XKL LLC has expanded its line of optical transport systems into the coherent transmission realm with the eVolocity line. Each of the two 1RU eVolocity platforms support up to 96 channels of 100 Gigabit Ethernet wavelengths. The new XKL systems also use statistical multiplexing to help allocate bandwidth on a per-client basis and improve bandwidth utilization efficiency.
The systems include the DQM-100 muxponder for networks that require 40 channels through the use of the company's DarkStar Band Combiner (DBC) and the DQT-100 transponder for applications that require 96 channels in combination with XKL's DMD96 DarkStar Mux/Demux device. Thanks to the company's FlexArc technology, both will support a variety of network architectures, from point-to-point and mesh to ring, and offer protection switching and optical add/drop capabilities. Transmission reaches range from 150 to 2000 km, the latter with the assistance of hybrid EDFA/Raman amplification.
The line-side interfaces are 100-Gbps CFPs. The client side comprises 10 Gigabit Ethernet inputs, with a total client-side capacity of 11.5 Tbps (or 23 Tbps with a firmware upgrade).
The use of statistical multiplexing enables over-subscription as well as spectral efficiency, XKL CEO and Founder Len Bosack told attendees on a media call last week. The technology opens the door for future eVolocity platforms to support a greater number of client-side interfaces, which likely would be matched at some point with higher-speed line-side optics.
The systems enable users to "soft-assign" one of four available class or priority levels to each client port for quality of service purposes. Use of a deficit weighted round robin algorithm (DWRR) enables this multi-class services support.
XKL envisions the systems being used for a variety of purposes, including data center interconnect. Bosack listed internet exchanges, internet service providers, and large universities as among potential customers.
"Spectral efficiency is essential for optical networking solutions," Bosack was quoted as saying in the release announcing the systems. "In addition to this, eVolocity is engineered to prioritize and allocate customer data intelligently, thus minimizing idle capacity. This dynamic bandwidth allocation is unique for Layer 1 and provides another means for customers to handle the explosion in bandwidth growth. Customers are looking for additional methods to get more data through the fiber. Spectral efficiency improvements via more complex modulation formats alone will not get the job done."
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