Mid-Atlantic Crossroads opts for Fujitsu ROADM
OCTOBER 29, 2007 -- Fujitsu Network Communications (search for Fujitsu) says that the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX), a GigaPoP organization founded by Georgetown University, George Washington University, the University of Maryland, and Virginia Tech, has deployed its FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM in its network. The network serves the bandwidth needs of MAX's 38 directly connected participants from higher education, federal agency, corporate, and non-profit institutions. Applications enabled by the new network include massively parallel processing between supercomputers and collaboration on projects involving scientific modeling, data set movements, visualization, and analysis for improved problem solving, discovery, and policy formation.
The fiber-optic MAX network now uses three Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM nodes and three-degree wavelength switching at the hub site. A future upgrade planned for first quarter of 2008 will add an additional three nodes (six in total) and feature a five-degree ROADM configuration. This upgrade will be performed in-service, which was cited by MAX staff as a key differentiator with the FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM platform.
"After an extensive RFP process, we selected the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM because of its wavelength selective switch, support for eight-degree ROADM [operation], muxponder options, built-in transponder optical switch protection, and migration path to 40 Gbits/sec on each of its 40 wavelengths," said Dan Magorian, director of engineering and operations at Mid-Atlantic Crossroads. "Scalable bandwidth for our network is critical, and the FLASHWAVE 7500 ROADM delivers the high-capacity and multi-degree flexibility we need to create the high-performance network our research and education participants require."
MAX also selected an ongoing maintenance support package that includes access to 24/7 remote technical assistance and spares management, plus equipment feature software updates and hands-on technical training.
MAX is also using the Fujitsu NETSMART® 500 craft user interface and NETSMART 1500 Element Management System (EMS) to turn up network nodes, provision services, and monitor the availability of the network.
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