Intel ® IXP28XX network processor based NG Edge Router

This paper elaborates the role of B-RAS and next generation edge routers in the NGN services. It also elucidates the role of network processors in implementing these nodes. Typical services needed in the access network include providing for end user authentication, multicast, VPNs, billing, and so on. A number of layer-2 and layer-3 technologies like PPP, IP, L2TP, MPLS, Diffserv, PWE3, and L3 VPNs form a part of the NG-edge solution. An NG-edge device connects an access network with the traditional core network. Typical access technologies used in access space include PPP and its variants. IP and MPLS are typically deployed in the core network. Core networks are QOS aware and provide a host of layer-3 QOS functions. The IP-Diffserv and MPLS-Diffserv are employed to provide QOS awareness. On the other hand, traditional access networks are typically QOS unaware. With a need to provide QOS guarantees to end customers and with an ever-increasing gambit of applications such as Video on Demand, service providers need to manage traffic flow into the access network based on committed SLAs. This requires that the device connecting the access and the core networks needs to emulate QOS awareness for all intermediate devices between the edge device and the end user. This is achieved using a multi-level hierarchical scheduler