Transmode unveils more Native Packet Optical products for Ethernet transport

JUNE 15, 2010 -- Transmode has announced the availability of two new integrated Layer 2 Ethernet products that address Native Packet Optical applications such as mobile backhaul, video distribution, and business Ethernet services.

“Native Packet Optical” transport is an architecture that is ideally suited to the edge of an optical network as it keeps the traffic payload as standard native Ethernet frames, according to Transmode. This provides the operator with better visibility and manageability of Layer 2 traffic, better aggregation of traffic to fill transmission pipes prior to hand over to an OTN core, and lower cost packet optical integration at the edge of the optical network, the company explains.

The two new products expand Transmode’s range of Layer 2 Ethernet products. A second-generation version of the Layer 2 Ethernet Muxponder (EMXP), the EMXP II, includes increased processing power and support for a wider range of Layer 2 features. The introduction of two- and five-port Ethernet Demarcation Units (EDUs) rounds out the new announcements.

Both new offerings are available in the TM-Series Release 15 that becomes commercially available in June 2010 and are already shipping to customers in the US and Europe.

"The Native Packet Optical approach offers considerable advantages to network operators,” said Sten Nordell, CTO at Transmode. ”Using components based on standard Ethernet transport these operators can build simplified integrated Layer 1 and 2 networks that provide better service visibility, better metro aggregation, and better OAM, at the lowest possible cost. These new components in Release 15 are proving to be very popular and mark a milestone in the roll out of Native Packet Optical networks.”

The enhanced EMXP II is focused on transport Ethernet and is designed to provide Layer 2 Ethernet service provisioning and aggregation for transport applications with sub-2 microsecond latency and virtually zero jitter.

The EMXP II is available in two variants with two 10G Ethernet ports and either 10 or 22 Gigabit Ethernet ports. The unit supports a range of Ethernet functionality including MEF E-Line, E-LAN, and E-Tree services with differentiated class of service and bandwidth profiles, and 802.1ag and Y.1731 service OAM. All ports also support Synchronous Ethernet, G.8032 Ethernet Ring Protection, 802.3ad Link Aggregation, and port mirroring.

The new EDUs are aimed at customer premise applications. According to Transmode, the units leverage a unique approach with hardware processing of high priority traffic to ensure the lowest possible latency and jitter, again making the units ideal for low latency and jitter applications. The range includes units that provide either demarcation of a single Gigabit Ethernet client signal or aggregation of up to four client signals onto a Gigabit Ethernet line within the compact CPE device.

The units’ functionality includes service mapping that enables providers to quickly create Ethernet Virtual Circuits (EVCs) for MEF Certified E-Line, E-LAN, and E-Tree services. Services can be mapped with bandwidth policies that establish committed and excess throughput and burst rates (CIR, EIR, EBS, CBS), as well as defined Ethernet and IP service priorities. The hardware-based units also can maintain up to 100 Y.1731 and 802.1ag OAM sessions per unit, enabling highly accurate and precise OAM performance monitoring for large-scale wireless backhaul and business service applications, Transmode concludes.

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