Isocore Tests GMPLS Control Plane Interoperability

Isocore Internetworking Lab recently completed its latest phase of IP-Optical Integration testing using next-generation control plane protocols.



The testing encompassed the Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) suite of control plane protocols, including dynamic signaling and routing demonstrating the GMPLS Peer-to-Peer model. In addition, the OIF's User-to Network Interface (UNI) was also demonstrated.



During the testing event, which was held last month at the Isocore facility in McLean, Virginia, all participating companies successfully requested and established dynamic Label Switched Paths (LSPs) using dynamic routing databases, including next-hop route calculation at the optical layer. IP applications such as Layer 3 VPNs (including Carrier's Carrier and Inter-provider scenarios), IP v6 over MPLS, and MPLS OAM were deployed over a dynamic, self-managing optical core.



The intelligent optical core used GMPLS control plane protocols and also supported UNI access. Dynamic constraint-based shortest path first (CSPF) routing was demonstrated for the first time for GMPLS networks. Participating companies were able to support routing using OSPF-TE extensions for GMPLS and setup lowest cost GMPLS dynamic label switched paths (LSP).



The optical network consisted of equipment from Avici Systems, Ciena, Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, Fujitsu Laboratories LTD, Furukawa Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, Navtel Communications, NEC, NTT, Sycamore Networks and Tellabs.



The testing event will be replicated in a live public demonstration at SUPERCOMM in Chicago in June. http://www.isocore.com