Optical Transport Evolution: Key Drivers for Multi-Degree ROADM

Features Kim Papakos, Senior Product Manager.

This podcast describes the difference between single and ROADM Benefits
multi-degree ROADM technology and how the increase in
a Increase capacity
IPTV deployments drive the demand for DWDM bandwidth.
a Wavelength steering (without OEO conversion)
> To download podcasts, visit www.inspirethenewlife.com a Takeaway: Ability to dynamically change
wavelengths/lambdas
ROADM: Competitive Features for Optical
Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer
Transport Systems
a Capacity: Ability to add degrees elegantly
a Flexibility: Grow hitlessly
a Density: Small form factor
a Support future technologies: Scale to 40 Gbps and beyond
Additional References (on tellabs.com)
Tellabs Emerge Magazine – Rethinking Optical
Network Architecture
www.tellabs.com/news/reprints/rethinking_fall06-reprint.pdf
Tellabs® Optical Transport Evolution
The Case for Integrating Next-Generation Transport
www.tellabs.com/papers/tlabintegratengt.pdf Collector Ring
B
Video Transport and Distribution for IPTV Networks Regional Ring
www.tellabs.com/papers/tlabvideotransiptv.pdf
4
Collector Ring B
Tellabs Emerge Magazine – BellSouth Battles Back
www.tellabs.com/news/reprints/bellsouth_fall06-reprint.pdf 4
6
Tellabs® 7100 Optical Transport System – True Next A
Generation Multiservice Delivery 6
Collector Ring
www.tellabs.com/products/7000/tlab7100ots.pdf
Regional Ring
2-degree ROADM
Metro WDM Network Design & Evolution: X-degree ROADM
A

Positioning for the Transition to Optical Meshes Primary Path Collector Ring
Backup Path
www.tellabs.com/papers/tlabmetrowdm.pdf

