Datasheets and brochures
Application notes
Ciena Business Services Update (pdf)
As a leading cable equipment supplier with a strong track record, Ciena knows what it takes for a cable company to become the facilities-based service provider of choice for the enterprise sector.
As a leading cable equipment supplier with a strong track record, Ciena knows what it takes for a cable company to become the facilities-based service provider of choice for the enterprise sector.
Think Storage Network Extension, Think Ciena (pdf)
Choosing the right storage network extension solution is based upon the amount of data that needs to be moved between data centers, the performance requirements of the applications in use and the solution’s cost. Luckily, regardless of whether an organization is replicating a single terabyte (TB) database across town, or moving 50 TB to a new data center located hundreds of miles away, Ciena provides a best-in-class solution for robust, secure, resilient and high-capacity storage extension networks.
Choosing the right storage network extension solution is based upon the amount of data that needs to be moved between data centers, the performance requirements of the applications in use and the solution’s cost. Luckily, regardless of whether an organization is replicating a single terabyte (TB) database across town, or moving 50 TB to a new data center located hundreds of miles away, Ciena provides a best-in-class solution for robust, secure, resilient and high-capacity storage extension networks.
Secure Optical Networks for Financial Firms (pdf)
Financial firms' networks are experiencing exponential traffic growth. Many firms are deploying new applications that are generating enormous amounts of XML traffic—a particularly verbose protocol. New government regulations are driving increased usage of storage systems. And, heightened sensitivity to Business Continuance/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) has many implementing database mirroring over longer distances. In response to these growing demands, firms must upgrade their networks.
Financial firms' networks are experiencing exponential traffic growth. Many firms are deploying new applications that are generating enormous amounts of XML traffic—a particularly verbose protocol. New government regulations are driving increased usage of storage systems. And, heightened sensitivity to Business Continuance/Disaster Recovery (BC/DR) has many implementing database mirroring over longer distances. In response to these growing demands, firms must upgrade their networks.
Ethernet Compression (pdf)
Enterprises IP networks that connect multiple locations across long distances often use Ethernet as the protocol of choice, because it provides high throughput to key data center applications. This demand for inter-data center connectivity continues to grow as enterprises support more remote applications, and they must do so with limited budgets and without allowing IP congestion issues to affect application performance. Ciena’s CN 2000™ Storage Extension Platform is a powerful solution for IP congestion issues at the edge of the data center, because it maximizes WAN efficiency and provides increased throughput, while leveraging existing assets without requiring additional WAN bandwidth.
Enterprises IP networks that connect multiple locations across long distances often use Ethernet as the protocol of choice, because it provides high throughput to key data center applications. This demand for inter-data center connectivity continues to grow as enterprises support more remote applications, and they must do so with limited budgets and without allowing IP congestion issues to affect application performance. Ciena’s CN 2000™ Storage Extension Platform is a powerful solution for IP congestion issues at the edge of the data center, because it maximizes WAN efficiency and provides increased throughput, while leveraging existing assets without requiring additional WAN bandwidth.
Video On Demand (pdf)
Video On Demand (VOD) has become an effective tool for reducing churn and competing against satellite providers. As it continues to expand from “Movies On Demand” to “Everything On Demand”, it also becomes an important revenue stream. The growing significance of VOD means that it must be a reliable, high-quality service with low latency and jitter and no packet loss -- even as tens of thousands of video streams are transported from the headend to distribution hubs. Ciena solutions ensure a cost-effective build out that minimizes the use of fiber assets and enables switching of content from any server at the headend to any service group QAM resource at any hub.
Video On Demand (VOD) has become an effective tool for reducing churn and competing against satellite providers. As it continues to expand from “Movies On Demand” to “Everything On Demand”, it also becomes an important revenue stream. The growing significance of VOD means that it must be a reliable, high-quality service with low latency and jitter and no packet loss -- even as tens of thousands of video streams are transported from the headend to distribution hubs. Ciena solutions ensure a cost-effective build out that minimizes the use of fiber assets and enables switching of content from any server at the headend to any service group QAM resource at any hub.
White papers
Making the Case for Converged Ethernet Transport: The Advantages of Integrating Layer 2 Ethernet with Layer 0/1 Transport (pdf)
This white paper examines the market drivers, key benefits, and main applications for converged Ethernet transport, and provides an overview of the CN 4200® FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform Family—including the new G10 and G10X Ethernet service modules, which deliver a cost-effective, high-performance, manageable packet optical networking platform.
