SERGE MELLE IP-OPTICAL INTEGRATION
NETWORK SCALING, SIMPLER ARCHITECTURES, LOWER TCO IP-OPTICAL INTEGRATION:
New developments in IP and optics are re-igniting the industry’s interest in the possibility of IP-optical convergence as a means for scaling network capacity, simplifying network architectures and lowering total cost of ownership (TCO). Router interfaces available today support high-speed ports operating at 400 Gigabit Ethernet (400GE) and 800GE, enabling important scaling of packet connection speeds between routers, and significant reductions in power per bit, writes Serge Melle director of Product Marketing, Optical Networks at Nokia.
I n parallel to these developments in routing platforms, ongoing evolution of coherent optics has seen the introduction of low-power 400G pluggable coherent transceivers that can be deployed directly in router ports, with future generations expected to scale up to 800G speeds. These two developments combined provide network operators the option to integrate WDM long-reach coherent transport capabilities at 400G/800G into routers. In the process, this reduces the need for dedicated transponders and the associated short-reach interconnect optics that are needed to interconnect routers to transponders, leading to potential for further cost and power savings. The use of pluggable 400G digital coherent optics (DCOs) directly in routers has started to see important deployments, primarily limited to point-to-point, single- span interconnections over metro links, either for data centre interconnection (DCI) or direct router-to-router connections between central offices and internet exchanges. COMPLETE SOLUTIONS NEEDED Further expanding the adoption of converged IP-optical architectures into network applications such as access and metro aggregation rings, and metro- regional core networks, requires a more complete set of IP-optical integration solutions than simply plugging coherent optics into router ports, however. Other critical components needed for network operators to successfully deploy
such as 400ZR or 400ZR+, combined with simple line systems supporting WDM multiplexing and optical amplification, are well suited for use in point-to-point applications like DCI across campus, metro and regional distances. To efficiently expand IP-optical deployments into access, metro and regional network use cases, however, network operators also need to consider the use ROADM-enabled optical line systems, and coherent optics having the needed performance to operate in these applications. By permitting efficiently filled 400G IP links to connect over dedicated wavelengths, ROADMs enable single-
converged IP-optical architectures across a broader set of network use cases must also consider the benefits of reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (ROADMs) that efficiently connect routers to each other over more complex multi-span networks, and the critical importance of multi-layer management, control and automation systems needed for efficient network operationalisation. In this article we will cover how this wholistic approach to end-to-end IP- optical integration and optimisation can unlock the resulting benefits for network operators. Technical and architectural paths for successful IP-optical integration Router-pluggable coherent optics
hop connections between source and destination routers. This avoids
Figure 1: Network operators should consider which IP-optical architecture is best suited for their application, either using transponders that support service aggregation and high-performance coherent optics (left), or IP-optical convergence with pluggable coherent optics in routers for DCI and access/ metro applications (right). Source: Nokia.
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| ISSUE 30 | Q3 2022
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