Source: Rethinking Optical Network Architecture — Tellabs Emerge Magazine

One Tellabs Center • 1415 West Diehl Road • Naperville, IL 60563 • 630 798 8800 • www.tellabs.com
Statements herein may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events, products, features, technology and resulting commercial or technological benefits and advantages. These statements are for discussion
purposes only, are subject to change and are not to be construed as instructions, product specifications, guarantees or warranties. Actual results may differ materially. The following trademarks and service marks are owned by Tellabs Operations,
Inc., or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries: TELLABS®, TELLABS and T symbol®, and T symbol®. Any other company or product names may be trademarks of their respective companies. © 2007 Tellabs. All rights reserved.
Podcast Transcript
Optical Transport Evolution: Key Drivers for Multi-Degree ROADM
Features Kim Papakos, Senior Product Manager.
Monsho: What’s up? It’s Monsho with
another session of Get Schooled.
Are you ready for today’s pop quiz?
Okay, here we go.
Name one advantage of multi-degree
ROADM. Is it: (a) using it will put you six
degrees away from Kevin Bacon, (b) it
makes a better tattoo than “I love Billy
Bob,” or (c) the ability to add wave-
lengths remotely?
Don’t know the answer? Don’t worry. Sit
back, relax. It’s time to get schooled.
Dave Morfas: Hi. I’m Dave Morfas, and
I’m here today to talk with Kim Papakos
about optical evolution.
So Kim, the first thing we want to talk
about at the highest level is, we have this
proliferation of traffic and so forth out
there, so what’s really causing the evolu-
tion of optics as we know it?
Kim Papakos: So there’s been a big push
and a big increase for capacity, and the
biggest thing that’s driving that is really
a lot of the deployments that are related
around video and delivering video, and
in particular IPTV to the home. With
IPTV, there’s an increased requirement
in bandwidth that is beyond the typical
transport that we’ve had to transport in
the past. So as a result, there are some
factors that we need to do. The increas-
ing capacities is the largest one, and also
the ability to dynamically design net-
works and scale them according to the
traffic flows.
If we stand back and look at it, the first
thing that needs to get addressed or has
been addressed is the optical piece, the
ability for us to be able to provide sort of
large-capacity pipes that are more flex-
ible in terms of their start locations and
their end locations and can grow as the
traffic demand grows.
So the first area is an increase in the opti-
cal piece. And we’ve really used ROADM
technology as the key engine, the key
driver to enable us to up, or upscope, the
capacity and the ability of the flexibility to do is, it allows us to deal with different
of the optics piece. degrees, and in particular wavelength
steering between degrees; i.e., taking
On the interface side, we’ve also inte-
wavelengths from one fiber span and
grated ADM functionalities with both
routing it to another fiber span indepen-
SONET and SDH ADM capability into
dently of the other wavelengths. And this
the platform. So that’s a consolidation
is done without electrical conversion, so
of what typically would be a standalone
it provides a very cost-effective man-
system getting embedded and incorpo-
ner for you to actually groom and steer
rated into the platform.
wavelengths through different degrees or
In addition to that, there’s also the driver different fiber spans without a system.
for packet capabilities, in particular,
The effect that has on the network is now
Layer 2 capabilities, and that’s also being
that you can actually tailor or rapidly
embedded into the platform.
grow sporadic A-to-Z locations indepen-
So we have a few disciplines going on. dently for each wavelength. Before, you
We have the increase of optical capabil- were pretty much, as I use the expres-
ity, and using ROADM as the key piece sion, you pour cement over it. Once it
for that. We’re also integrating SO- dries, that’s your network architecture.
NET and SDH ADM capability into the
Dave Morfas: You hit on ROADMs at a
system, and also packet, and in particu-
high level and you touched on multi-de-
lar, Layer 2 packet integration into the
gree ROADMs. What essentially do we
system.
get when we add up to, you know, two-
Dave Morfas: So talking about ROADM, degree and three-degree and four-degree
everybody throws the term “ROADM” and x-degree ROADMs?
out there. What do we really get with
Kim Papakos: Okay, so every degree
ROADM, versus, you know, previously
equals the number of fiber terminations
what wasn’t available and so forth?
or number of field fiber spans that you
Kim Papakos: So, Dave, so previously we can terminate.
dealt with point-to-point-based systems,
So, for example, a four-degree ROADM
and in particular it was a simple mux/de-
would allow you to accept four fiber
mux hierarchy, that created fairly static
spans coming in from four different di-
routes, in the sense that you would get
rections and allow you to actually provide
the traffic on at one location, you would
optical wavelength steering between any
take it across and you would drop it off.
one of those fiber spans independently.
While that worked for fiber exhaust ap-
That’s really the main function that that
plications, it really didn’t meet networks
provides.
that changed, dynamically changed their
bandwidth requirements on a periodic What the degrees really allow you to do
basis. is to manage those 44 channels across
four fiber inputs, in the case of a four-de-
So one thing that ROADM does bring to
gree ROADM. As you increase the num-
the table is, first, it increases the capac-
ber of degrees, you allow for more fiber
ity. Typical systems are about 30, 32
terminations to come into that, what’s
channels; ROADM introduced—in our
considered an optical cross-connect or a
particular case, we have the highest
cross-connectability.
channel count of 44 channels. So we’ve
increased from 32 channels to 44 chan- Dave Morfas: If I’m a service provider,
nels. So we’ve increased the artery. then, what are the things that I’m looking
for in terms of a competitive advantage
The other thing that ROADM allows us
from my vendor, from my optical trans-
port vendor? Is it all about speed, is it all technologies. For example, 40-gig, the Monsho: You done already? The correct
about size, is it all about power utiliza- system really needs to be verified and answer was (c) the ability to add wave-
tion? What is it that I’m looking for? engineered today to be able to support lengths remotely. That was pretty easy,
40-gig signals, even though 40-gig is huh? Six degrees of Kevin Bacon.
Kim Papakos: I think really to answer
something that’s coming in the near
that question, it’s a combination of If you missed that one, don’t worry, you
future. It has to be scalable. And it has
capacity, flexibility in a nice, convenient, can always download the cheat sheet at
to also grow elegantly. We need to be
small-form factor. The Tellabs 7100, we inspirethenewlife.com.
able to add wavelengths without touch-
support a full four degrees on one shelf
ing what’s there. You need to be able to See you tomorrow for another pop quiz,
that is all the overhead optics required
change paths without affecting the exist- and maybe we can compare tattoos.
to support all the fiber terminations.
ing paths that are in service. And even
And we elegantly grow the system to full
on a wavelength, you need to be able
capacity, which is ultimately up to eight
to add more capacity onto a multiport
degrees.
wavelength or a multiport transponder
So you’re looking for something that without affecting the signals or the pay-
is flexible, that has a large capability; load that’s already on there.
also has the ability to support future

One Tellabs Center • 1415 West Diehl Road • Naperville, IL 60563 • 630 798 8800 • www.tellabs.com
Statements herein may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events, products, features, technology and resulting commercial or technological benefits and advantages. These statements are for discussion
purposes only, are subject to change and are not to be construed as instructions, product specifications, guarantees or warranties. Actual results may differ materially. The following trademarks and service marks are owned by Tellabs Operations,
Inc., or its affiliates in the United States and/or other countries: TELLABS®, TELLABS and T symbol®, and T symbol®. Any other company or product names may be trademarks of their respective companies. © 2008 Tellabs. All rights reserved.