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SDN, Cloud and the Role of Elastic Optical Networks  [1.1 MB]
Designed to enable seamless networking across virtually any part of the network, Software Defined Networking (SDN) offers the promise of solving challenges facing network operators today. Through the use of "programmability," SDN offers a means to open up and homogenize networks often comprised of multiple vendors, multiple domains, and multiple networking layers, ideally enabling automated, ondemand networking with optimal resource utilization. In fact, by enabling SDN functionality within the transport layer, also known as "Transport SDN," operators and end users alike will benefit from greater operational flexibility and control that now traverses both the packet and optical network. This paper takes a closer look at the current state of SDN and its ability to enable programmability in both the packet and optical layers, and evaluates the role of integrated switching in optical transport, which is now playing an increasingly important role in both creating a Transport SDN infrastructure as well as optimizing networks that underlie most of the world's internet backbone. |
- FastSMP™: Fast Shared Mesh Protection [936 KB]
Network resilience is a key requirement for 21st century service providers, as the ability of any system to recover from a failure is critical to meeting the customer expectation of 24 x 7 operations. The interdependence of business processes and the network, combined with an increasing number of natural disasters and manmade fiber cuts, has made the ability of the fiber infrastructure to quickly recover vital. Service providers are moving towards meshbased transport networks to provide more backup path options. To help take advantage of this architectural shift and deliver more reliable networks for lower cost, Infinera has developed a new capability called FastSMP™, extending standards-based Shared Mesh Protection. This technology leverages an intelligent GMPLS control plane so a meshed transport network can recover from multiple local and network-wide failures while lowering costs by avoiding the need to dedicate backup bandwidth for every active circuit. Infinera uses a purpose-built hardware acceleration chip included in every single card of the DTN-X, guaranteeing a sub 50ms recovery end-to-end across the network, even in the face of multiple failures. - The Evolving Economics of 100G Transport Networks [287 KB]
The bandwidth efficiency and relative costs for 100 Gb/s WDM transport and switching architectures are compared in North American and pan-European long-haul networks. The first architecture uses muxponders and ROADMs for end-to-end wavelength transport with no digital sub-wavelength grooming. The other two utilize digital OTN switching, as either a standalone OTN switch or a converged integrated WDM/switch system, to efficiently groom services onto WDM wavelengths. Results show the integrated WDM/switch architecture utilizes the fewest WDM wavelengths and client service interfaces, and an integrated WDM/switch architecture using photonic integrated circuit technology provides the lowest operational costs. - A Software Defined Network Architecture for Transport Networks [1.7 MB]
While SDN appears to have the potential to simplify networks at the IP and Ethernet layers, service providers have large capital and operational investments in their transport networks as well. In order for SDN to be truly useful in multidomain, multi-vendor and multi-layer networks, it needs to extend its control to include the emerging next-generation converged optical transport layer. This paper reviews the necessary capabilities required for SDN-ready transport platforms, an open software approach to implementing Transport SDN and the key benefits to Service Providers of this new architecture. - The Benefits of Photonic Integration in Next-Gen Transport & Switching Systems [532 KB]
For years, core networks received little attention while operators focused their investments on upgrading their metro core, aggregation and access networks to deal with IP traffic growth and new services on both the wireline and wireless side. Over the past couple years, however, we have seen a core network renaissance begin. With upgrades in metro and access networks complete, operators are finding that the core network has become the bottleneck. As operators invest in the next round of core networks, they will take advantage of the latest technologies available in order to squeeze the greatest efficiencies out of their finite bandwidth and to future-proof their networks against continued traffic growth. The first move in this direction is being seen as super-channel line card implementations beginning to address the emerging 100G market, and competing directly with non-integrated implementations of 100G. - Reach, Reliability and ROI: Building The Optimal Subsea Architecture [1.5 MB]
In 1872, Hans Christian Andersen was one of the first people to recognize that subsea networks were going to be big. He wrote a children's book to help educate the world about "the serpent beneath the sea." Since then, subsea networks have come a long way. Subsea operators, recognizing the mission critical nature of international communications, pride themselves on the ultra-reliability of their network and the ability of fiber optic cables to span the entire globe and bring all of us a little closer together. This paper will take a deeper look at subsea architecture, its evolution, recent technological advances and industry best practices that promise to dramatically improve return on investment. - Network Efficiency Quotient (EQ): Detailed EQ Results [2.4 MB]
