Cisco 8700 Series Routers Data Sheet

 

Cisco 8000 overview

The Cisco 8000 Series combines the revolutionary Cisco Silicon One^™, IOS XR^® software, and a set of clean sheet chassis to deliver a breakthrough in high-performance routers.

High-performance networking systems have historically been divided into routing or switching classes, with distinct hardware and software. But, as the necessity for reliable networks proliferates, it is imperative that traditional networks shift to a new architecture to address exponential bandwidth needs, ubiquitous connectivity, security, better quality of service, low latency coupled with high reliability, availability, and serviceability of the infrastructure. The Cisco^® 8000 Series portfolio completes this journey with the Cisco 8700 products.

Cisco 8700 overview

The Cisco 8700 series is an addition to the Cisco 8000 Series Routers powered by Cisco Silicon One^™ ASICs. 8700 products embody this cutting-edge innovation of the 8000 portfolio, offering advanced features engineered for seamless integration and scalability. Whether enhancing existing infrastructure or enabling new capabilities, the 8700 series products empower organizations to achieve their goals with unmatched efficiency and effectiveness.

With the agility of Silicon One enabling applications at scale delivered on power and space optimized form factors, Cisco 8700 systems can address a wide variety of use cases such a business edge, residential aggregation, 5G mobile backhaul, provider core, and internet peering.

Cisco 8700 Series Chassis features and benefits

Table 1.        8711-32FH-M Series PIDs

Table 2.        Features and benefits of the Cisco 8711-32FH-M Fixed System

Product specifications

Table 3.        List of Key Specifications for 8711-32FH-M Products

Regulatory and safety compliance

Table 4.        List of regulatory and safety compliance for 8711-32FH-M

Cisco IOS XR software

Cisco IOS XR is a unified network OS spanning access, aggregation, edge, and core. The networking protocol stack within XR can be cut down by two-thirds when the IP transport architecture is simplified. Improvements to XR internal architecture have reduced the memory footprint by 35 percent. By reducing code size and the resources required, XR can be installed onto even the most constrained hardware designs with full security features without impact to boot times.

Modernizing XR with install procedures using standard Linux software package managers has also improved operations. Instead of “one size fits all,” XR provides modularity, so customers only load what they will use.

Service providers can easily access new software packages from trusted Cisco RPM Package Manager repositories. Alternatively, they can build their own repository of both Cisco and custom software packages, which can be fetched for final system configuration without spending time trying to sort out software dependencies. All the required Cisco software packages, homegrown/third-party software packages, and router configurations can be pulled into a single Cisco software image known as a “Golden ISO.” Customized images can now be installed consistently and with confidence across devices in the network.

Cisco IOS XR brings an unmatched level of openness for programmability and customization

IOS XR supports open, model-driven APIs at all layers of the software stack. At the management layer, XR supports a comprehensive list of both native and industry-driven OpenConfig models with multiple encoding (XML and JSON) and transport (gRPC, Netconf) options. The APIs at the management layer allow operators to apply configuration to the device or retrieve the state of the system. The APIs also address advanced traffic engineering use cases, allowing applications to control the route followed by traffic within the network. These APIs can be used independently or combined with other ecosystem abstraction layers such as P4Runtime.

IOS XR also supports the OFA (Open Forwarding Abstraction) API, which provides a logical representation of all the forwarding and telemetry capabilities of the underlying hardware. In addition, IOS XR provides a flexible consumption model, allowing third-party application software to run on the device alongside IOS XR to enable customization options for the customer network. With application hosting capabilities, operators can host their own controller agent or custom protocol; use various hosting apps for telemetry collection, traffic engineering, and configuration management; or manage the box like a Linux machine using third-party software such as Chef, Puppet, or Ansible.

Cisco IOS XR is the industry’s most trusted network operating system

XR is the most advanced network operating system for improving the security posture of the router. The Cisco Secure Boot subsystem ensures that the device boot image is genuine and untampered. With advanced signing technology, XR can establish software integrity enforcement and measurement. To further enhance the trusted defense posture, multiple runtime defenses within XR guard against malicious actors and make exploitation of bugs more difficult. Even if booted securely, a router may run for months or years without rebooting, which could leave vulnerabilities at runtime undetected for a long time. XR leverages Integrated Measurement Architecture (IMA) to significantly enhance security by verifying the integrity of running software. In the IMA appraisal mode, signature validations prevent unauthorized images to launch. In the IMA measurement mode, the hashes of all images are logged in a secure location used for verification. Records of run time processes can be sent for analysis, so the operator knows that system software, updates, or patches are running as intended.

