Ixia offers XOTN for ITU-T G.709 OTN testing

Ixia (NASDAQ: XXIA) last week unveiled a G.709 Optical Transport Network (OTN) test offering for 40- (OTU3) and 100-Gbps (OTU4) data rates. The company has targeted its new XOTN product at the test requirements for packet-switched core transport networks, including MPLS and MPLS-TP protocol implementations.

The XOTN extends Ixia’s K2 HSE 40-Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) and 100GbE CFP MSA compatible load modules to provide realistic network protocol emulation and data path traffic for OTU3/4 capable devices, the company says. XOTN can be used to test carrier-class core routers, switches, and multiservice provisioning platforms (MSPPs) in conjunction with Ixia’s IxNetwork test application. It provides a large-scale, multi-protocol network emulation capability coupled with sophisticated line-rate traffic generation, Ixia asserts. The pairing enables service providers to validate service-level agreement (SLAs) and resiliency over OTN networks, and to certify carrier-class routers with OTN interfaces. For network equipment manufacturers, the XOTN can help validate new router OTN line cards using IP, MPLS, and Ethernet traffic, as well as validate Ethernet data mapping over OTN transport.

“As OTN networks begin to fulfill the promise of 100G bandwidths nationwide, service providers must transport a variety of protocols and services across these networks at high scale,” said Vic Alston, senior vice president of product development at Ixia. “Ixia provides a compelling solution that combines lower-layer OTN features with the ability to realistically emulate large-scale routed networks moving media-rich traffic from such sites as Facebook, Netflix, and Pandora.”

“Varied mixes and types of traffic assault networks at higher volumes each day, yet traffic management and customer satisfaction remain huge necessities for operators,” said Michael Howard, co-founder and principal analyst at Infonetics Research. “OTN provides not just the bandwidth, but the monitoring needed for managing the quality of optical transport networks today. Ixia’s move into OTN is an inevitable consequence of these evolving network requirements.”