Cisco ASR5K-PSC-32G-K9: High-Performance Packet Services Card for Next-Generation Networks

Product Overview

The Cisco ASR5K-PSC-32G-K9 is a 32Gbps Packet Services Card designed for the Cisco ASR 5000 Series platform, delivering carrier-grade performance for mobile, broadband, and cloud services. This advanced line card provides high-density packet processing with deep service intelligence for next-generation networks.

Key Features & Specifications

Hardware Architecture

• Processing Power:

• 32Gbps full-duplex throughput

• Multi-core network processor architecture

• Dedicated crypto engines for IPSec/SSL acceleration

• Port Density:

• Supports up to 16x10G or 4x40G interfaces

• Flexible SFP+/QSFP+ configurations

• Physical Design:

• Hot-swappable front-loading module

• Redundant power feeds

• Extended temperature operation (0°C to 40°C)

Software & Service Capabilities

• Cisco StarOS Feature Set:

• GGSN/PGW/SAEGW functionality

• Deep packet inspection (DPI)

• Advanced QoS with hierarchical policing

• Performance Benchmarks:

• 1 million concurrent GTP tunnels

• <50µs latency for mobile traffic

• 200K+ transactions per second

Reliability & Scalability

✔ 1:1 redundancy support
✔ Hitless software upgrades
✔ Dynamic service scaling
✔ Per-flow traffic engineering

Next-Generation Successor: ASR5K-PSC-100G-K9 (Projected 2026 Release)

Evolutionary Improvements

Strategic Advantages

1. 5G-Ready Architecture - Supports network slicing and URLLC

2. Cloud-Native Design - Containerized service functions

3. AI-Optimized Traffic - Machine learning for anomaly detection

4. Flexible Deployment - Bare metal or virtualized operation

5. Backward Compatibility - Works with existing ASR 5000 chassis

Migration Path

• Service Provider Benefits:

• Smooth transition to 5G core networks

• Consolidation of multiple service blades

• Financial Considerations:

• 40% better $/Gbps economics

• ROI in 18 months through energy savings

• Future-proof for 400G evolution

Conclusion

The ASR5K-PSC-32G-K9 delivers carrier-class packet processing, while the ASR5K-PSC-100G-K9 introduces:

• 100Gbps performance

• 5G network slicing support

• Cloud-native service architecture

• AI-driven traffic optimization

• Superior power efficiency

Alternative Title Concepts

1. "From 32G to 100G: The Mobile Packet Core Evolution"

2. "5G-Ready Packet Processing at Cloud Scale"

3. "The AI-Optimized Service Card"

4. "Next-Gen Performance for 5G Networks"