世界各国のリアルタイムなデータ・インテリジェンスで皆様をお手伝い

目次

Table of Contents

List of Figures(PDF)

米国の調査会社ヘビーリーディング社の調査レポート「光スイッチングの復活:パケット向け光ネットワークの再建」は、今後の光スイッチングについてイーサネットスイッチング、OTNスイッチング、国際電気通信連合(ITU)による自動交換光ネットワーク(ASON)の提言、インターネット技術タスクフォース(IETF)のGMPLS規格、制御プレーンの相互運用性に関するオプティカルインターネットワークキングフォーラム(OIF)の実施合意等の、光制御プレーンにおける発展を詳しく調査している。またコンポーネントサプライヤ、システムサプライヤ、ネットワーク事業者との独占的かつ詳細なインタビューを基に光スイッチング分野の12の主要かつ革新的なサプライヤを分析している。またヘビーリーディング社がネットワーク事業者による光技術の導入の計画と見通しを知るために収集したユーザーデータとサーベイデータを豊富に記載している。

This report offers a detailed investigation into the future of optical switching, including Ethernet switching and OTN switching, as well as developments in the optical control plane, such as the ITU's ASON recommendations, the IETF's GMPLS standards, and the OIF's implementation agreements for control plane interoperability. The report analyzes 12 leading and innovative suppliers in optical switching, based on exclusive, in-depth interviews with components suppliers, systems suppliers, and network operators. It also draws on a wealth of user and survey data collected by Heavy Reading to provide deeper insight into network operator plans and expectations regarding deployment of optical technologies.

Overview

Optical switching has become an important pillar in telecom networks, but its development bears very little resemblance to early visions of the how the technology would be deployed and used. In optical crossconnects, for instance, demand for all-optical products did not materialize, but crossconnects with optical-to-electrical-to-optical (OEO) switch fabrics – which convert light into electricity for processing before reconverting it to light for transmission – gained a ready following. Unlike all-optical crossconnects, these OEO products were able to groom traffic at lower speeds such as 155 Mbit/s, which is exactly what the market required.

Meanwhile, some all-optical fabric technologies proved important, but the end devices are very different from the Xros and LambdaRouter concepts promoted in the early part of this decade. All-optical switching technologies – particularly micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) switching fabrics – are being sold in volumes today. However, they are deployed as the foundation of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexer (ROADM) subsystems, not as large optical crossconnects. Often, these subsystems are integrated into wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) transport equipment, particularly in metro/regional WDM systems. They are small in size and low in port counts (and much lower in cost).

As we look into the future, optical switching needs to evolve again, and this evolution is now underway. At the highest level, the changes are driven by the need to re-architect telecom networks for the transition from TDM to packets – a move that is just starting to happen. For the transport network, this means a change from Sonet/SDH transport to packet transport using Ethernet and IP protocols. For the switching network, this means a transition from circuit-switched Sonet/SDH to switching built for packet protocols – ultimately switching packets themselves optically.

Of increasing importance in optical switching are Ethernet switching and optical transport network (OTN) switching, both of which are built for packet traffic. Also critical are developments in the optical control plane, including: the International Telecommunication Union's (ITU) Automatically Switched Optical Network (ASON) recommendations; the Internet Engineering Task Force's (IETF) Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) standards; and the Optical Internetworking Forum's (OIF) implementation agreements for control plane interoperability.

An important difference moving forward is that the optical switching technologies and standards will not reside on a single network element (i.e., the optical crossconnect), but will reside in different network elements located in different parts of the network and operating at different layers of the Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) stack (i.e., Layers 0, 1, 2, and 3). This more distributed role for the optical switching function is a positive development for the industry. There are more vendors and more minds at work tackling the switching problem. It does, however, make the switching world more complex and bring interworking and interoperability to the forefront.

The Optical Switching Revival: Rebuilding the Optical Network for Packets offers a detailed investigation into the future of optical switching, including in-depth analysis of the following product and technology areas:

			Optical control plane standards and standards organizations, including ITU ASON, IETF GMPLS, and OIF
			Optical crossconnects
			OTN switching
			Photonic switching with ROADMs
			Next-generation ROADM technologies, including colorless ROADMs, directionless ROADMs, and "digital" ROADMs
			Converged packet-optical transport systems (P-OTS)
			Optical packet switching (OPS)
			Optical burst switching (OBS) and especially ring-based OBS

The report profiles and analyzes 12 leading and innovative suppliers in optical switching, based on exclusive, in-depth interviews with components suppliers, systems suppliers, and network operators.

