needed to meet strict service-level agreements (SLAs).

An Agile Family of Edge Routers

Agility was the overarching design principle for the MX Series portfolio, and our MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers were built from the ground up to support a “universal set” of edge applications. This approach helps Juniper customers rapidly respond to evolving business and technical requirements without sacrificing their current investments; it also simplifies operations and extends return on investment. This agility starts with the programmable Trio chipset, which is unparalleled in the industry, giving the MX Series routers the ability to add support for new features and protocols without upgrading hardware. Additionally, features like the Juniper Extension Toolkit provide modern programming languages for customization.

The MX Series 3D Universal Edge Router portfolio consists of a broad range of physical and virtual platforms that share a common architecture and feature set, enabling service providers and enterprises to select the right size platform to match their unique business goals and scale, density, resiliency, space and power considerations, and value-added service requirements.

• The MX2020, MX2010, and MX2008 are ideal for large service provider and cloud networks, cable applications, and converged edge and core architectures.
• The MX960 is ideal for large service provider and cloud networks, cable applications, and mobile service cores.
• The MX480 is ideal for midsize service provider, cloud/data center, and cable applications, and enterprise cores.
• The MX240 is ideal for smaller service provider and cable sites, data center interconnect, and enterprise WANs.
• The MX104 is a temperature-hardened, space-efficient router that is ideal for mobile aggregation and enterprise WAN applications.
• The MX5, MX10, MX40, and MX80 are space- and powerefficient routers optimized for enterprise WAN, data center interconnect, branch aggregation, and campus applications.

This agility is evident in the wide variety of MX Series use cases that have been proven in the world’s most demanding networks, including:

• Business Edge: MX Series routers support the broadest range of L2/L2.5/L3 VPN services available today, in combination with multilayer, multiprotocol reliability to ensure that customer SLAs are met under all network conditions.
• Internet/Peering Gateway: MX Series routers support the high performance, reliability, scale, and density needed to efficiently peer with Internet and other service provider networks.
• Broadband Network Gateway (BNG): MX Series routers offer the highest subscriber density and most sophisticated broadband edge features, including hierarchical quality of service (HQoS) features, available in the industry.
• Universal SDN Gateway: MX Series routers deliver a comprehensive solution for interconnecting virtual and physical networks—as well as between virtual networks operating with different technologies—with support for Multiprotocol BGP (MBGP), dynamic tunnels using MPLSoGRE or Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) encapsulation, virtual routing and forwarding (VRF) tables or E-VPNs, and NETCONF, along with the mechanisms required to send traffic between VRF and global routing tables based on configuration and policy.
• Data Center and Cloud Edge: MX Series routers are the most flexible data center/cloud edge routers in the industry, with support for multiple overlay encapsulations, including VXLAN, Network Virtualization using Generic Routing Encapsulation (NVGRE), MPLSoUDP, MPLSoGRE, 802.1BR, SR-MPLS, and SR-V6.
• Enterprise WAN: Large enterprises and government agencies worldwide use MX Series routers to build their own overlay network over a service provider’s Layer 2 or MPLS network, using encapsulation technologies such as MPLSoGRE, VXLAN, and IPsec for secure transport.
• Universal Metro/Aggregation: MX Series routers offer a full suite of routing and switching features, allowing network operators to choose a deployment model that best fits their business and technical needs. These routers can be deployed as IP/IP VPN edge routers, Ethernet VPN (EVPN) and virtual private LAN service (VPLS) provider edge (VPLS-PE) routers, MPLS label-switching (LSR) routers, and as Layer 2 Ethernet switches or Layer 3 IP routers.
• Mobile Backhaul: In addition to switching, routing, and security features, MX Series routers support highly scalable and reliable hardware-based timing that meets the strictest LTE requirements, including Synchronous Ethernet for frequency and the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for frequency and phase synchronization. In addition, the MX104 is ETSI 300-compliant for deployment in mobile applications.

Architecture and Key Components:

The MX960, MX480, and MX240 are modular chassis-based 3D routers that share the following components:

• Modular Port Concentrators (MPCs) provide routing, MPLS, switching, inline services, subscriber management, and HQoS among many other features. MPCs may also host interfaces directly or via Modular Interface Cards (MICs) that allow users to “mix and match” interface types. Powered by the programmable Trio chipset, MPCs collect and stream telemetry that identifies resource utilization, loss and delay, and other metrics.
• Switch Control Boards (SCBs) feature an integrated switch fabric that connects to all slots in the chassis in a nonblocking architecture. The SCBs house the Routing Engine, control power to MPCs, monitor and control system functions such as fan speed and the system front panel, and manage clocking, resets, and boots.
• The Routing Engine (RE) provides the control plane, runs Junos OS, and handles all routing protocol processes as well as the software processes that control MPCs, chassis components, system management, and user access to the router. REs communicate with MPCs via dedicated out-ofband management channels.

