Meriton Launches Carrier Ethernet Transport Strategy

Meriton Networks recently announced its strategy to integrate Ethernet aggregation and switching with optical transport to enable Carrier Ethernet Transport (CET). Leveraging its strong heritage in WDM, ROADM and optical switching technologies, Meriton introduced CET as an architectural approach for building a scalable transport infrastructure for efficiently supporting Ethernet and minimizing operational complexities.

CET integrates intelligent WDM (ability to do multi-degree switching at wavelength and sub-wavelength levels) with Ethernet Tunnels, such as PBT and T-MPLS, to enable the delivery of connection-oriented Ethernet services. By adding layer 2 processing to the optical layer, the Meriton approach provides the lowest total cost of ownership. It also provides a clear separation of the services and transport layers, providing the best scalability and ease of deployment. Put simply, CET provides the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of native Ethernet with the reliability and power of WDM. CET capabilities will be available on the 7200 OSP before the end of this calendar year.

The response to our CET strategy has been very positive, including being named as "Product of the Month" by Telecommunications Magazine.

PBT and T-MPLS: More Hype or the Future of Transport?

by Daniel Joseph Barry, Director of Marketing, TPACK

Meriton Networks and TPACK have embarked on an exciting collaboration on PBT (or PBB-TE to be more correct) and T-MPLS. But are these technologies a case of more hype or are they a glimpse of the future of packet transport?

“Hype” is defined as a figure of speech in which statements are exaggerated or extravagant. Considering that PBB-TE and T-.MPLS are new and, thus-far unproven technologies, one could be forgiven for treating them as hype. However, the key to understanding the impact of PBB-TE and T-MPLS is in the motivation for their development: the desire for a packet network that looks and feels like SONET/SDH.

Connection-less networking based on Ethernet and IP/MPLS has been around for some time. Indeed there are many carriers who have not only implemented these technologies, but have even used them to completely replace their legacy network. So, why are we even discussing connection-oriented packet networking?

While it is generally accepted that a fully packet-based network with services based on IP is the future, migrating the existing telecom network is a major undertaking not only technically, but also organizationally.

Managing a connection-less transport network can be a challenge. Fault isolation, in particular, can prove to be a lengthy process. New solutions are constantly being developed to improve these issues, but it is difficult to provide the same determinism and control inherent in connection-oriented networks.

The resources, work practices and processes developed over decades in support of connection-oriented networks, such as PDH and SONET/SDH cannot easily be applied to connection-less networks. Extensive re-training and process re-engineering is required with all the inherent costs and risks that such projects entail.

For carriers with a considerable investment in SONET/SDH networks, this can be a large risk to take. Especially since much of its existing revenue is probably based on legacy services, such as voice and leased lines. The challenge is to support a packet-based future without disrupting current business.

Both PBB-TE and T-MPLS can meet this challenge. Both provide the ability to:

• Engineer end-to-end, bi-directional packet tunnels
• Protect and monitor the tunnels on an end-to-end basis using OAM
• Protection switch within 50msec
• Configure, provision and control the network using network management

T-MPLS builds on the maturity of MPLS technology and standards to provide a transport-focused solution. Features which interfere with the integrity of OAM packets on an end-to-end basis have been removed. These include Penultimate Hop Popping, Equal Cost Multiple Path and LSP Merge functionality. LSPs are configured and provisioned using network management.

PBB-TE provides a simplified version of IEEE 802.1ah Provider Backbone Bridging (PBB). The frame format of PBB is retained, which allows 802.1ad (QinQ) switches to be used in the core of a PBB-TE network, as well as providing address and service scalability. However, the major difference between PBB and PBB-TE is the removal of Spanning Tree Protocol and broadcasting of unknown MAC addresses. Network management is used to populate forwarding tables providing determinism and control. This also allows OAM support on an end-to-end basis with protection switching.

Clearly, PBB-TE and T-MPLS provide connection-oriented approaches that resemble SONET/SDH. By using PBB-TE or T-MPLS, it is possible to smoothly migrate from the existing SONET/SDH network while relying on the same resources, work practices and processes that are already established.

So, are PBB-TE and T-MPLS the future? It is probably too early to say, but it’s clear that connection-oriented packet transport provides both technical and organizational advantages that are difficult to overlook.

Customer News: Meriton Powers High-Speed Link for Internet2

Internet2, a consortium of 300 U.S. universities working with industry and government, has deployed a 10 Gb/s networking link of 7200 OSPs. The new link provides strategic regional and international network connectivity between Internet2's head office in Michigan, the Level 3 Communications Point of Presence in Chicago, and the StarLight international exchange point site in Chicago. The installation of this network was a collaborative initiative between Internet2, Meriton, Merit (the research and education network connecting Michigan's public universities) and CANARIE (Canada's advanced Internet development organization).

