MX304 Universal Routing Platform Datasheet

The MX304 Universal Routing Platform features the following components.

Dual redundant Routing Engines (REs) on the MX304 run Junos OS, where they manage all routing protocol processes, router interface control, and control plane functions such as chassis operations, system management, and user access to the router. These processes run on top of a kernel that interacts with the Packet Forwarding Engine (PFE) on Modular Interface Cards (MICs) via dedicated high-bandwidth management channels, providing a clean separation between the control and forwarding planes.

Powered by the sixth-generation programmable Trio chipset, the MX304 offers unprecedented bandwidth in a dense form factor with MICs providing broad routing, switching, inline services, subscriber management, hierarchical quality of service (HQoS), and a host of other features. The MICs allow users to mix-and-match 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, 100GbE, and 400GbE interfaces to flexibly and efficiently address their unique connectivity requirements.

The MX304 power and thermal subsystems use advanced technology to optimize power efficiency without sacrificing scale or features. The power subsystem is highly resilient, allowing full power supply and power cable feed redundancy, resulting in industry-leading power consumption efficiency.

Junos OS is a reliable, high-performance, modular network operating system that is supported across all of Juniper’s physical and virtual routing, switching, and security platforms, reducing the cost, complexity, and resources required to implement and maintain a Juniper-based network. With secure programming interfaces, the Juniper^® Extension Toolkit (JET), versatile scripting support, and integration with popular orchestration frameworks, Junos OS offers flexible options for continuous delivery and DevOps-style management, helping service providers unlock more value from the network.

For more details on Junos OS, please visit https://www.juniper.net/us/en/products/network-operating-system/junos-os.html.

The MX304 is a full-featured single-chassis edge router that offers high port density in a compact form factor (see Table 1). 

A comprehensive set of hardware and software features enables the MX304 to deliver the highest levels of network availability for a 2 RU edge router. The MX304 supports 1+1 control plane redundancy and 1+1 power supply module redundancy. From a software standpoint, Junos OS runs each program independently in its own protected memory space, ensuring that individual processes do not interfere with one another.

The MX304 offers excellent, industry-leading power design and efficiency, consuming just 0.3 W/Gb to ensure proper chassis operation under all conditions—critical when considering next-generation network elements. The MX304 monitors power and temperature for each chassis component, shutting down interfaces and components when power or temperature thresholds are exceeded.

The programmable Junos Trio 6 chipset provides the power to monitor and collect data at the component level. The chipset uses the Junos Telemetry Interface to stream this data in a scalable manner to monitoring, analytics, and performance management applications, as well as to Path Computation Elements (PCEs) such as Juniper Networks Paragon Pathfinder. The derived telemetry information identifies current and trending congestion, resource utilization, traffic volume, latency, and delay, helping service providers detect issues and make informed decisions about network design, optimization, and investments.

MX Series routers support highly scalable and reliable hardware-based timing that meets the strictest LTE requirements, including Synchronous Ethernet for frequency and the Precision Time Protocol (PTP) for frequency and phase synchronization. Synchronous Ethernet and PTP can be combined in a “hybrid” mode to achieve the highest level of frequency (10 ppb) and phase accuracy (< 1.5 uS) required for LTE-Advanced, eliminating the need for external clocks. The MX304 also supports advanced timing standards such as G.8275.1.

The Junos Automation Toolkit, included in the Junos OS software, offers a suite of tools supported on all Juniper Networks switches, routers, and security devices. These tools leverage the native XML capabilities of Junos OS, including commit scripts, operations scripts, event policies and scripts, and macros that automate operational and configuration tasks. Automation saves time by performing repetitive operational and configuration tasks, speeding troubleshooting, and maximizing network uptime by warning operators of potential problems and automatically responding to system events.

The MX304 Universal Routing Platform delivers a powerful solution for the following use cases.

The MX304 offers the 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, 100GbE, and 400GbE interfaces that large enterprises and service providers need, as well as a comprehensive VPN toolkit to support feature-rich, standards-based, and secure internetworking for innovative business services. In addition to basic L2/L3 VPN and virtual private LAN service (VPLS) support, the MX304 offers enhanced VPN services such as quality-of-service (QoS)-prioritized VPN traffic for voice and video, L2 VPN internetworking to connect dissimilar L2 access networks, and rich IP/MPLS features to customize services and meet service-level agreements (SLAs).

The MX304 provides outstanding support for metro and aggregation networks by offering a full suite of routing and switching features, allowing network operators to choose a deployment model that best suits their business and technical needs and goals. The MX304 can be deployed as an IP/MPLS VPN edge router, VPLS router, MPLS label-switching router (LSR), or as a Layer 2 Ethernet switch or Layer 3 IP router. The MX304 also supports an extensive set of Ethernet Operation, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) features and is Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) certified.

The MX304 can be deployed as a data center gateway router and for data center interconnection. With high-density 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, 100GbE, and 400GbE interfaces, and key features such as L2/L3 VPN, dynamic tunnels using MPLS-over-GRE, Virtual Extensible LAN (VXLAN) encapsulation, and generic routing encapsulation (GRE) support, the MX304 offers a full suite of routing and switching features, allowing network operators to choose the deployment model that best fits their business and technical needs.

The power-optimized, compact 2 RU MX304 is ideal for collocation facilities that charge based on provisioned power and space. Offering high control plane scale, the MX304 supports IP peering and route reflection capabilities that support inline flow monitoring, segment routing, BGP, and GRE, among other features.

• Physical dimensions (HxWxD): 3.5 x 17.3 x 24 in, (8.89 x 44 x 61 cm)
• Airflow: Front to back
• Operating temperatures: 32° to 115° F (0° to 46° C) at sea level
• Number of fan trays: 3
• Maximum weight (approximate): 66.1 lbs (30 kg) (2 x RE configuration)
• System mounting: 2/4-post rack mounting
• Rack units: 2

Juniper Networks is the leader in performance-enabling services that are designed to accelerate, extend, and optimize your high-performance network. Our services allow you to maximize operational efficiency while reducing costs and minimizing risk, achieving a faster time to value for your network. Juniper Networks ensures operational excellence by optimizing the network to maintain required levels of performance, reliability, and availability. For more details, please visit https://www.juniper.net/us/en/products.html.

Please contact your Juniper sales representative for MX304 availability.

At Juniper Networks, we are dedicated to dramatically simplifying network operations and driving superior experiences for end users. Our solutions deliver industry-leading insight, automation, security, and AI to drive real business results. We believe that powering connections will bring us closer together while empowering us all to solve the world’s greatest challenges of well-being, sustainability, and equality.

1000727 - 002 - EN MARCH 2022