Years ago, there was awareness of that the future network would be based on synergy of optical transmission and IP. Due to limitations of the technical advances at that time, the notion of integrating the two layers of network, with an attempt to take advantages of them, however, could not be turned into reality.
Now, Huawei IPTime backbone solution realizes the synergy of optical transmission and IP.
The advantages of the IP layer and optical layer have been known for years. The IP layer can be aware of services and process packet services automatically with high efficiency. The optical layer provides unexhausted bandwidth and transparently transports mass data services for thousands of kilometers.
The past two years witness rapid advances in the technologies of cluster routing and optical transport. The former helps improve the service processing capability of routers to 25T. High performance and powerful traffic processing capability lay a solid foundation for a flat backbone network. The latter evolves from point-to-point WDM to network-based OTN. OTN cross-connections cover two layers, that is, wavelength and sub-wavelength (ODUk). Currently, this technology enables non-block cross-connections of tens of Tbits per second, mesh networking, and creation of remote end-to-end circuits. In addition, the advances in the GMPLS technology ensure the same control plane for the IP/MPLS layer and OTN layer and thus the GMPLS technology provides the third technical essence for integration of IP and OTN.
Huawei IPTime backbone solution realizes the synergy of optical transmission and IP from three aspects, that is, traffic processing, protection, and performance management.
How to Build a Backbone Network in the 100G Transport Era
The 100G transport era is anticipated to commence around 2012. This document discusses how to build a backbone network up to the high traffic and topology requirements in the following two perspectives:
Highly Efficient and Reliable Network Through Concerted Protection
Driven by service demands and technology evolution, the IP network and the optical network have each developed a complete protection and recovery system that provides protection from device ports to network links.
Flat Backbone Network with IP&OTN Synergy
The advantages of the IP layer and optical layer have been known for years. The IP layer is services awareness and can process packet services automatically with high efficiency. The optical layer provides unexhausted bandwidth and transparently transports mass data services for thousands of kilometers. Years ago, there was awareness of that the future network would be based on integration of optical transmission and IP. Due to limitations of the technical advances at that time, the notion of integrating the two layers of network, with an attempt to take advantages of them, however, could not be turned into reality. Then, the IP layer stays separate from the optical layer.
How to Address Challenges Facing the Backbone Network in the Post-Moore Era
Internet services are flourishing and network traffic is doubling year on year. The growth in network traffic has now outpaced that of the router capacity, that is subject to the Moore's Law. Due to the amazing growth in network traffic, the backbone network is facing considerable pressures on its capacity expansion. Network traffic is now growing in a way far beyond the Moore's Law. In line with this growth trend, not only the capability of a single node needs to be improved, the Network Architecture has to be optimized.
Realize the synergy between WDM and IP Routing networks with Channelized OTN and Multi-channel Load Balance technologies
The advent of the convergence times brings changes to network structure and also brings burgeoning new technologies, which provide solutions for coping with complicated problems. cOTN & MC-LB thus emerge just as the times require. Based on the IP and optical network architectures, cOTN & MC-LB take full advantage of network coordination and serve as a total solution for improving network performance.
