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Backbone upgraded to 10 Gbps.
Hitachi Cable's long-haul transmission system and Apresia provide support for high-quality network service. |
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Media EXchange is a group of experts that has supported the Internet environment in Japan since its early stages. Media EXchange's backbone network provides various services to communication carriers, including CSPs and ISPs. To meet the demands of significant traffic growth in recent years, Media EXchange has upgraded its backbone to 10 Gbps. Media EXchange chose Hitachi Cable's multiplex long-haul transmission system and Apresia as network devices supporting network quality. Mr. Hiroshi Takada, Director and Head of the Engineering Department, and Ms. Kinuko Mitsuki, Section Chief of the Engineering Department, related the reasons for this choice and the ensuing results. |
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Already boasting the most advanced network technologies in Japan, Media EXchange makes another leap forward with both iDC and Internet connection services. |
Media EXchange, Inc.
Director and Head of Engineering Department
Mr. Hiroshi Takada
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The major business models of Media EXchange (referred to as MEX hereafter) are the iDC (Internet Data Center) service and an Internet connection service for telecommunications carriers. When MEX was established in 1997, it provided its own housing equipment for domestic content providers. As the market in Japan has expanded, MEX, a high-quality network provider, has accumulated a great deal of high-quality content. At the same time, it has aggressively promoted peering with established ISPs in Japan and built a strong position in the current Internet connection environment.
"The mission of MEX is to provide a fast and stable network infrastructure at reasonable cost,"
says Mr. Takada, Head of the Engineering Department. |
"We've focused on traffic issues in Japan since the early stages, foreseeing traffic growth. We've attracted providers who account for traffic in Japan, and we've been trying to suppress costs related to traffic. Fortunately, we've been able to gather providers with an abundance of content. We're also proud to host the highest peering numbers in Japan for interconnections between telecommunications carrier networks. When ISPs access content in MEX, the peering system ensures the shortest pathway for connections, without around-the-world detours or detours on networks run by other ISPs. The higher the peering count, the faster the available connection."
Preceding market trends in Japan, MEX's strategy matches current needs for lower cost and higher speed.
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MEX has upgraded its backbone to 10 Gbps to ensure immediate response to the recent rapid growth in traffic. |
In 2004, MEX upgraded its backbone network to 10 Gbps to provide connectivity in Japan with faster network environments.
"Traffic volumes have increased eight-fold in the last four years or so,"
Mr. Takada explains.
"In the past, we used 1-Gbps lines. But we saw limitations in gathering 1-Gbps lines to enable immediate response to these market needs. Traffic on the backbone to the Otemachi center has been steadily increasing, and conventional methods aren't feasible because they require so many lines. When we increase the number of lines, we also increase cost and complicate management requirements, since network equipment suffers from software constraints. We decided to upgrade the backbone to 10 Gbps using dark fiber and long-haul transmission systems. Given trends in traffic growth, we'll need to upgrade our lines to 10 Gbps one by one. As our first move, we've upgraded the two lines between Ikebukuro and Otemachi to 10 Gbps."
What are their standards when selecting support equipment for the backbone? Mr. Takada replied:
"When we select equipment, we select the most reasonable models. Since we're responsible for backbone operations, the reliability of the equipment is the most important factor. If the quality of the equipment is poor, we won't be able to bring the lines to 10 Gbps, since all traffic goes through the backbone."
Equipment reliability and cost effectiveness were the essential selection criteria for the upgrade to 10 Gbps. But why was Hitachi Cable's equipment selected?
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Media EXchange Network configuration diagram |
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Multiplex transmission system and Apresia reduce line costs and support the quality of the 10-Gbps backbone. |
Media Exchange, Inc.
Section Chief of the Engineering Department,
Ms. Kinuko Mitsuki
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"It began when we were looking for L2 switches,"
said Ms. Mitsuki, addressing the relationship between MEX and Hitachi Cable.
