The Ribbon Edge 8000 Series provides a highly scalable 10GB multi-tenant Ethernet router with rich layer 3 routing, tunneling, and switching features, plus full-featured Session Border Controller functionality.
Contents
About the Ribbon Edge 8000
Formerly, a Session Border Controller (SBC) served as a network element deployed to protect SIP-based Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) networks. Early deployments of SBCs were focused on the borders between two service provider networks in a peering environment. This role has now expanded to include significant deployments between a service provider's access network and a backbone network to provide service to residential and/or enterprise customers.
The Edge 8000 product is the newest, high-performance member of Ribbon's line of services gateway routers that combines security, routing, switching, and 10 Gbps WAN interfaces with next-generation voice and data services where the combination of broadband connectivity and advanced threat mitigation capabilities are required. By consolidating fast, highly available routing, security, and next-generation SBC capabilities in a single Multi-Service Edge (MSE) device, enterprises can remove network complexity, protect and prioritize resources, and improve user and application experience while lowering the total cost of ownership.
Available Models
The Edge 8000 Series consists of two models:
- Edge 8100, a highly scalable Ethernet SBC and data router.
- Edge 8300, a high-capacity mixed SBC, analog, and data router.
Features
The Edge 8300 model includes all the capabilities of the 8100, plus integrates analog endpoints – FXS, FXO, and T1/E1 PRI – to support Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) calls with Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) calls. The 8300 provides any-to-any connectivity between analog and SIP devices, enabling branch offices to migrate analog phones to SIP-based networks and to communicate seamlessly with Ribbon Session Border Controllers.
Every Ribbon Edge 8000 Series device provides a full-fledged 10GB L3 router. Every Edge 8000 device also supports up to two Virtual Network Functions (VNFs). The VNFs will support third party applications, like NGFW or SD-WAN, to enhance the overall device utility and to act as a service insertion platform.
Currently the Edge 8000 Series supports the Ribbon SBC SWe Edge application as an onboard VNF application. By consolidating fast, highly available routing, security, and next-generation VNF capabilities in a single device, enterprises can remove network complexity and protect network resources.
With the SBC SWe Edge VNF onboard, the Edge 8000 qualifies to function as a Microsoft Virtual Survivable Branch Appliance (vSBA). With vSBA, when a customer site using Direct Routing to connect to a Microsoft Phone System experiences an external internet outage, the intranet inside the branch remains fully functional: users connect to the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) through the SBC SWe Edge function of the Edge 8000 device.
All Ribbon Edge 8000 Series devices integrate with Ribbon RAMP. RAMP offers single sign-on capability for all of an enterprise's Edge 8000 devices registered with RAMP. Additionally, RAMP collects and displays the SBC Edge traps of all Edge 8000 Series devices registered with RAMP.
For an application of SIP to SIP calls only (no analog calls), a pair of Edge 8000 devices can optionally be deployed for High Availability (HA) voice call protection. Refer to Overview of High Availability.
User Interfaces
The Edge 8000 platform offers several user interfaces for configuring, operating and maintaining the device. The following table summarizes the use of each interface.
Edge 8000 User Interfaces
| User Interface | Access | Functions | Documentation |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edge 8000 CLI | from a secure shell (ssh) client or serial console (telnet) connection | platform initial setup (Setup Wizard) | |
| Edge 8000 GUI | from an Internet web browser | analog telephony management, data routing management, Edge 8000 analog and routing licenses | |
| SBC SWe Edge GUI | from an Internet web browser | SWe Edge initial setup (Easy Config), | |
| 6WIND Router CLI | from a secure shell (ssh) client | data router administration | 6WIND Router Documentation |
Licensing
Placing an Order
When you order an Edge 8000 device from Ribbon, the ordering system prompts you to select different platform characteristics, such as:
- the type of power supply (single AC, dual AC, or dual DC)
- the routing bandwidth (2.5, 5, or 10 Gbps bi-directional throughput)
- for the 8300 model, the number of physical FXS and FXO ports (either 24 FXS ports, or 22FXS ports and 2 FXO ports)
In addition, the system prompts you to select different SWe Edge VNF characteristics:
- Choose between four available SWe Edge software feature packs, which offer different levels of transcoding, encryption, in-band media services, and RTP media manipulation
- Choose the number of concurrent call sessions, in packages of 100, 25, 10, and 5 (Example: order a 100 service pack and a 25 service pack for a total of 125 concurrent sessions)
- Optionally select High Availability to protect SIP to SIP calls
The High Availability feature is an option when you order a pair of Edge 8000 units. High Availability offers the same SWe Edge software feature packs and concurrent call sessions as a stand-alone unit but adds redundancy between the two units for in-call protection of SIP to SIP calls. (The HA feature does not support the gateway function of FXS, FXO, and PRI calling.)
Receiving the Unit(s)
Based on the selections you order, Ribbon authorizes up to three product licenses – Analog, Router, and SBC SWe Edge – as described in the following table:
License Types
| Type | Purpose | Edge 8000 Models |
|---|---|---|
| Analog | Supports circuit-switched calls through the analog ports (FXS, FXO) and digital ports (PRI over T1 or E1) | 8300 |
| Router | Supports data routing through the 1G and 10G Ethernet ports, including all Layer 2 and Layer 3 switching | 8100 and 8300 |
| SBC SWe Edge | Supports VoIP calls through the Ethernet ports | 8100 and 8300 |
Ribbon ships your Edge 8000 unit with the appropriate Analog and Router licenses installed and activated. No additional action is required for these licenses.
The SWe Edge license requires additional steps to install the license, based on a license key obtained from Ribbon after you place an order. Refer to License Management for license ordering and installation instructions.
Later Upgrading
You can later scale your device with an upgrade order based on the MAC address of the device. An upgrade order allows you to increase the data throughput of your router function, enhance your SWe Edge software features, and add concurrent call sessions to match the changing needs of an expanding network. Refer to License Management for license ordering and installation instructions.
In summary, the three types of product licenses – Analog, Router, and SBC SWe Edge – can be initially ordered and later upgraded as follows:
License Ordering and Upgrading Options
| License Type | Options Available When Ordering the Product or When Later Upgrading | License Status When Initially Shipped | License Can Be Upgraded Later? | Edge 8000 Models |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Analog | No options offered (the complete Analog function is always shipped with the product) | Already installed | No | 8300 |
| Router | Data throughput choices:
| Already installed | Yes; requires manual license installation | 8100 and 8300 |
| SBC SWe Edge | Feature and capacity choices:
| Requires manual license installation | Yes; requires manual license installation | 8100 and 8300 |
Customer Documentation
The Edge 8000 Series reuses SBC Edge and 6WIND software. At times you will be directed to other existing Ribbon customer documentation where a complete documentation suite describes all the features and functions of a particular product. Customers familiar with the Ribbon SBC Edge product, for instance, will recognize many familiar features now available on the Edge 8000. Refer to Related Documents for links to the documentation suites applicable to the Edge 8000 Series product.
Overview
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