Business need

Scientific computing-based research depends on the network's ability to access and move enormous amounts of data and provide real-time collaboration—regionally, nationally, and internationally—using dynamic GbE and 10GbE connectivity.

Challenges

Establishing on-demand lightpath connectivity requires automating operationally intensive functions—such as configuration, provisioning and restoration—that are virtually impossible to perform manually in a dynamic network environment. Automation of these functions is required for the research networking community to benefit from lightpaths between institutions.

Solution

Optical switching is quickly becoming a critical component of networks that demand real-time SONET and Ethernet bandwidth provisioning up to 10G. Intelligent optical switching technology powers dynamic bandwidth provisioning, optimizes bandwidth utilization, and ensures network survivability. Additionally, intelligent optical switches provide a switching layer for circuit aggregation and grooming at the sub-wavelength level. With automated service provisioning, the intelligent optical switch can establish GbE or 10GbE connectivity among networks within seconds.

Ciena's offerings

Ciena's platforms flexibly and efficiently deliver GbE and 10GbE lightpaths to researchers over campus, regional and national networks. Ciena is a global leader in the development and delivery of optical control plane technology, and serves as an instrumental participant in standards development for technologies such as ASON, OIF O-UNI, E-NNI and GMPLS, all available today on the CoreDirector® Multiservice Optical Switch. Additionally, Ciena provides key optical control plane extensions to automate restoration and other operational functions. Ciena's CoreDirector systems are deployed in research networks worldwide, supporting dynamic lightpath provisioning for network-based research.

Benefits

• Integrates Ethernet Layer 2 switching with optical switching of SONET/SDH to enable Dynamic Ethernet lightpaths between institutions
• Use of much lower-cost Ethernet interfaces for connecting routers and switches to the optical network
• GbE and 10GbE with GFP, VCAT and LCAS supported in lieu of legacy POS
• Realize more efficient utilization of network resources and reduction in ports via greater levels of Layer 2 stat muxing functionality
• Higher service availability, field-proven at six-9s in live production networks
• Proven optical control plane automates configuration, provisioning and management
• Functionality based on emerging standards: GMPLS, E-NNI and O-UNI 2.0