This white paper examines the market drivers, key benefits, and main applications for converged Ethernet transport, and provides an overview of the CN 4200® FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform Family—including the new G10 and G10X Ethernet service modules, which deliver a cost-effective, high-performance, manageable packet optical networking platform.
Storage Extension Network Solutions: Lower-cost, Higher-Performance Networks (pdf)
Robust, secure, resilient, high-capacity storage networks are business imperatives. The right network solutions must provide reliable, timely, and accurate application-layer replication over a network that cost-effectively delivers high-performance connectivity to fit application requirements. This white paper explores techniques to ensure the availability of storage applications over distances while driving costs down by up to 70 percent.
Robust, secure, resilient, high-capacity storage networks are business imperatives. The right network solutions must provide reliable, timely, and accurate application-layer replication over a network that cost-effectively delivers high-performance connectivity to fit application requirements. This white paper explores techniques to ensure the availability of storage applications over distances while driving costs down by up to 70 percent.
The High-Availability Business: How a Simpler Network Can Meet the Demands of Business-Critical Applications (pdf)
Emerging applications like VoIP, video, Web services, and data replication are placing unprecedented performance demands on enterprise MANs/WANs. Quick time-to-market for new applications has become critical to success. How can enterprises meet these requirements and still keep networking costs under control?
Emerging applications like VoIP, video, Web services, and data replication are placing unprecedented performance demands on enterprise MANs/WANs. Quick time-to-market for new applications has become critical to success. How can enterprises meet these requirements and still keep networking costs under control?
NETWORK WORLD White Paper: Corporate Networks in Transition (pdf)
The enterprise WAN is transitioning away from being merely a cost to be minimized, to a business asset that helps even the largest multi-site enterprises leverage agile IT for strategic advantage. To successfully transition the WAN to support business initiatives, IT organizations need to develop a strategic plan that incorporates optical networking.
The enterprise WAN is transitioning away from being merely a cost to be minimized, to a business asset that helps even the largest multi-site enterprises leverage agile IT for strategic advantage. To successfully transition the WAN to support business initiatives, IT organizations need to develop a strategic plan that incorporates optical networking.
Ovum RHK White Paper: OTN Emerges as a Must Have (pdf)
OTN, the Optical Transport Network, dates back to 1998, but is only now hitting its stride as a requirement for next-generation optical network elements. OTN was one of many promising optical technologies whose rollout was delayed by post-bubble investment declines. As network operators have begun spending again, and as service bandwidths and transport pipes are getting larger, OTN has reemerged as a “must have” technology, but not for the lofty reasons many often cite.
OTN, the Optical Transport Network, dates back to 1998, but is only now hitting its stride as a requirement for next-generation optical network elements. OTN was one of many promising optical technologies whose rollout was delayed by post-bubble investment declines. As network operators have begun spending again, and as service bandwidths and transport pipes are getting larger, OTN has reemerged as a “must have” technology, but not for the lofty reasons many often cite.
Adaptive WAN for Finance: No Risk Networks (pdf)
In the digital age, financial firms absolutely require high-performance networks. The most astute financial companies employ carrier-grade networks that handle growing volumes of mission-critical traffic and time-sensitive applications over any distance. These institutions need to meet increasingly stiff networking and storage requirements to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery. Ciena has developed the Adaptive WAN, an architecture that meets financial firms’ performance, reliability, flexibility and transparency needs at the lowest possible cost. Many financial industry giants have turned to Ciena to gain the degree of control and security they need to run a rock-solid network with up to six 9's of availability. Take a closer look to discover all the advantages.
In the digital age, financial firms absolutely require high-performance networks. The most astute financial companies employ carrier-grade networks that handle growing volumes of mission-critical traffic and time-sensitive applications over any distance. These institutions need to meet increasingly stiff networking and storage requirements to ensure business continuity and disaster recovery. Ciena has developed the Adaptive WAN, an architecture that meets financial firms’ performance, reliability, flexibility and transparency needs at the lowest possible cost. Many financial industry giants have turned to Ciena to gain the degree of control and security they need to run a rock-solid network with up to six 9's of availability. Take a closer look to discover all the advantages.
