DECEMBER 16, 2009 -- Texas A&M University is upgrading from CWDM to DWDM within a new metropolitan area network (MAN) built on ADVA Optical Networking’s (FSE: ADV) FSP 3000 platform.
The new DWDM deployment is immediately capable of supporting 40 wavelengths and is expandable to 80 wavelengths. It can support 10-, 40-, and 100-Gbps transponders as well as up to eight degree reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) capabilities when needed.
The ADVA Optical Networking equipment also provides the ability to support a full 10-Gbps network upgrade the university hopes to complete in the coming year, the systems vendor adds.
“You have to put the plumbing in place first,” said Matthew Almand, chief network engineer for Texas A&M University. “We needed to support 10-Gbps capabilities, and this ADVA Optical Networking installation is setting the stage for that move.”
Texas A&M’s MAN provides voice, video, and data transmission in support of the university’s administration along with research-related activities on and around the main campus at College Station, TX. This includes Internet access and core campus applications.
The MAN is also used to provide connectivity for partner organizations including local government agencies, school districts, and other educational entities associated with the university.
The MAN includes four nodes deployed in a ring connecting locations on the Texas A&M campus, within the university’s data centers and elsewhere within the city. Off the ring, there are two independent spurs reaching other remote offices in the College Station area. Portions of the network’s fiber are owned by the university while other sections belong to the city of College Station.
Installation of the new network was completed in October. Texas A&M recently finished its full migration from the old network to the new MAN.
“We’ve had no hiccups,” Almand said. “We’ve had wonderful support from ADVA Optical Networking with installation and the follow-ups. We haven’t seen any issues.”
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