As Wave Division Multiplexing (WDM) scales to 100 Gb/s, 500 Gb/s and even 1 Tb/s super-channels, digital switching for bandwidth management becomes critical to deliver efficient transport networks. This paper examines four different architectural approaches to deploying digital OTN switching and introduces the Infinera Network EQ framework that provides the tools and methodology to measure efficiency and TCO. The results highlight the importance of evaluating the entire network topology and bandwidth growth across a number of years versus analysis focused on first-in capital expense (capex) costs in order to truly understand the capex and operational expense (opex) cost of network architecture choices. - Coherent DWDM
Technologies [2.5 MB]
Network bandwidth is growing at staggering rates estimated to approximate 40% growth year over year driven by cloud, mobile, and video. Techniques to increase optical bandwidth cost efficiently through Dense Wave Division Multiplexing (DWDM) have begun to get more complex and therefore more technically challenging to implement. This paper reviews the progress and techniques used to increase optical channel capacity from 2.5G to 100G and beyond with a particular focus on coherent transmission technologies, and stresses the importance of practical and robust implementations that deliver cost effective and highly reliable optical transport. - Evolving Your Data Center into the Cloud [1 MB]
Demand for cloud solutions is forcing changes in the traditional data center business model, to help survive in the new world. The model of selling space and power must expand to accommodate the enterprise needs for more flexibility, ubiquity and most importantly bandwidth, otherwise the business will be lost to more sophisticated 'cloud operators' rather than data center owners. This paper examines how Data Center Operators can efficiently capitalize on the new Cloud Business opportunity by enabling virtualized computing and storage along with virtualized bandwidth, to create both service flexibility and network and cost efficiency.
With a foreword from Ovum 
- Evolving Optical Transport Networks to 100G Lambdas and Beyond [1 MB]
The cable industry is beginning to migrate to 100G core optical transport waves, which greatly improve fiber utilization while lowering transponder count for equivalent transport bandwidth. However, transporting 100G waves requires complex optical modulation to preserve performance and increase spectral efficiency. These modulation methods require several additional discrete optical components per lambda, so the migration to 100G waves alone does not fully address the scalability issues of increasing cost, power, space, and heat as bandwidth requirements continue to grow. - Improving Network Efficiency with Digital Optical Networks [2.7 MB]
There has been considerable discussion about how to better converge the optical transport layer with the switching and routing layers to increase network efficiency and lower costs. Some technologists suggest the optical transport layer functions should migrate directly into switches or routers, while others argue that layer two switching and even layer three routing capabilities should migrate directly into optical add/drop multiplexers (OADMs). In either approach, there is a generally recognized need to increase the intelligence of the network itself and to provide a higher degree of coupling between the optical layer (layer one) and the switching and routing layers (layers two and three) to achieve a higher degree of network automation and efficiency, which benefits cable operators with lower OpEx and CapEx costs over the life of the network. - Super-Channels: DWDM Transmission at 100Gb/s and Beyond [1.4 MB]
A number of different industry surveys indicate that total internet demand is growing at about 40% per year. This growth is driven mainly by increasing video traffic in the network—Netflix now takes up to 30% of the internet's bandwidth at peak hours, and new competitors like Amazon, Hulu, Youku, and the BBC iPlayer are growing rapidly. This growth is now further accelerated by mobile access, with video clients shipping on an all smart phones and tablets, enabling video to be consumed more conveniently via network connections anywhere, anytime. - An Update on Photonic Integration -- An ACG Market Impact Report [409 KB]
An ACG Market Impact Report
PICs look to be the future for high bit rate scaling at cost-effective price points. Intelligence can also be applied to a PIC based system by grooming services to operate as efficiently as possible, especially as we migrate to more control-plane centric transparent mesh topologies.
- Infinera DTN-X Announcement -- An ACG Market Impact Report [403 KB]
Based on over 150 awarded patents, Infinera is introducing the DTN-X with a "clean slate design." The DTN-X uses the 500G coherent technology Photonic Integrated Circuit (PIC) combined with large-scale OTN switching and grooming. The backplane supports 1 Tb/s/slot and is designed to support a multibay approach to larger configurations. This is the largest OTN/WDM switched transport product announced to date, and it will be available in the first half of 2012.
