CIENA has integrated Layer 2 switching capabilities in both its CN 4300 Managed Optical Transport and Switching Platform and its CN 2300 Managed Optical Services Multiplexer (formally the Internet Photonics LightStack GSLAM and LightStack MXA, respectively).
The Integrated packet switching at the central office or cable headend via the CN 4300, and at the point of access via the CN 2300, would help cable operators support triple-play services for residential and commercial customers. In VoD applications, integrated packet switching allows partially filled VoD server links to be aggregated to full wire rate Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) signals. Additionally, the CN 4300 provides content switching so that programs on any server can be streamed to any set-top box regardless of its location. This is in contrast to today's VoD networks, in which servers are often dedicated on a per-hub or edge QAM (quadrature-amplitude modulation) basis and not fully utilized, even during peak periods.
For high-speed data and CMTS transport applications, the enhanced CN 4300 and CN 2300 platforms can switch and aggregate high-speed data to fully fill GbE ports on Internet routers, reducing the number of router ports required. The CN 4300 also works with the CN 2200 Managed Optical Services Multiplexer (formerly LightStack MX) for mixed applications where intelligent Layer 2 operations are concentrated to a few locations.
The Layers 2 capabilities also enables VoIP traffic to be switched and sent on to voice gateways and call management servers. Separate signaling and bearer VLANs can be set up to facilitate efficient centralized or distributed call routing schemes. This minimizes end-to-end latency by reducing the number of routing hops and leads to higher voice quality. http://www.ciena.com
- Earlier this year, CIENA acquired privately held Internet Photonics, a supplier of carrier-grade optical Ethernet transport and switching solutions, for approximately $150 million in stock (24.4 million CIEN shares). Internet Photonics' Ethernet transport solution has gained momentum with North American cable MSOs, including deployments with six of top ten cable operators in the U.S.
