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Xtera Communications AON - Meriton's Agile Optical Networking

Optical Ethernet Services

As the amount and diversity of data traffic continues to grow, especially in regional-metro networks, carriers are looking to design systems to efficiently handle these new requirements while also preserving existing investments. High-speed regional-metro services, like Optical Ethernet, are a key part of any service provider's value proposition.

Optical Ethernet is well regarded for its simplicity, cost savings and ubiquity in LAN environments. The challenge for carriers is to deploy a carrier-grade Optical Ethernet platform on which profitable, managed services can be offered.


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Xtera's Agile Optical Networking portfolio comprises the 3300 OSM at the access layer, 7200 OSP for multi-degree switching in the metro core and the 6400 OTP for flexible transport in metro core-regional networks, all supported by unified network planning and management systems.

Xtera Communications has extended its award-winning transparent wavelength networking solution to include support for Optical Ethernet. It allows service providers to offer end-to-end Optical Ethernet services at a much lower cost, and to capitalize on new profit opportunities quickly. This functionality is a key component of the Xtera Agile Optical Networking infrastructure.

The Economics of Wavelengths

The question for many service providers is: what's the most efficient means of transporting Optical Ethernet -- over SONET/SDH or over wavelengths? In numerous business case studies, Xtera Communications has proven that wavelength networking is the most economical way to deliver high-speed services.

Conventional solutions require an expensive, three-step process:

  • Collect Ethernet signal at the customer premises
  • Map Ethernet to SONET/SDH for transport to the regional-metro core
  • In the regional-metro core, switch using a very expensive SONET/SDH cross-connect (OXC) to direct the traffic to the correct destination

The Xtera solution is much simpler and delivers substantial cost savings:

  • Collect Optical Ethernet signal at the customer premises using Xtera wavelength networking solution with Optical Ethernet interface card
  • Transport the Ethernet signal to the regional-metro core, and switch in the optical domain at a substantially lower cost

Also, the Xtera solution allows a much more granular increment of bandwidth to be sold to the end customer. Delivering services quickly, at lower cost and in smaller increments, more closely aligns with the requirements of individual customers. As a result, service providers can expand into new markets, reaching customers for whom a 1 Gb/s connection was cost-prohibitive.

Xtera Agile Optical Networking Architecture

One of the key advantages of the Xtera solution is that it relies on a converged optical network to deliver high-speed regional-metro services and a transparent infrastructure for wavelength networking. Using simultaneous support of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) and Coarse Wavelength Division Multiplexing (CWDM), carriers can use existing fiber to extend their networks to include support for Optical Ethernet. Using xWDM also allows the service provider to realize economies of scale as the cost of the infrastructure can be distributed across a larger customer base.

Key Optical Ethernet Features and Benefits

  • Network Level Protection – By multicasting the Gigabit Ethernet signal along a primary and a secondary path, Xtera is able to replicate the inherent resiliency of SONET/SDH rings. In the event of a network disruption, recovery is swift (well under 50 milliseconds), ensuring that mission-critical transmissions are not affected.
  • Performance Monitoring – The Xtera"Transparent but not Blind" approach supports full transparency coupled with advanced performance monitoring capabilities to provide excellent visibility across the entire network. The Xtera system reports on a wide variety of Layer 0, Layer 1 and even Layer 2 performance monitoring statistics and diagnostics at every segment. With the advanced performance monitoring capabilities, service providers can proactively detect degradation or outages, ensuring compliance with SLAs and avoiding costly service interruptions.
  • Reliability – Like SONET/SDH transport solutions, Xtera Communications delivers 99.999% availability. As well, the Xtera Agile Optical Networking solution is NEBS-compliant, ensuring that the system meets the rigorous demands of a carrier environment.
  • Agility and Scalability – The Xtera Agile Optical Networking solution provides a future-proof transport architecture that is capable of responding to rapidly changing and growing network requirements. Rather than restrict the number of approaches that the service provider can employ, the Xtera solution delivers the freedom to choose the best approach for each application. A flexible, technology agnostic philosophy means providers can optimize costs and growth plans, while protecting their investment
  • Alarming – Ethernet has no built-in alarms such as SONET's Loss of Signal (LOS) and Remote Defect Indicator (RDI), which allow fault isolation to the malfunctioning section, line or path. The patented Xtera Optical Trunk Conditioning (OTC) provides upstream and downstream alarming capabilities for Optical Ethernet traffic. Operators can respond rapidly to issues ensuring adherence to SLAs.
  • Guaranteed Bandwidth – Service providers can offer pre-selected rates of speed for enterprise customers in increments of 100 Mb/s. Upgrading to higher data rates can be done quickly and easily via advanced service provisioning.
  • Scalability – Services can scale in bandwidth from 100 Mb/s to 10 Gb/s
  • Fully Managed – The Xtera wavelength networking elements are fully managed by Xtera's Network Management Suite for advanced point-and-click provisioning from a central management system.

Ethernet Services Applications

Optical Ethernet Leased Line

Enterprise customers are seeking Optical Ethernet private lines for linking data centers to create private networks within a regional-metro area for applications such as business continuity and disaster recovery.

The Xtera Agile Optical Networking solution offers a secure, reliable and efficient connection for Optical Ethernet Leased Lines:

  • Advanced performance monitoring capabilities to ensure compliance with SLAs
  • Fast protection switching for reliability
  • Efficient transport of Optical Ethernet from 100 Mb/s to 10 Gb/s
  • Increase capacity easily and instantly with software controls
  • Cost-effective delivery

Optical Ethernet Switched Services

In addition to supporting point-to-point connections, Xtera can also provide Optical Ethernet switched services. With its wave division multiplexing, the Xtera solution can provide an intelligent, cost-effective platform for transporting Ethernet traffic from the access layer to the regional-metro core and beyond. The Xtera solution is transparent, enabling a seamless handoff to Layer 2 Ethernet switches. As a result, service providers will require fewer of these large, carrier-grade switches in their network - creating numerous benefits:

  • Reduced CAPEX spend
  • Fewer elements to manage
  • Reduced fiber consumption
  • Ability to truly scale to Optical Ethernet service levels and, consequently, to revenue levels

By far, the most important advantage is that the very same architecture can be used for all high-speed regional-metro services, including SONET/SDH Services, SAN Services and Transparent Wavelength Services. Service providers can rely on a single architecture to cost-effectively transport data services that generate new revenues, improve margins, and increase market share.