Customer Success Story
Akamai connects its massively distributed cloud with Juniper 400G
Akamai has powered and secured digital life from the earliest days of the Internet, and it views the introduction of Akamai Connected Cloud as its future. Akamai Connected Cloud is a massively distributed edge and cloud platform for cloud computing, security, and content delivery.
To deliver Akamai Connected Cloud services to customers, Akamai completely reimagined how it builds and scales its global network with Juniper 400G routing and integrated coherent optics.
Overview
| Company | Akamai |
| Industry | Technology |
| Products used | PTX Series, JCO400 Coherent Optical Transceivers, MX304 |
| Region | Americas |
4X
Increase in metro capacity
80%
Cost savings by migrating to 400G routers with integrated coherent optics vs. 100G routers with separate DWDM equipment
Eliminated
DWDM layer for simplified operations, reduced power consumption, reduced cross-connects, and lowered CapEx/OpEx
900+ Tbps
Network edge capacity to support 4,200 locations across 130+ countries
Connect the Akamai Connected Cloud
Akamai Connected Cloud delivers compute, storage, database, and other services at scale to customers around the world, as well as its content delivery network (CDN) and security services.
“We are redesigning the network to expansion into cloud services and new verticals,” says Steven Schecter, senior director of network architecture for Akamai.
That growth meant that Akamai needed to expand the capacity of its global backbone and edge as well as adapt its network design to deliver cloud services closer to its customers’ locations. Achieving its goals required creating distributed computing sites in more than 50 cities.
Scale with 400G
A longtime Juniper customer, Akamai is deploying Juniper PTX Series Packet Transport Routers with integrated 400G coherent DWDM optical transceivers for its core, edge, and metro networks.
Akamai uses Juniper PTX10008 routers for its backbone and Juniper PTX10000 routers for its edge and metro networks. Juniper JCO400 series coherent optical transceivers deliver power efficiency, operational simplicity, and an open architecture for the converged packet-optical design.
“Ultimately, Juniper PTX routers with coherent optics are more cost-effective,” says Schecter. “We also can achieve our stringent service levels and have better traffic engineering control.”
Akamai’s distributed computing sites—comprised of large data centers and smaller server farms—within a city or a region are connected by an elastic IP Clos fabric that is ready to deliver high-performance compute and other cloud services closer to customers’ locations.
“We can grow from a couple of data centers in a region as needed without forklifting routers,” he says. “Rather than replacing a router when we need more capacity, we can plug in another optical transceiver.”
Cloud computing, security, and content delivery
Akamai’s distributed computing strategy, along with its massively scaled edge network, will help deliver better performance and resiliency for the company’s CDN, security, and cloud computing customers, while also reducing capital and operational costs.
“This architecture allows us to expand capacity, agility, and scale, especially for compute services,” says Schecter. “Our customers will have a better quality of experience leveraging Akamai Connected Cloud to create and deliver flawless digital experiences at massive scale.”
Migrating to 400G with Juniper not only allowed Akamai to simplify the global upgrade, but also leverage its deep expertise in Junos OS Evolved and the operating system’s extensive automation tools to streamline ongoing operations.
The migration is a multiyear effort with about a dozen sites completed in 2023 and more than 30 locations planned for 2024.
The Products
PTX10004, PTX10008, PTX10016
The modular PTX10004, PTX10008, and PTX10016 Packet Transport Routers directly address the massive bandwidth demands placed on networks today and in the foreseeable future. They bring ultra-high port density, native 400GE and 800GE inline MACsec, and latest generation ASIC investment to the most demanding WAN and data center architectures.
PTX10003
The PTX10003 Packet Transport Router offers on-demand scalability for critical core and peering functions. With high-density 100GbE, 200GbE, and 400GbE ports, operators can meet high-volume demands with efficiency, programmability, and performance at scale.
PTX10001-36MR
The PTX10001-36MR is a high-capacity, space- and power-optimized routing and switching platform. It delivers 9.6 Tbps of throughput and 10.8 Tbps of I/O capacity in a 1 U, fixed form factor. Based on the Juniper Express 4 ASIC, the platform provides dense 100GbE and 400GbE connectivity for highly scalable routing and switching in cloud, service provider, and enterprise networks and data centers.
JCO400 Coherent Optical Transceivers
400G ZR/ZR+ coherent DWDM transceivers are essential to any metro network modernization strategy. Juniper’s JCO400 series delivers best-in-class performance and innovative software integrations to simplify the configuration and management of a converged packet-optical architecture.
MX304
The MX304 Universal Routing Platform delivers massive scale and efficiency for space- and power-constrained environments. It is a carrier-grade, multiservice platform with extensive automation capabilities enabling operators to meet constantly expanding bandwidth, subscriber, and service demands. The MX304 Universal Routing Platform delivers 4.8 Tbps of system capacity in a 2 RU unit and supports 96 x 10 or 25 GbE, 48 x 40, 50, or 100 GbE, or 12 x 400 GbE interfaces in a single chassis.
Published September 2023