The Value of OTN for Network

Convergence and IP/Ethernet Migration

Today, network operators are forced to converge their networks transparency, as well as service timing transparency. The CN
in order to reduce Operational Expenses (OPEX), and also to 4200's unique FlexSelect architecture provides the capability
eliminate unnecessary additional Capital Expenditures (CAPEX) to switch (cross-connect) full 2.5 Gb/s wavelength services or
on multiple parallel networks. Every network operator is sub-wavelength services at a granularity of 155 Mb/s.
attempting to solve the convergence problem of providing the Sub-wavelength service channels are supported via non-
greatest number of services on the least amount of contiguous concatenation of 155 Mb/s timeslots, with 16
infrastructure. In order to drive faster returns on investments, timeslots per 2.5 Gb/s wavelength for simple high-density,
traditional telecom carriers are trying to integrate residential multi-service aggregation (see Figure 1).
broadband services, advanced enterprise data connectivity
services and video into existing voice networks; cable
operators are trying to add VoIP and commercial services to
video and cable modem services. ESCON
200 Mb/s CN4
200
At the same time, there is a massive migration from traditional Gigabit
SONET/SDH- and PDH-based TDM services to IP/Ethernet- Ethernet
1250 Mb/s
based services, including Voice, Video, Internet Access and OTU-1
Fibre Channel Wrapper
Layer-2 Business Services. Operators are facing difficult
(FC100)
challenges implementing network convergence while 1063 Mb/s
minimizing risk, and converting to all IP/Ethernet-based STM-1
155 Mb/s
services without stranding investments. Client Ports

Ciena's CN 4200TM FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform

TM

is based on the ITU G.709 OTN (Optical Transport Network)

standard as a vehicle to enable convergence, and for providing Figure 1 Multiservice aggregation using OTN
a common and SONET/SDH-like operational model for
network administration, performance monitoring and fault
However, the key differentiating value proposition of the
isolation, without altering the individual services. Using OTN,
FlexSelect platform is that these services are not fixed and
multiple networks and services such as legacy SONET/SDH,
defined in hardware. Rather, the services are fully software-
Ethernet, Storage protocols and Video can all be combined
programmable on one and the same line card, so that
onto a common infrastructure. Most importantly, unlike
protocols, connectivity and functionality can be remotely
SONET/SDH, OTN is the only transport layer in the industry
reprogrammed as services or customers change. Per-port
that can carry a full 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) LAN PHY from
programmablility is how the CN 4200 provides investment
IP/Ethernet switches and routers at full bandwidth. With the
protections for network operators as they migrate from a
rapid migration towards IP/Ethernet-based infrastructure, OTN
largely TDM-focused network to an
becomes the transport layer of choice for network operators.
all-IP/Ethernet network.
Ciena's CN 4200 is based upon the architecture defined in
ITU recommendations G.709, G.798 and G.8251. It offers
transparent wavelength and sub-wavelength services transport
and add/drop capabilities that provide service bit-stream

W A S D P White Paper
The Value of OTN for Network Convergence and IP / Ethernet Migration

Value of OTN
The key to understanding OTN can be The best of
summed up in one word: transparency. both worlds

For this reason, OTN is the ideal

technology on which to build a Positives Positives
• Bulletproof service G.709 OTN • Low cost
convergence platform. OTN, or • Industry-standard • Easy to install
• SONET/SDH PM
Digital Wrapper as it is sometimes Performance and Alarming • No timing to
monitoring (PM) • Asynchronous worry about
called, is an ITU standard that was • Fault isolation SONET/
Asynch
• Low cost Services
unified from competing standards SDH components (GbE, FC) Negatives
Negatives • Multi-protocol • No physical layer PM
being developed • Complex Timing • No fault isolation
support
in both the ITU and ANSI. • High Cost • Can’t support legacy
• Inflexible for services
data services
As end-users continue to deploy
increasingly complex networks using
Multi-Service Provisioning Platform
devices and routers, they are losing service Figure 2 OTN for carrier-grade transport of Asynchronous services