"Recommendations said to use HSW, the series before Apresia. After we tried it out, we felt HSW was as good as the imported products, and it proved unexpectedly usable. But since HSW was intended for enterprises, we asked for redundant power supplies. After that, we were introduced to the box-type Apresia, which featured a redundant power supply and the capacity to have power units replaced on-site. Power supplies are the most easily damaged parts, so this is critical. Apresia is made in Japan, offers low failure rates, and is hard to break. So we feel somewhat anxious if we aren't using Apresia at important points. Another benefit is that Apresia is compact and easily portable. To date, Hitachi Cable has responded rapidly to requests. This is why we considered Hitachi Cable's equipment in our recent upgrade to 10 Gbps." |
Mr. Takada also evaluates Apresia highly.
"The overseas vendor products we used in the past often had problems. Since we can't ever suspend our services, infrangibility is the most important requirement, taking precedence over usability or configuration concerns. We operate the system with a small staff, so we don't have much time for maintenance. And we generally manage servers remotely, so we need to minimize situations where we have to visit a site due to failures. Apresia is also less expensive than products from other manufacturers that provide equivalent functionality. Once we'd tried them, the products looked good. That was our first impression of Hitachi Cable products."
Based on these favorable evaluations, the XGMC-1001 10-Gbit Ethernet long-haul transmission system and the Apresia8004 chassis-type L2 switch were adopted to ensure quality at 10 Gbps.
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A reputation for cost effectiveness and high reliability. Expectations are high for equipment provided by Hitachi Cable. |
Chassis-type Apresia8004
(Backbone switch)
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What are their views of Hitachi Cable?
"After we introduced HSW, the long-haul transmission system, and Apresia, our impressions of Hitachi Cable changed significantly,"
says Mr. Takada.
"Hitachi Cable makes their own technologies; they don't buy technologies from other people. It's a company that creates products. We have the highest regard for Hitachi Cable's technical capabilities. The blue-box Apresia made a huge impression when we first saw it two years ago and led us to conclude Hitachi Cable was serious about selling switches. The 10-Gbps Apresia8004, which we introduced for the upgrade, is a product specifically targeting carriers. It's a well-made product."
Ms. Mitsuki agrees. |
"Hitachi Cable understands our needs really well and provides the products we want while responding flexibly to requests. I think we have a good relationship. If our clients say they want us to use L2 switches with an established record, we'll choose Apresia. We may even consider forming an alliance of some sort with Hitachi Cable."
"Many of the 10-Gbps transmission systems and 1-Gbps switches will likely be replaced by Hitachi Cable products,"
adds Mr. Takada.
"We have high expectations for future Hitachi Cable products. We'd really like to see the new products as soon as possible, because they serve as benchmarks for products from other vendors."
With their high reliability and cost effectiveness, the 10-Gbit Ethernet long-haul transmission system and the Apresia8004 chassis-type L2 switch win high marks for the 10-Gbps backbone. And future expectations call for further technological advances.
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Hitachi Cable |
Hitachi Cable, Ltd.
Information Systems Group, Telecommunication Sales Management Division,
Sales Department, Carrier Second Group,
Tomofumi Yamashita
(Photo: Second from left)
Kaoru Yatemata
(Photo: First from left)
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Upon upgrading the MEX backbone to 10 Gbps, we sorted out various demands based on our past relationship with MEX and proposed the optimal equipment. We believe we helped MEX build a simple, less expensive, highly reliable network. We hope to continue to evolve as a vendor providing support to MEX networks, proposing in close dialogue with MEX the latest in visionary equipment and solutions. |
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Media EXchange, Inc. |
provides network infrastructures to Internet-related businesses for content relay and delivery.
Established in 1997 and financed by Tokyo Electric Power Company and local (power-company-related) telecommunications carriers, it unifies Internet connection services and the iDC service and deploys unique businesses, exploiting the highest standards of network construction and operating techniques in Japan while providing high-quality service at low cost to content providers, as well as urban iDC.
It is currently one of Japan's major peering hosts.
With the rapid growth of broadband environments and content businesses, Media EXchange is an expanding business specializing in domestic networks. |
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