Adaptive WANs for Enterprise and Government (pdf)
Web Services, Remote Storage Replication and Grid Computing, individually and collectively, are triggering exponential growth in inter-site traffic. If organizations react to this growth as they have in the past—adding bandwidth incrementally and prioritizing high priority traffic during peak traffic periods—organizations will find their applications increasingly struggling and competing for congested WAN resources. Their investments in IT hardware and software will not realize the expected benefits. Adaptive WANs are critical for multiple site organizations with timesensitive applications. They enable organizations to place their IT assets anywhere—including their storage assets. Ciena’s Adaptive WAN solution is field-proven in the most demanding production networks today—carrying mission-critical traffic with a full variety of bandwidth services.
Web Services, Remote Storage Replication and Grid Computing, individually and collectively, are triggering exponential growth in inter-site traffic. If organizations react to this growth as they have in the past—adding bandwidth incrementally and prioritizing high priority traffic during peak traffic periods—organizations will find their applications increasingly struggling and competing for congested WAN resources. Their investments in IT hardware and software will not realize the expected benefits. Adaptive WANs are critical for multiple site organizations with timesensitive applications. They enable organizations to place their IT assets anywhere—including their storage assets. Ciena’s Adaptive WAN solution is field-proven in the most demanding production networks today—carrying mission-critical traffic with a full variety of bandwidth services.
Web Services: What it Will Mean to Your Wide Area Network (pdf)
Web Services based on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a software technology that is fundamentally changing applications development. Recent surveys indicate that within a year up to 90% of all enterprises will deploy applications based on web services. Additionally, almost two-thirds of all enterprises will employ Web Services in a significant way. The Web Services revolution is coming. What does this imply for networks?
Web Services based on Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) is a software technology that is fundamentally changing applications development. Recent surveys indicate that within a year up to 90% of all enterprises will deploy applications based on web services. Additionally, almost two-thirds of all enterprises will employ Web Services in a significant way. The Web Services revolution is coming. What does this imply for networks?
Customer success stories
University of California Davis Medical Center (pdf)
UC Davis Medical Center made substantial investments in its storage platforms and network infrastructure, but was quickly exceeding its storage capacity and required an affordable storage extension solution that could support its existing and future storage and business continuance needs. By deploying Ciena’s Storage-over-SONET solution, the Medical Center was able to leverage its existing investments to gain a high performance, reliable and affordable storage extension for long-term growth.
UC Davis Medical Center made substantial investments in its storage platforms and network infrastructure, but was quickly exceeding its storage capacity and required an affordable storage extension solution that could support its existing and future storage and business continuance needs. By deploying Ciena’s Storage-over-SONET solution, the Medical Center was able to leverage its existing investments to gain a high performance, reliable and affordable storage extension for long-term growth.
Florida Power & Light (pdf)
Florida Power & Light's Energy Marketing & Trading and Energy Power Marketing Groups operate energy trading and asset optimization 24/7. These operations demand the highest availability systems possible, including a high performance storage extension solution. The large electric utility chose Ciena's CN 2000 Storage Extension Platform to reduce the cost, complexity, and latency of its entire network solution, which also includes EMC Symmetrix Network Storage Systems directly connected to the CN 2000s. With the CN 2000, FPL's SONET OC-3 service delivers perfect quality of service (QoS) with the lowest possible latency, and without requiring intermediate IP routers or ATM switches.
Florida Power & Light's Energy Marketing & Trading and Energy Power Marketing Groups operate energy trading and asset optimization 24/7. These operations demand the highest availability systems possible, including a high performance storage extension solution. The large electric utility chose Ciena's CN 2000 Storage Extension Platform to reduce the cost, complexity, and latency of its entire network solution, which also includes EMC Symmetrix Network Storage Systems directly connected to the CN 2000s. With the CN 2000, FPL's SONET OC-3 service delivers perfect quality of service (QoS) with the lowest possible latency, and without requiring intermediate IP routers or ATM switches.
Fortune 500 Bank Utilizes Ciena to Connect Critical Data Infrastructures (pdf)
When a reliable, high-bandwidth network between data centers was required, one of the largest banks in the U.S. chose a Ciena private bandwidth solution. The result: exceptional performance, assured service, responsive support for new applications, and complete control—at a cost one third less per month than a SONET-based network services solution.
When a reliable, high-bandwidth network between data centers was required, one of the largest banks in the U.S. chose a Ciena private bandwidth solution. The result: exceptional performance, assured service, responsive support for new applications, and complete control—at a cost one third less per month than a SONET-based network services solution.