Customer News: Meriton Helps Bridge Digital Divide in South-East Europe

The Meriton 3300 OSM was selected as the platform of choice for the new South-East European Research and Education Network (SEEREN2). SEEREN2 integrates with the GEANT2 pan-European multi-gigabit network, and aims to ease the digital divide that still separates most south-east European countries from the rest of the continent. The 3300 OSM was selected for its flexibility, ease of management, future-proof longevity and cost effectiveness.

New Product: 5400 OTP In-Line Amplifier Now Available!

Meriton recently introduced the 5400 Optical Transport Platform (OTP) as a companion to the 6400 OTP. This platform provides an alternative to the full-featured 6400 OTP ROADM in applications requiring low wavelength drop capacity or as an in-line amplifier (ILA). The 5400 OTP is designed to perform in networks along with 6400 OTP network elements, or with other 5400 OTP network elements.  The platforms share the same GMPLS control plane, many of the advanced automated optical layer features, and the same set of high performance transponders.

The 5400 OTP can be managed by the same suite of management interfaces as the 6400 OTP.  In Release 4.0, the In-Line Amplification (ILA) function is supported.  In a subsequent release, the 5400 OTP can be used as an OADM node.  As an ILA, the 5400 OTP will be in-service upgradeable to an OADM.

Product News: Raman Amplification and Improved Engineering Rules for 5400/6400 OTP

The Raman Amplifier is an optional, stand-alone 1 RU unit that provides additional gain and improved OSNR for long fiber spans and networks. It can be used as a pre-amplifier to current EDFA amplifiers in both the 6400 OTP and 5400 OTP. In addition to the Raman Amplifier, Meriton will be adding several optical amplification and dispersion compensation improvements in Release 4.1, making the superior optical layer performance of the 6400 OTP even better.

Product News: Meriton 6400 OTP Receives Rural Development Utilities Program Acceptance

The Meriton 6400 OTP is now accepted for funding proposals under the Rural Development Utilities Program. The 6400 OTP is included in the RUS List of Materials Acceptable for Use on Telecommunications Systems of RUS Borrowers.

Product News: 40 Channel, 8-Degree Networks Now Supported by 7200 OSP

The new 40+1 Channel DWDM Optical Interface Card for the 7200 OSP supports 8-degrees of connectivity and the ability to switch 40 DWDM channels. Here are the key features:

• Uses SFPs and XFPs so that single wavelengths can be added, which provides for low start-up costs and a smooth linear growth curve
• Supports 2.5 G and 10 G, and the spacing plan means that it is also 40 G compatible
• 16 channels are provided in the base card, and expansion cards provide an additional 24 channels in 8-channel increments
• Adds tremendous configuration flexibility by supporting multi-degree connections while still providing capacity for additional add/drop
• Includes Optical Supervisory Channel (ITU-61)
• Supports 8-degrees within a single 7200 OSP shelf

Product News: Meriton Enhances Capabilities of the 3300 OSM

A new release of Meriton's successful 3300 OSM is now available. Release 4.0 includes a number of enhancements to the system including:

40 wavelength DWDM support

The capacity of the 3300 OSM has been significantly increased by the introduction of the 1240 OFP which supports Mux and Demux of 40 C-band 100GHz ITU spaced wavelengths plus integrated OSC channel. This feature supports full inter-working with the new 7200 OSP 40+1 Channel DWDM card and is fully managed using Meriton’s best-in-class 8600 NMS Network Management Software. The 1240 OFP allows service providers to leverage the industry-leading density of the 3300 OSM platform while supporting up to four degrees of connectivity at a single node.

10G Transponder support

The total shelf capacity of the 3300 OSM has now been dramatically increased with the introduction of the 10G OTR-1 card, which provides a single slot, XFP-based solution for transponder and regenerator applications. The transponder supports STM-64, OC-192, 10GigE WAN and 10GigE LAN PHY protocols with a line interface that is fully OTN complaint. The 10G OTR-1 card offers the additional advantage of G.709 based FEC encoding on the line interface(s) for improved network reach between regenerators.

Product News: SSH Security Features

Meriton has added security features in the form of the SSH protocol to the 3300 OSM, 7200 OSP and 5400/6400 OTP . This provides a secure means of accessing the TL1 command interface. The network elements act as an SSH server, and both the SSH server and client encrypt the TL1 commands and responses. The SSH client authenticates the SSH server using host key authentication.

Meriton Events Calendar

• CMA “Fibre Futures” Conference June 5, London. Speaker: Brian Pratt on “Agile Optical Networking’ – Private Optical Networks for Enterprise”
• Broadband World Forum Asia, June 5 – 8, Beijing. Speaker: Mike Pascoe on "What’s The Right Transport Foundation to Deliver Carrier Ethernet Services?"
• NXTcomm, June 18 – 21, Chicago. Speaker: Ken Davison on "The New Metro Network - The Migration to Optical Transport Network (OTN)"
• WDM & Optical Networking, June 25 – 29, Cannes. Speaker: Ken Davison on "Building an Ethernet-optical transport infrastructure for the NGN"