transparency because they cannot access

SONET/SDH overhead bytes or the DCC that carries all the The inherent flexibility of OTN is enabled by its ability to
management bytes as well as inter-nodal communications used extend transparency to the timing plane. This ability allows the
to determine network paths and link states. A traditional mixing of both synchronous and asynchronous signal types on
SONET/SDH solution will strip out these bytes and break the a common wavelength. Moreover, synchronous services with
end-to-end communications and topology discovery. different clock sources can be transported side-by-side,
OTN supports its own separate overhead for performance something not possible in a SONET/SDH network.
monitoring and fault signaling, as well as a General
Communications Channel (GCC) for remote management, A Brief Review of OTN Technology
software downloads and other control functions.
An OTN network is made up of several networking layers, see
OTN specifications provide for a robust management overhead Figure 3. The Service layer represents the end-user services
analogous to SONET/SDH; therefore, network operators do such as GbE, SONET, SDH, FC or any other protocol. For
not have to sacrifice the ability to manage at both the payload asynchronous services such as ESCON, GbE or FC, the service
and service levels. In fact, an OTN payload can fully is passed through a Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) mapper.
encapsulate a SONET/SDH frame without terminating the The Optical channel Payload Virtual Container (OPVC) handles
SONET Data Communications Channel (DCC) so that remote mapping the service into a uniform format. The OPVC is the
Add/Drop Multiplexers (ADMs) can continue to be managed in only layer that needs to change to support a new service type,
the same manner, and topology discovery will still work and this is the layer that is software programmable in the CN
between customer equipment. 4200 FlexSelect platform. The
Optical channel Payload
However, OTN does much more than transparently transport Tributary Unit (OPTU) maps the
SONET/SDH. It is also highly effective in supporting Services output of the OPVC into a
asynchronous data services such as GbE, 10GbE, various GFP
timeslot and performs timing
OPVC
speeds of Fibre Channel (FC), ESCON® and FICONTM that do adaptations to unify the
not have the same physical layer performance monitoring OPTU
clocking. The Optical channel
capabilities and fault isolation necessary for a high quality of OPU Payload Unit (OPU) contains all
service. OTN brings those capabilities to asynchronous services ODU of the timeslots in the OTN
without sacrificing the qualities that make those services frame. The Optical channel Data
OTU
attractive in the first place, such as low cost and ease of Unit (ODU) provides the path-
Physical
installation, see Figure 2. As mentioned earlier, OTN is also level transport functions of the
the only transport layer that can carry a full 10GbE LAN PHY OPU. The Optical Transport Unit
—the standard interface on IP/Ethernet equipment. (OTU) provides the section-level
Figure 3
OTN networking layers

2
The Value of OTN for Network Convergence and IP / Ethernet Migration

overhead for the ODU and

7 bytes 7 bytes 3808 bytes
provides the GCC0 bytes.
1 bytes
The Physical layer maps the

OPUk OH
FA OH OTUk OH
OPUk Payload OTUk FEC 4 bytes
3 bytes Service (4x3808 bytes) (4x256 bytes)
OTU into a wavelength or
WDM muxing system. 14 bytes 2 bytes 256 bytes

OTN has a hierarchy just like SONET

and SDH. An Optical Channel (OCh)
runs between anything that maps a
service into an OTU1/OTU2 signal, see
Figure 5. The CN 4200 M6s or F10-A modules perform the
ADM function. An Optical Multiplex Section (OMS) is between
two devices that can multiplex wavelengths onto a fiber. The
CN 4200 filter modules or Ciena's CN 2150 can act as an
Optical ADM (OADM). An Optical Transmission Section is the
fiber between anything that performs an optical function on the Ciena's CN 4200 FlexSelect OTN implementation maps all
signal. An Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA) like the OAF
and OAV CN 4200 amplifiers, or the standalone CN 2130
amplifier count as Line Amplifying equipment.
OCh
OMS OMS
OTS OTS OTS
Figure 4 FlexiPort technology supports a rich
set of software-configurable interfaces and protocols
Summary
OTN is the common optical backbone network of the future.
OTN can provide transparent SONET/SDH transport, and
extends SONET/SDH-like OAM and FCAPS capabilities to
data protocols like Ethernet, FC, ESCON, and Digital Video.
services into a common set of wavelengths—simplifying
everything from monitoring and deployment to sparing and
capacity management. Because of the software-programmable
nature of the FlexSelect architecture, these services can be
remotely changed as services, business conditions,
customers and networks change, providing
the ultimate investment protection for network
operators. Finally, OTN is the only transport
layer that carries a full 10GbE LAN PHY, the
OTS standard interfaces of next-generation
IP/Ethernet networks.

OLA OADM OLA

Figure 5 OTN Hierarchy

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Ciena may from time to time make changes to the products or specifications contained herein without notice. © 2009 Ciena Corporation. All rights reserved. WP033 2.2009