Edgecore Networks details OCP 25G/100G data center switch contributions, displays open PON OLT

Open network technology developer Edgecore Networks used last week's OCP Summit to detail design contributions to the Open Compute Project (OCP) as well as a range of open systems, including of a disaggregated virtual PON optical line terminal (OLT) that conforms to AT&T's Open XGS-PON 1RU OLT specification.

The OCP design contributions detail a 25 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) top-of-rack switch and a high-density 100GbE spine switch. The former, which Edgecore calls the AS7300-54X, uses the Broadcom StrataXGSTomahawk Switch Series and supports 48 SFP28 ports, each capable of 10GbE or 2 GbE, plus six QSFP28 100GbE uplink ports. The 100GbE design, the AS7800-64X, is the first open network switch design based on the Broadcom StrataXGS Tomahawk II Switch Series, Edgecore asserts. It supports 64 QSFP28 ports in a 2U form factor. Both designs include options for CPU modules incorporating Intel Atom, Intel Xeon Processor D, or NXP QorIQ T2080 processors. The switches support such OCP-accepted networking software as Open Network Install Environment (ONIE), Open Network Linux, Open Optical Monitoring (OOM) API, and SnapRoute's FlexSwitch NOS. They will support an even broader choice of commercial and open source software options in the future, the company promises.

In the exhibit area, Edgecore displayed a wide range of systems, including the ASFvOLT16 disaggregated virtual OLT designed as an "OCP-inspired" product in conformance with the AT&T Open XGS-PON 1RU OLT specification the carrier contributed to the OCP Telco Working Group. The virtual OLT is based on Broadcom StrataDNX switch and PON MAC SOC silicon. It will support 16 ports of 10G XGS-PON or NG-PON2 with four QSFP28 ports. Edgecore sees the system as suitable for next generation PON deployments, including those conformant with Residential Central Office Rearchitected as a Data Center (R-CORD) architectures.

The company also showed off several data switches, including the AS7812-24S open packet optical switch. The 1.5U modular platform, based on the Broadcom StrataXGSTomahawk Switch Series silicon, provides 3.2 Tbps of bandwidth across a flexible mix of 10GbE to 100GbE ports and 100/200 Gbps CFP2 coherent optical ports. The optical ports reside on line card modules that offer a choice of ACO and DCO options that integrate optics and coherent DSP technology from such partners as Acacia Communications, Finisar Corp., and NTT Electronics.

Edgecore also partnered with Finisar on an Open Optical Monitoring (OOM) API demonstration based on Edgecore open switch hardware, Cumulus Linux NOS, and Finisar's 25G and 100G optical transceivers. The OCP-accepted OOM provides integrated asset management and health monitoring of optical transceivers and switches.

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