Independent Electricity Market Operator (IMO) (pdf)
The Independent Electricity Market Operator’s (IMO) storage extension infrastructure, primarily composed of channel extenders, was unable to support the additional applications and throughput required to meet their Business Continuity goals. Comparing the cost of purchasing additional WAN bandwidth to the effort of overhauling their storage extension design with a new generation storage extension platform, IMO recognized that Ciena’s CN 2000™ Storage Extension Platform allowed them to streamline their storage performance, reduce their yearly maintenance costs, monitor their application performance, and postpone the purchase of additional WAN bandwidth.
The Independent Electricity Market Operator’s (IMO) storage extension infrastructure, primarily composed of channel extenders, was unable to support the additional applications and throughput required to meet their Business Continuity goals. Comparing the cost of purchasing additional WAN bandwidth to the effort of overhauling their storage extension design with a new generation storage extension platform, IMO recognized that Ciena’s CN 2000™ Storage Extension Platform allowed them to streamline their storage performance, reduce their yearly maintenance costs, monitor their application performance, and postpone the purchase of additional WAN bandwidth.
Global 500 Financial Services - SONET/SDH Optimizes DWDM Deployment (pdf)
A Global 500 financial services firm's extensive optical networking infrastructure, consisting of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) systems that carried ESCON®, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), and Fibre Channel (FC) traffic was straining to support Mainframe and Open Systems Storage, LAN-based Intranet, and Video, which threatened the firm’s ability to support mission critical Business Continuance (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) applications, such as disk mirroring and tape backup. To quickly improve network capacity, while laying a solid foundation to meet future growth plans, the firm turned to Ciena and its CN 2000 Storage Extension Solution to leverage its existing fiber infrastructure and optical network investments to gain affordable, reliable, and secure storage and BC/DR support.
A Global 500 financial services firm's extensive optical networking infrastructure, consisting of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) systems that carried ESCON®, Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), and Fibre Channel (FC) traffic was straining to support Mainframe and Open Systems Storage, LAN-based Intranet, and Video, which threatened the firm’s ability to support mission critical Business Continuance (BC) and Disaster Recovery (DR) applications, such as disk mirroring and tape backup. To quickly improve network capacity, while laying a solid foundation to meet future growth plans, the firm turned to Ciena and its CN 2000 Storage Extension Solution to leverage its existing fiber infrastructure and optical network investments to gain affordable, reliable, and secure storage and BC/DR support.
Global 500 Financial Services - Disk Mirroring over SONET (pdf)
A large financial services firm needed to expand its storage connectivity to remote data centers outside of its local network infrastructure. Moreover, the firm needed to utilize available SONET bandwidth for the extension of disk mirroring to meet its growing data storage and business continuance requirements. By deploying Ciena's Storage-over-SONET solution, the company was able to leverage SONET leased line services to gain reliable and affordable storage extension for long-term growth.
A large financial services firm needed to expand its storage connectivity to remote data centers outside of its local network infrastructure. Moreover, the firm needed to utilize available SONET bandwidth for the extension of disk mirroring to meet its growing data storage and business continuance requirements. By deploying Ciena's Storage-over-SONET solution, the company was able to leverage SONET leased line services to gain reliable and affordable storage extension for long-term growth.
Fortune 2000 Enterprise (pdf)
A mid-sized enterprise needed a cost-effective solution to increase the efficiency of its current network while supporting its business continuance applications over distance. Specifically, the company needed to lower its monthly connectivity costs and consolidate its SAN and LAN traffic onto a single OC-3 leased line while physically isolating the traffic to maintain application performance. By deploying Ciena's solution, the Fortune 2000 enterprise was able to achieve that while reducing capital and operational costs, increasing network efficiency, and improving the visibility and control of its business continuance applications.
A mid-sized enterprise needed a cost-effective solution to increase the efficiency of its current network while supporting its business continuance applications over distance. Specifically, the company needed to lower its monthly connectivity costs and consolidate its SAN and LAN traffic onto a single OC-3 leased line while physically isolating the traffic to maintain application performance. By deploying Ciena's solution, the Fortune 2000 enterprise was able to achieve that while reducing capital and operational costs, increasing network efficiency, and improving the visibility and control of its business continuance applications.
CIENA may from time to time make changes to the products or specifications contained herein without notice.
