At Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2019, Huawei released details at Mobile World Congress earlier this month in Barcelona, Spain, of a new data center interconnect (DCI) offering. The platform combines 600-Gbps optical transmission with optical cross-connect (OCX) capabilities, along with the company’ Network Cloud Engine (NCE) technology.
The system will support multiple 600-Gbps coherent wavelengths for a total of 48 Tbps per fiber, Huawei says. The platform leverages an in-house optical digital signal processor with channel-matched shaping (CMS) for spectral efficiency. The use of shaping technologies at 600 Gbps and above is becoming widespread in the industry (see, for example, “Nokia touts ultimate in spectral efficiency via PSE-3 chipset and probabilistic constellation shaping,”“Infinera unveils ICE6 coherent engine, Infinite Network vision,” and “Acacia Communications AC1200 1.2T Coherent Module.”) Huawei augments CMS with what it calls “optical-layer AI neuron technologies” to support the 600-Gbps per wavelength transmissions. Huawei's 200G-to-600G programmable transport platforms with CMS earned a 4.0 rating in the 2019 Lightwave Innovation Reviews program.
Meanwhile, Huawei says the OXC capabilities simplify mesh networking. The addition of OXC enables an all-optical backplane that supports 32-degree wavelength switching, the company says. The NCE technology enables network-wide resource management and one-click service provisioning, as well as automatic hitless bandwidth adjustment. To reduce platform size, Huawei has taken what it terms a One Direction One Unit (1D1U) approach, in which one board integrates multiple functions typically provided on separate boards, such as multiplexer/demultiplexer, OA, and optical supervisory functions.
"Huawei attaches paramount importance to DCI in next-generation networks and continuously accelerates technological innovation. Huawei's introduction of CMS addresses the difficulties in deploying 600G commercially. AI neurons integrate more AI capabilities into the network. In addition, OXC uses optical line printing technology to lead DCI into the era of all-optical interconnection," said Chen Wenbo, vice president of Huawei Enterprise Transmission Product Line. "We will work with customers and partners such as cloud service providers, MTDCs, and IXPs to continuously build an ultra-broadband, non-blocking, and flexible DCI network."
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