For a list of technology suppliers analyzed in this report, click here.

In addition, the report draws on a wealth of user and survey data collected by Heavy Reading to provide deeper insight into network operator plans and expectations regarding their deployment of optical technologies.

拡大図

Report Scope and Structure The Optical Switching Revival: Rebuilding Optical Networks for Packets is structured as follows: Section I is an introduction to the report, with complete report key findings. Section II provides an overview of the standalone optical crossconnect market, including OEO crossconnects and photonic optical crossconnects. Section III delves into the role of the optical control plane in optical switching, including work by the ITU, the IETF, and the OIF. Section IV discusses the ITU OTN standard and how OTN switching must evolve in OTN transport networks. Section V details the evolution of the ROADM to perform the photonic switching function, including its integration into metro/regional WDM transport systems and in emerging P-OTSs. Section VI examines the future of optical switching in emerging technologies, including OPS and OBS. In particular, this section evaluates ring OBS technology as a viable near- to medium-term technology for packet-optical transport networks. Section VII profiles 12 leading and innovative suppliers in optical switching, based on exclusive, in-depth interviews with components suppliers, systems suppliers, and network operators. The report is essential reading for a wide range of industry participants, including the following: Telecom service providers: How will new developments in optical technology affect your deployment decisions and your ability to compete? How do anticipated migration plans match up with your company's plan? What kinds of factors are most likely to drive – or stall – implementation of optical switching in carrier networks? Which suppliers are in the best position to meet your needs for next-generation optical products? Telecom equipment manufacturers: How do your product development plans map to those of your competitors in the optical sector? Is your current and anticipated product portfolio in line with projected technology deployments? What impact will various standards have on development and demand for optical switching technologies? Component and subsystem suppliers: What is the most likely demand curve scenario for components and subsystems that enable optical switching? Which equipment suppliers and products are emerging as the early leaders in this sector? Where are the market opportunities for your components and subsystems? Investors: How will the migration to optical switching affect the optical networking sector? Which technology providers are likely to emerge as the main suppliers of next-gen optical products, and when are they most likely to reap those benefits?

---

Table of Contents

	LIST OF FIGURES
Ⅰ	INTRODUCTION & KEY FINDINGS
1.1	The Future of Optical Switching
1.2	Key Findings
1.3	Report Scope & Structure
Ⅱ	OPTICAL CROSSCONNECTS
2.1	Vendor Landscape
2.2	Optical Crossconnect Future
Ⅲ	SWITCHING & THE OPTICAL CONTROL PLANE
3.1	IETF GMPLS
3.2	ITU ASON
3.3	OIF
	UNI 1.0 & UNI 2.0
	I-NNI
	E-NNI
	Multi-Layer Control Plane
Ⅳ	OTN SWITCHING
Ⅴ	PHOTONIC SWITCHING WITH ROADMS
5.1	Colorless ROADMs
5.2	Directionless ROADMs
5.3	Optical Control Plane Challenges
5.4	Converged P-OTS
5.5	The "Digital ROADM"
Ⅵ	OPTICAL BURST SWITCHING & OPTICAL PACKET SWITCHING
6.1	OPS in Academic Research Projects
6.2	Mesh OBS in Academic Research Projects
6.3	Commercial OBS Networks Based on Rings
	Matisse OBS Overview
	Intune OBS Overview
Ⅶ	VENDOR PROFILES
7.1	Alcatel-Lucent
	1850 TSS
7.2	Ciena Corp
	CoreDirector
	CN 4200
7.3	Cisco Systems Inc.
7.4	Data Connection Ltd. (DCL)
7.5	Fujitsu Ltd.
	Flashware 9500
	Flashware 7500
7.6	Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd.
7.7	Infinera Corp
7.8	Intune Networks Ltd.
	Product Introduction
7.9	JDS Uniphase Corp.
	ROADMs
7.10	Matisse Networks Inc.
	Market Opportunity
7.11	Nortel Networks Corp
	Optical Crossconnect
	OME 6500
7.12	Sycamore Networks Inc.
	Multiservice Access
	Optical Switching
APPENDIX A: ABOUT THE AUTHOR
APPENDIX B: LEGAL DISCLAIMER