Detailed information on IOS XR can be found in the IOS XR data sheet.

8711-32FH-M Ordering information

Table 5.        8711-32FH-M Hardware and software ordering information

The RTUs (Right-to-Use licenses) provide customers with the ability to access and utilize specific perpetual software functionalities without the requirement to purchase the complete software package.

The SIAs (Software Innovation Access licenses) are term-based agreements that provide customers with access to specific software benefits. The SIAs enable customers to optimize their software usage, easily manage licenses across their network infrastructure, and ensure seamless upgrades to the latest versions of IOS XR software.

Warranty information

Cisco HW is backed by a limited warranty. For details on warranties, please visit Cisco Warranty Finder.

Product sustainability

Information about Cisco’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) initiatives and performance is provided in Cisco’s CSR and sustainability reporting.

Table 6.        Cisco Environmental Sustainability Information

Service and Support

Cisco offers a wide range of services to help accelerate your success in deploying and optimizing the Cisco 8700. These innovative Cisco Services offerings are delivered through a unique combination of people, processes, tools, and partners, and they are focused on helping you increase operating efficiency and improve your network.

Cisco Advanced Services uses an architecture-led approach to help you align your network infrastructure with your business goals and achieve long-term value.

Cisco Software Support offers the Cisco SMARTnet^® service, which helps you resolve mission-critical problems with direct access at any time to Cisco network experts and award-winning technical support coverage and maintenance releases for the Essentials and Advantage Software Suites, helping to keep your systems and your business running smoothly. Software Support is a required purchase with the SIA feature upgrade licenses.

Cisco SP Base provides device-level support and helps reduce downtime with fast, expert technical support and flexible hardware coverage provided by the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (TAC). With this service, you can take advantage of the Cisco Smart Call Home service, which offers proactive diagnostics and real-time alerts on your hardware.

Cisco 8700. Spanning the entire network lifecycle, Cisco Services offerings help increase investment protection, optimize network operations, support migration operations, and strengthen your IT expertise.

For information on services for the Cisco 8700, contact your Cisco sales representative. For an overview of all offers, visit Cisco Services for Service Providers.

Cisco Licensing

Cisco Licensing is a flexible and secure licensing model that provides you with an easier, faster, and more consistent way to purchase, activate, manage, renew, and upgrade software products across the Cisco portfolio and across your organization. And it’s secure – you control what users can access. With Cisco Licensing you get:

●      Easy Activation. Cisco Licensing establishes a pool of software licenses that can be used across the entire organization –no more PAKs (Product Activation Keys).

●      Unified Management. My Cisco Entitlements (MCE) provides a complete view into all your Cisco products and services in an easy-to-use portal, so you always know what you have and what you are using.

●      License Flexibility. Your software is not node-locked to your hardware, so you can easily use and transfer licenses as needed.

In order to retrieve your Licenses, you will first need to set up a Account on Cisco Software Central.

For a more detailed overview on Cisco Licensing, go to https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/buy/licensing/licensing-guide.html.

The IOS XR Flexible Consumption Model requires Cisco Licensing registration and license usage reporting. A customer network under IOS XR FCM 2.0 is considered compliant if the FCM 2.0 enabled devices in the customer’s network are registered to Cisco Licensing and are reporting the usage. For a more detailed overview on Cisco IOS XR Software Flexible Consumption Model 2.0, go to: https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/products/collateral/routers/8000-series-routers/ios-xr-software-flexible-consumption-model-2-0-ds.html.

Cisco Licensing greatly simplifies the operational overhead associated with license and device experience management for customers.

A successful registration and reporting to Cisco Licensing is essential to avail all the benefits of Software Innovation Access in FCM 2.0. Customers could lose the right to software innovation and upgrades if the FCM 2.0 device installation base does not register to an Account on Cisco Software Central and report usage.

Cisco Capital

Flexible payment solutions to help you achieve your objectives.

Cisco Capital^® makes it easier to get the right technology to achieve your objectives, enable business transformation, and help you stay competitive. We can help you reduce the total cost of ownership, conserve capital, and accelerate growth. In more than 100 countries, our flexible payment solutions can help you acquire hardware, software, services, and complementary third-party equipment in easy, predictable payments. Learn more.