TPG Telecom is claiming to be the first telco in Australia to deploy Segment Routing over Internet Protocol v6 (SRv6), a technology that it says simplifies network management by giving traffic instructions in advane.
Doing so reduces the need to send data through multiple routers, which in turn lessens the requirement for complex network configurations and protocols.
Apart from an improved experience for customers, TPG said SRv6 also drives cost savings and operational efficiency.
Segment Routing over IPv6 network programming is defined in RFC 8986, and it's a new technology project that started in 2017.
Cisco Systems Fellow Claude Filsfils who is one of the authors of RFC 8986, explained that SRv6 technology defines packet processing in the network as a program.
"This network program is expressed as a list of instructions, which are represented as 128-bit segments, often called Segment ID (SID). They have the form of an IPv6 address," Filsfils wrote.
TPG said implementing SRv6 enhances network reliability by enabling fast and efficient traffic re-routing, for example when a link or a router fails.
To deploy SRv6, TPG partnered with internetworking giant Cisco.
"We are thrilled to launch Australia's first SRv6-based transport network in collaboration with
Cisco. SRv6 simplifies our network management, improves performance, enhances scalability, and increases network reliability and performance for our customers,” Giovanni Chiarelli, TPG Telecom group chief technology officer, said.
"By implementing SRv6, we can deliver faster, demand driven, high-quality, low-latency
connectivity services for 5G, cloud computing, IoT and beyond."
"This represents another industry-leading innovation from TPG Telecom as we meet the ever-growing demand of our consumer and enterprise customers for reliable, fast and secure connectivity," Chiarelli said.
The SRv6 infrastructure at TPG is fully automated, and forms part of the telcos digital transformation strategy.
Source: https://www.crn.com.au/news/tpg-deploys-srv6-with-cisco-for-simpler-network-management-599008