Coriant, Juniper demo long-haul router, DWDM system interoperability

Coriant GmbH says it is making good progress in its collaboration with Juniper Networks Inc. The companies have created an integrated packet transport network (IPTN) capability, which they demonstrated recently at OFC 2014.

The two networking companies claim this is the first demonstration of multi-vendor line-side interworking between router and DWDM systems that is suitable for long-haul optical transmission. OFC exhibition visitors were treated to a live demonstration of line-side interworking of 100G DWDM wavelengths.

This technology will enable network operators to efficiently deploy a converged packet-optical infrastructure that increases network capacity while lowering costs. Already proven technology in leading carrier networks, the IPTN approach provides the foundation for faster and more reliable services optimized for high-bandwidth applications driving network growth, the companies assert.

The IPTN architecture is a combination of Coriant’s hiT 7300 DWDM system, Coriant’s TransNet planning tool, and TNMS network management system with Juniper’s MX Series and PTX Series routers. The latest interoperability test was carried out on line-side interworking of PTX 100G DWDM interfaces with hiT 7300 transponders and line system.

The results highlight new use cases in seamless packet optical networks, which now include regeneration of router interfaces and handoff between routers from different vendors, which were not previously attuned on the line side, the companies say.

“We see this collaboration between Coriant and Juniper as an important step that allows operators to offer reliable and scalable networks for richer services to its end-users by a tighter integration of the IP/MPLS and optical network layers,” said Uwe Fischer, chief technology officer at Coriant, via a company press release. “Both companies are highly motivated to create integrated packet network transport solutions to contend with the exponential growth in data and to offer long-term support to our customers from now and well into the future.”

Juniper and Coriant (then Nokia Siemens Networks) have been working together on interoperability for the past five years (see “Nokia Siemens Networks, Juniper pair for IP over DWDM” and "Nokia Siemens Networks, Juniper Networks play nice at 100G"). Both companies say they are committed to their collaboration on IPTN, and will continue to drive the full scope of packet-optical integration including the interworking of the data plane, control plane, and management plane based on standardized, open interfaces.

Speaking with Lightwave at OFC, Fischer said that the collaboration features an open architecture approach that other vendors can leverage to transmit the wavelengths generated by the Juniper routers as alien wavelengths via optical transport systems. Fischer said that the collaboration between the two companies offered an alternative to router/optical transport control plane interaction via software-defined network (SDN) principles that have yet to fully take shape.

For more information on packet-optical systems and suppliers, visit the Lightwave Buyer’s Guide.