Earlier this year, Peer 1 launched its Toronto data center with a two-tier switching design based on Juniper's next-generation data center strategy, which uses its "virtual chassis" software to enable multiple switches to function and be managed as one.
The hosting provider anticipates retrofitting three of its legacy data centers with Juniper's MX Series routers to bring two-tier switching to more of its data center footprint, Bains said.
"We have not removed a layer [in those data centers] as of today but have realized the benefits of virtualization at the aggregation layer," Bains said. "And [we now] have the pieces in place that allow for a collapse of the distribution and aggregation/access layer in the very near future."
Traditional telecom operators that want to make a cloud computing play would be best served to embrace flatter next-generation data center architecture - but an operator's data center strategy should be considered part of a broader cloud computing strategy, not the foundation, Nolle cautioned.
Before service providers map out their next-generation data centers, they must first decide how to create, monetize and fit advanced services into any new architecture, he said. Operators must also consider how legacy OSS and BSS will be supported in a new architecture.
"A data center network is a slave to a data center architecture, which is the interplay of the IP components, and data center architecture is a slave to application architecture," Nolle said.
"You can't do this from the bottom up because you don't have any idea what the high-level mission is. You run the risk of having facilities that don't match any mission."
Jessica Scarpati is news writer at SearchTelecom.com
This article originally appeared on SearchTelecom.com
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