The OIF defines 100G project for Module Management Interface

NOVEMBER 9, 2009 -- The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) has launched a new 100G project to define a Module Management Interface. The OIF also announced the result of elections for its board of directors.

The Module Management Interface project, started in the Physical and Link Layer Working Group, aims to develop a management data input/output interface (MDIO) for the 100G Long Haul DWDM Transmission Module. The MDIO project will specify the logical architecture and frame structure, module control and host-module signaling theory, and MDIO register set.

Work on the 100G Long Haul DWDM Transmission Module Multisource Agreement (MSA) began a year ago, and the MDIO interface is an important project puzzle piece, says the OIF, enabling multi- vendor interoperability.

The OIF has a number of 100G DWDM long-haul projects in various states of progress. The OIF issued a framework document this past July that outlines the subjects of the various projects.

“The OIF Framework Document brings many different pieces together for 100G long-haul DWDM networks,” says Karl Gass of Sandia National Labs and the OIF Physical and Link Layer Working Group vice chair. “As we identify the boundaries for each issue, we work to fill in that piece of the technological puzzle. The MDIO is another key piece of that puzzle.”

Forum leader elections

Newly elected to the OIF board of directors are Ghani Abbas of Ericsson and Martha Fratt of AT&T. Fratt will serve as secretary/treasurer and both will serve one-year terms. Klaus-Holger Otto of Alcatel-Lucent is newly elected as Technical Committee vice chair and Jim Jones of Alcatel-Lucent is newly elected as Interoperability Working Group chair.

The OIF membership reelected Jeff Hutchins of CoreOptics and Jim Jones of Alcatel-Lucent for two-year terms. Jim Jones will continue as vice president of marketing. Hans-Martin Foisel of Deutsche Telekom remains the OIF president while Stephen Shew now holds the position of vice president.

Additionally, Lyndon Ong of Ciena was reelected Technical Committee chair while Rod Smith of Tyco Electronics and Dave Brown of Alcatel-Lucent were reelected Market Awareness & Education co-chairs.

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