The MX104 is a mobile, optimized, ETSI 300mm-compliant chassis with high redundancy and 160 Gbps of throughput. The MX104 offers up to four MIC slots and redundant fixed 10GbE interfaces for flexible network connectivity.

The MX5, MX10, MX40, and MX80 are software upgradeable through 160 Gbps, enabling cost-effective “pay as you grow” scale to meet evolving market requirements. These routers have up to four MIC slots and two fixed 10GbE interfaces for connecting to the network.

Junos OS

Junos OS is a reliable, high-performance, modular network operating system that is supported across all of Juniper’s physical and virtual routing, switching, and security platforms. Junos OS improves network operations and increases service availability, performance, and security with features like low-latency multicast, comprehensive QoS, unified in-service software upgrade (unified ISSU), and Junos Continuity, which eliminates the risk and complexity of OS upgrades. With secure programming interfaces, the Juniper Extension Toolkit (JET), versatile scripting support, and integration with popular orchestration frameworks, Junos OS offers flexible options for DevOps style management that can unlock more value from the network.

Network Edge Services

MX Series routers can host optionally licensed Junos OS-based network edge services at scale, both inline on MPCs as well as on dedicated service cards. Hosting network edge services on MX Series routers reduces network cost and complexity by eliminating numerous elements, operating systems, and interconnections.

• MPCs support inline services using the programmable Trio chipset; supported services include flow monitoring, 1:1 Network Address Translation (NAT), port mirroring, generic routing encapsulation (GRE), IP tunneling, logical tunnels, lawful intercept, and video monitoring.
• The MS-MPC and the MS-MIC provide dedicated processing for compute-intensive services such as carrier-grade NAT (CGNAT), IPsec, stateful firewall, deep packet inspection, flow monitoring, and load-balancing.

Model:	MX960	MX480	MX240	MX104	MX80	MX40	MX10	MX5
Security
Firewall filters/ACLs
DDoS—control plane
DDoS—FlowSpec
Stateless filters L2-L4
Stateful services1
Inline Services
GRE reassembly
1:1 NAT2
Flow monitoring3
Video monitoring4
Lawful intercept
Mirroring
Service Card Supported Services
Deep packet inspection5				No	No	No	No	No
CGNAT
J-Flow6
Traffic load balancing7				No	No	No	No	No
IPsec8
Stateful firewall9
HTTP header manipulation10				No	No	No	No	No
Resiliency
Redundant RE					No	No	No	No
Unified ISSU					No	No	No	No
Nonstop active routing (NSR)					No	No	No	No
Fast restoration
Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM)
System Virtualization
Enhanced SLA and queuing
Junos Fusion Edge (AD)
Logical systems
Virtual router/switch
Automation
Path Computation Element Protocol (PCEP)
OpenConfig
YANG data modeling
Juniper Extension Toolkit

¹ Includes IPsec, SFW, CGN, DPI; requires an MS-MPC or MS-MIC
² Provided by Junos Address Aware; requires an MS-MPC or MS-MIC
³ Provided by Junos Traffic Vision; requires an MS-MPC or MS-MIC
⁴ Provided by Junos Video Focus; supported on programmable Trio chipset
⁵ Provided by Junos Application Aware; requires an MS-MPC
⁶ Provided by J-Flow; can be hosted on the Routing Engine (RE), MPC (inline), or MS-MPC/MS-MIC
⁷ Provided by Junos Traffic Load Balancer; requires an MS-MPC/MS-MIC
⁸ Provided by Junos Site Secure; requires an MS-MPC/MS-MIC
⁹ Provided by Junos Network Secure; requires an MS-MPC/MS-MIC
¹⁰ Provided by Junos Web Aware; requires an MS-MPC/MS-MIC

Features and Benefits:

Unmatched Network Availability

MX Series routers ensure network and service availability with a broad set of multilayered physical, logical, and protocol-level resiliency features, including Juniper’s Virtual Chassis technology, which supports chassis-level redundancy while enabling users to manage two routers as a single element. Additionally, a multichassis link aggregation group (MC-LAG) implementation supports stateful chassis, card, and port redundancy, as well as subscriber and session persistence.

Application Aware Networking

MX Series routers use deep packet inspection to detect applications, and they consult with user-defined policies to determine traffic treatment on a per-application basis, enabling highly customized and differentiated services at scale. Working in conjunction with Juniper Networks Contrail Cloud Platform, MX Series routers can also steer into complex service chains and stream granular data to analytics engines and back-office systems to permit real-time charging and end-user engagement at the application and content level.

Junos Continuity and Unified In-Service Software Upgrade (Unified ISSU)

Junos Continuity and Unified ISSU features remove the downtime risks associated with implementing new hardware or upgrading operating systems.