- Infonetics Research [1.2 MB]
The Fast Approaching 100G Era
The way optical networks are built is fundamentally changing yet again. These once-a-decade transformations remake service provider network architectures, and in turn reshape the equipment supplier landscape that provides them.
- A Competitive Advantage for Financial Applications [1.3 MB]
As financial and trading firms continue to optimize algorithmic and electronic trading applications, many are looking to achieve the lowest possible latency across communications networks. Investing in systems and networks which eliminate milliseconds and even microseconds of latency can be a high-return project given the competitive nature of today's environment, where speed of market information and order delivery has a profound impact on the algorithms driving the trading strategies. - Accelerating Market
Data and Trading at the Speed of Light [1 MB]
As financial and trading firms continue to optimize algorithmic and electronic trading applications, many are looking to achieve the lowest possible latency across communications networks. Investing in systems and networks which eliminate milliseconds and even microseconds of latency can be a high-return project given the competitive nature of today's environment, where speed of market information and order delivery has a profound impact on the algorithms driving the trading strategies. - Bandwidth Virtualization Enables a Programmable Optical Network [1.3 MB]
Bandwidth Virtualization™ in Digital Optical Networks provides a scalable, cost-effective and easy to manage service deliver architecture that contains built-in investment protection for emerging technology enhancements. Based on the use of Photonic Integrated Circuit and Digital Optical Network™ technology, Bandwidth Virtualization decouples the service layer from the optical transmission layer, providing operators with software-based flexibility for provisioning new services; unconstrained reconfigurability, and rapid service turn-up. - Digital Optical Network Architecture Benefits [3.74 MB]
This White Paper outlines the concept and benefits of an Infinera Digital Optical Network, including the ability to consolidate network architecture, maximize customer revenue capture, and reduce both capital and operating costs. - Digital Optical Network Services [1.04 MB]
This paper describes differentiated transport service offerings which can be delivered by a digital optical network. - Digital Optical Networks: Rapid, Cost-Effective Deployment and Turn-up [74 KB]
The Infinera Digital Optical Network® defines a new network architecture that offers a significant benefit: the ability to install and turn-up new services at unprecedented speed and reduced levels of cost and staff. This paper presents a real-life nationwide Infinera Digital Optical Network deployment that delivered a 90% reduction in installation cost and time, and enables the service provider to turn up new services, even across ~14,000 route-miles, in a matter of minutes. - How to Maximize Network Bandwidth Efficiency (And Avoid a "Muxponder Tax") [1.7 MB]
Network bandwidth efficiency is a key metric that measures what portion of deployed network bandwidth is actually used to carry revenue-generating services. Infinera's Bandwidth Virtualization architecture combines digital grooming with high-capacity WDM transport to efficiently groom all services, from low-rate Gigabit Ethernet up to 100G services, onto a pool of PIC-based WDM bandwidth. This enables network operators using Infinera's Digital Optical Network solution to make maximum use of all WDM bandwidth deployed, approaching 100%, regardless of service type. - Next-Generation Higher Speed Ethernet: 100Gb/s Ethernet and Beyond [367 KB]
100 Gigabit Ethernet is the next step in Ethernet evolution. This White Paper discusses a new implementation scheme for 100 Gb/E to enable efficient and resilient scaling to higher speeds. - Photonic Integrated Circuits: A Technology and Application Primer [1.99 MB]
Large-scale photonic integration is a significant technology development that brings significant benefits to optical networks. This White Paper looks at some of the technology and application drivers for photonic integrated circuits (PICs), and some of the issues associated with the design and manufacture of PICs. - Reconfigurability of Digital Optical Networks [402 KB]
This paper focuses on the benefits of a Digital Optical Network for service delivery. The Digital Optical Network architecture maximizes service flexibility, network reconfigurability, and forecast tolerance to new services and changes in service demands. - Signal Conditioning and Forward Error Correction in a Digital Optical Network [239 KB]
This paper discusses the strategy for use of analog signal conditioning in conjunction with an advanced FEC code for ensuring performance in Digital Optical Networks.