MAY 18, 2009 -- Sycamore Networks Inc. (search Lightwave for Sycamore) has added Optical Transport Network (OTN) capabilities to its suite of integrated switching and transport offerings on the SN 16000 intelligent optical switching platform. Already deployed in a Tier 1 carrier network, the ITU-T G.709 interface module expands the feature set of Sycamore's universal service card and provides network operators with additional tools to reduce capital and operational costs while improving network efficiencies, reliability, and end-to-end service interoperability.
The universal service card (USC) for the SN 16000 supports a range of client service rates and high-speed transport options, including Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 10GbE, SONET, SDH, and in-service pluggable optics on a single card. Enhanced with the OTN G.709 line interface module (LIM), the full-featured USC is intended to further simplify the design, configuration, and deployment of different traffic types and converged services over dynamic optical transport networks. The system leverages common networking (BroadLeaf) and management (SILVX) intelligence shared by all Sycamore optical switches.
The OTN G.709 USC supports both the standard forward error correction (FEC) and enhanced FEC optimized for long-distance transmission. The standards-based OTN interface module also supports software-configurable, full C-band tunable optics, which simplifies wavelength activation and allows network operators to reduce the amount of collocated DWDM equipment (e.g., transponders, regenerators) in integrated switching and transport applications. The company says network operators can achieve significant cost savings by reducing footprint, power, and sparing requirements as the network scales.
The company also says it is one of 10 leading telecommunications equipment suppliers uniting under the banner of the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF; search Lightwave for Optical Internetworking Forum) to showcase multivendor interoperability in a multicarrier environment at the OIF's Worldwide Interoperability Demonstration - Enabling Broadband On-Demand Services. In addition to its BroadLeaf control plane technology, Sycamore will feature the SN 16000 USC during the event.
The OIF's fourth worldwide interoperability test and demonstration will be conducted simultaneously at carrier labs in China, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, and the United States. The event highlights network-interoperable solutions among participating equipment suppliers employing OIF UNI 2.0 and E-NNI implementation agreements. The demo addresses Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) services over multiple, control plane-enabled intelligent optical core networks with technologies ranging from Layer 2 transport to OTN.
This year's OIF demonstration begins with intralab testing among each of the seven participating carrier sites. The test sites are linked via virtual or real E-NNI connections, forming a global test network topology. With the test phase of the event underway since March, the demo will culminate in regional live showcases at iPOP (June 11, Tokyo, Japan); OIF Carrier Day (June, USA); and IIR WDM and Next Generation Networking (June 25, Nice, France, stand 24).
More information on the OIF and the interoperability event can be found at www.oiforum.com.
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