Breaking News - Networking:
QNX Delivers Microkernel For Massively Scalable Routing System
QNX Software Systems announced that Cisco Systems is using an optimized
version of the QNX Neutrino microkernel in the recently announced Cisco IOS XR
Software, the newest member of the Cisco IOS Software Family. Cisco IOS XR
Software is designed to deliver industry-leading continuous system operation
and advanced routing features on the multiterabit distributed architecture of
the Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System.
Renowned for its extreme reliability in mission- and life-critical
applications, the QNX Neutrino microkernel provides a field-proven, modular
architecture optimized for carrier-class availability, scalability, and
dynamic service upgrades. Cisco engineers used QNX Neutrino as a technology
base and built upon it to develop the Cisco CRS-1's self-healing capabilities
and industry-leading network scalability.
With millions of installations worldwide and 24 years of proven performance in
the field, QNX microkernel technology supports customers running continuous
applications where failure is simply not an option - from life-critical
medical instruments and 9-1-1 call centers to control systems for nuclear
reactors, high-speed trains, and semiconductor manufacturing.
"We are delighted to contribute to Cisco's breakthrough routing innovation
through the development of the Cisco CRS-1," said Dan Dodge, CEO of QNX
Software Systems. "By leveraging the QNX Neutrino microkernel as a key
building block of Cisco IOS XR Software, Cisco is delivering a next-generation
routing system that raises the bar in terms of reliability and service
flexibility."
Key features of the QNX Neutrino microkernel include:
- Modular architecture -- QNX Neutrino cleanly separates components such as
drivers, protocol stacks, file systems, and applications from each other and
from the microkernel itself, enabling system upgrades and software hotswaps on
the fly -- without costly downtime or service interruptions. Full memory
protection enables fault isolation and maximum reliability.
- Transparent distributed processing -- In the QNX Neutrino microkernel,
applications and system services become network distributed without any
special code, simplifying the design of fault-tolerant multiprocessor
applications and enabling large, highly distributed systems.
- Symmetric mulitprocessing (SMP) -- The only realtime microkernel capable of
symmetric multiprocessing, QNX Neutrino allows carriers to leverage the
massive compute power of multi-core and multi-processor platforms based on
x86, MIPS and PowerPC architectures.
- Critical process monitoring -- The QNX Neutrino microkernel offers a
fine-grained approach to fault isolation and recovery, increasing MTBF and
reducing MTTR. Critical process monitoring allows automatic recovery from even
low-level faults, enabling self-healing networks.
- POSIX conformance -- QNX Neutrino was the first microkernel to conform to
POSIX and is in certification testing for the 2003 edition. By adhering to
POSIX API specifications, QNX Neutrino ensures maximum interoperability and
portability, accelerating time to market and reducing risk.
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