Juniper Networks switches

Youku, aiming to be the primary source of online video content for Chinese Internet users across all Internet-enabled devices, has adopted a hybrid content strategy by licensing long-form, professionally produced content and fostering user-generated content and original Web videos produced under its brand "Youku Original."

"Internet video is really taking off in China and we are determined to remain at the forefront of this market," says Jian Yao, chief technology officer of Youku. "In assessing our options for new switching infrastructure, the Juniper Networks EX Series switches stood out for delivering wire-speed performance, tremendous scalability, and excellent stability in a compact footprint. With a single operating system running all switches and the use of Virtual Chassis fabric technology, we can keep expanding the data center without having to expand our network management overhead."

Within Youku's data center, the EX Series switches have enabled internal and external networks to collapse multiple switching layers and create a simplified two-layer network architecture. The internal network uses Juniper Networks EX8216 modular switches which, through Virtual Chassis fabric technology, have been interconnected to create a single, logical device that forms a large Layer 2 core domain. It is connected to EX3200 access switches using dual 10GbE uplinks configured into Redundant Trunk Groups. On the external network, EX4200 switches deployed in a Virtual Chassis configuration form the switching core, with multiple 10GbE links to service provider routers and redundant link-aggregated GbE connections to Juniper Networks EX2200 access switches.

At Youku's remote caching sites, Juniper Networks EX3200 switches have been deployed to support 10GbE uplinks to the service provider and GbE link aggregation groups connecting to EX2200 access switches.

"Projections are that video will account for 50 percent of all Internet traffic by 2014 so, as a streaming video service provider addressing the world's largest Internet-connected population, Youku needs reliable, highly-scalable network performance," says Alex Gray, general manager and senior vice president, campus and branch business unit, Juniper Networks. "Our EX Series switches with Virtual Chassis fabric technology flatten the network to increase performance, reduce latency and make it possible for Youku to scale IT operations without increasing complexity."