• Junos Continuity eliminates OS upgrades and system reboots when adding new hardware to MX Series routers; a plug-in package provides the drivers and support files needed to bring the hardware online.
• Unified ISSU reduces the risks associated with OS upgrades by enabling upgrades between two different Junos OS releases (major or minor) with no control plane disruption and minimal traffic disruption on the forwarding plane.

Junos Telemetry Interface

The Junos Telemetry Interface feature streams component-level data to monitoring, analytics, performance management, and visualization tools as well as to Path Computation Elements such as Juniper Networks NorthStar Controller. Analytics derived from this streaming telemetry can identify current and trending congestion, resource utilization, traffic volume, and buffer occupancy, which can be used to identify issues and make informed decisions on network design and investments.

Integrated Timing

MX Series routers support highly scalable and reliable hardwarebased timing that meets the strictest LTE requirements, including Synchronous Ethernet for frequency, and the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for frequency and phase synchronization. Synchronous Ethernet and PTP can be combined in a “hybrid” mode to achieve the highest level of frequency (10 ppb) and phase (<1uS) accuracy required for LTE-Advanced, eliminating the need for external clocks.

Junos Fusion Provider Edge

Junos Fusion Provider Edge enables MX Series routers to act as aggregation devices for the Juniper Networks EX4300 Ethernet Switch and QFX5100 line of data center switching platforms acting as satellite devices while appearing to management as a single, port-dense device managed by a single IP address. Junos Fusion Provider Edge significantly expands the number of network interfaces on the MX Series router while keeping operations simple.

Automated Support and Prevention

Juniper’s Automated Support and Prevention consists of an ecosystem of tools, applications, and systems targeted towards simplifying and streamlining operations, delivering operational efficiency, reducing downtime, and increasing your network’s ROI running Juniper Networks Junos operating system. Automated Support and Prevention brings operational efficiency by automating several time-consuming tasks such as incident management, inventory management, proactive bug notification, and on-demand EOL/EOS/EOE reports. The Junos Space Service Now and Service Insight service automation tools are standard entitlements of all Juniper Care contracts.

Junos Automation Toolkit and Juniper Extension Toolkit

Included in Junos OS software, the Junos Automation Toolkit is a suite of tools supported on all Juniper Networks switches, routers, and security devices. These tools, which leverage the native XML capabilities of Junos OS, include commit scripts, op scripts, event policies and event scripts, and macros that help automate operational and configuration tasks. Additionally, the Juniper Extension Toolkit (JET) provides a modern programable tool kit while maintaining a platform independent architecture, and includes support for:

• OpenConfig/YANG
• gRPC, Thrift, NETCONF
• JSON/XML
• API support for all modern programming languages
• Rich on-box scripting support using Python
• REST APIs

Together, Junos OS automation and programmability features simplify complex configurations and reduce the potential for configuration errors. They also save time by automating operational and configuration tasks, speed troubleshooting, and maximize network uptime by warning operators of potential problems and automatically responding to system events.

Specifications:

Model:	MX960	MX480	MX240	MX104	MX80	MX40	MX10	MX5
Rack units	16	8	5	3.5	2	2	2	2
Systems per rack	3	6	9	12	24	24	24	24
Slots	11 MPCs	6 MPCs	2 MPCs	4 fixed 10GbE + 4 MIC slots	4 fixed 10GbE + 3 MIC slots1	2 fixed 10GbE + 3 MIC slots2	3 MIC slots3	3 MIC slots4
Per slot capacity	480 Gbps	480 Gbps	480 Gbps	20 Gbps	20 Gbps	20 Gbps	20 Gbps	20 Gbps
System throughput7	10.56 Tbps5	5.76 Tbps	1.92 Tbps6	160 Gbps	160 Gbps	120 Gbps	80 Gbps	40 Gbps
PDH	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	NA
Sonet/SDH	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes	NA
Maximum 1GbE	440	240	80	80	80	60	40	20
Maximum 10GbE	440	240	80	8	8	4	1	NA
Maximum 40GbE	132	72	24	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Maximum 100GbE	44	24	8	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
10GbE DWDM	88	48	16	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
100GbE DWDM	22	12	4	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
Layout	MX960	MX480	MX240	MX104	MX80	MX40	MX10	MX5
System capacity	10.56 Tbps	5.76 Tbps	1.92 Tbps	80 Gbps	80 Gbps	80 Gbps	80 Gbps	80 Gbps
Slot orientation	Vertical	Horizontal	Horizontal	Horizontal	Horizontal	Horizontal	Horizontal	Horizontal
Mounting	Front or center	Front or center	Front or center	Front or center	Front or center	Front or center	Front or center	Front or center
Physical Specification
Dimensions (W x H x D)	17.37 x 27.75 x 23 in (44.11 x 70.49 x 58.42 cm)	17.45 x 14 x 24.5 in (44.3 x 35.6 x 62.2 cm)	17.45 x 8.71 x 24.5 (44.3 x 22.1 x 62.2 cm)	17.22 x 9.46 x 6.09 in (43.7 x 24 x 15.47 cm)	17.5 x 3.5 x 23.46 in (44.5 x 8.9 x 59.6 cm)
Weight fully loaded	334 lb/151.6 kg	180 lbs/81.6 kg	130 lb/59 kg	32 lb/14.5 kg	30 lb/13.7 kg	30 lb/13.7 kg	30 lb/13.7 kg	30 lb/13.7 kg
Weight unloaded	150 lbs/68.1 kg	65.5 lbs/29.7 kg	52 lbs/23.6 kg	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Routing Engine
Default memory	2x16 MB NOR flash storage; 64 GB of DDR4 RAM; 2x50 GB SSD			4 MB boot flash; 8 GB of NAND Flash; 4 GB of DDR3 RAM	8 MB boot flash; 4 GB on NAND flash storage; 2 GB of DDR2 RAM
Number of cores	6 cores	6 cores	6 cores	1 core	1 core	1 core	1 core	1 core
Redundancy
Components	Power supplies, REs, fans	Power supplies, REs, fans	Power supplies, REs, fans	Power supplies, REs, fans	Power supplies and fans	Power supplies and fans	Power supplies and fans	Power supplies and fans
Power	MX960	MX480	MX240	MX104	MX80	MX40	MX10	MX5
Power input [AC]	200 to 240 V AC	100 to 240 V AC	100 to 240 V AC	100 to 240 V AC	100 to 240 V AC	100 to 240 V AC	100 to 240 V AC	100 to 240 V AC
Power input [DC]	-40 to -72 V DC	-40 to -72 V DC	-40 to -72 V DC	-40 to -72 V DC	-40 to -72 V DC	-40 to -72 V DC	-40 to -72 V DC	-40 to -72 V DC
Typical power draw (AC)	6520 W	3470 W	1860 W	325 W	365 W	365 W	365 W	365 W
Typical power draw (DC)	6670 W	3150 W	1690 W	350 W	310 W	310 W	310 W	310 W
Environmental
Air flow	Side to side	Side to side	Side to side	Side to side [forced air]	Side to side [forced air]	Side to side [forced air]	Side to side [forced air]	Side to side [forced air]
Operating temperature	32°-104°F (0°- 40°C)	32°-104°F (0°- 40°C)	32°-104°F (0°- 40°C)	-40° to 149°F (-40° to 65°C)	32°-104°F (0°- 40°C)	32°-104°F (0°- 40°C)	32°-104°F (0°- 40°C)	32°-104°F (0°- 40°C)
Operating humidity	5% to 90%	5% to 90%	5% to 90%	5% to 90%	5% to 90%	5% to 90%	5% to 90%	5% to 90%
Operating altitude	10,000 ft (3048 m)	10,000 ft (3048 m)	10,000 ft (3048 m)	6,000 ft (1,900 m)	13,000 ft (4,000 m)	13,000 ft (4,000 m)	13,000 ft (4,000 m)	13,000 ft (4,000 m)
Certifications
NEBS	- GR-1089-Core (2006) EMC and Electrical Safety - Common Bonding Network (CBN) - National Electrical Code (NEC)			- SR-3580 (2007) NEBS Criteria Levels (Level 3 Compliance) - GR-63- Core (2006) NEBS Physical Protection - GR-1089-Core (2006) EMC and Electrical Safety - E26GR-3108- CORE Issue 2, December 2008 - IEEE 1613: 2009 - IEC 61850-3: 2013	- GR-63-Core:NEBS, Physical Protection - GR-1089-Core:EMC and Electrical Safety for Network Telecommunications Equipment

¹ The MX80 has two front MIC slots and one rear MIC slot. The rear MIC slot only supports the MS-MIC.
² The MX40 has two front MIC slots and one rear MIC slot. The rear MIC slot only supports the MS-MIC.
³ The MX10 has two front MIC slots and one rear MIC slot. The rear MIC slot only supports the MS-MIC.
⁴ The MX5 has one front MIC slot and one rear MIC slot. The rear MIC slot only supports the MS-MIC.
⁵ Note, capacity shown is based on most commonly deployed redundant configuration.
⁶ Note, capacity shown is based on most commonly deployed redundant configuration.
⁷ Note, system throughput is calculated as (per slot capacity) x (number of slots) x (2).

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Documentation:

Download the Juniper Networks MX Series 3D Universal Edge Routers Data Sheet (PDF).