This paper discusses the requirements and challenges inherent in the design of carrier-class network operating system (OS). Key facets of JUNOS^TM software, the Juniper Networks OS, are used to illustrate the evolution of OS design and underscore the relationship between functionality and architectural decisions.

The challenge of designing a contemporary network operating system is examined from different angles, including flexibility, ability to power a wide range of platforms, nonstop operation, and parallelism.

The new EX-series Ethernet switches from Juniper Networks offer a number of features for optimizing IP telephony deployments. This application note describes how voice over IP (VoIP) phones can be deployed in conjunction with endpoint hosts such as desktop or laptop computers; provides background information on Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) and LLDP-Media Endpoint Discovery (LLDP-MED); and describes the interaction between VoIP phones and EX-series switches.

The data center is an extremely critical corporate asset. As such, the data center network that connects all critical servers, applications and storage services is increasingly a key component that needs to be carefully planned and managed in order to meet the growing performance demands of users and many network-centric applications. Juniper Networks offers a comprehensive data center network solution that combines best-in-class products with well-defined practices to build high-performance, robust, virtualized, cost-effective and business supported data center networks.

CIOs and IT executives should read this white paper to discover how different attributes of the network infrastructure can help them achieve their aggressive business goals. This white paper will show how Juniper Networks, Inc. high-performance networking infrastructure, which provides fast, reliable and secure access to applications and services over a single network, will meet all three levels of business goals: staying in the race, winning the race and changing the rules.