Ciena unveiled a multiservice transport and service aggregation platform designed to help carriers transition from TDM to service-selectable packet networks. The new CN 4200 FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform features "FlexiPort" technology, which supports voice, data and video services on any port of any line card at any network location using remote service provisioning and management. Each port on the platform's FlexiPort line card can be remotely programmed on-demand to support nearly any transport service including SONET/SDH, ESCON, Fibre Channel, Gigabit Ethernet, Digital Video and Optical Transport Unit (OTU) services at any speed up to 10 Gbps. The capability addressed the cost and complexity of deploying and sparing service-specific line cards.
The CN 4200 uses pluggable or tunable DWDM and CWDM optics to address a variety of transport applications. The platform scales from a single line card and chassis for an enterprise location up to large central office locations with stackable capacity up to 400 Gbps per node. An intelligent control plane automates the provisioning process and optimizes network utilization.
Ciena said that based on an analysis of a service provider network, the CN 4200 could provide:
- 95% reduction in new service provisioning and/or service migration times from an average of more than 45 days down to two. Customer adds, moves and changes can be done remotely.
- up to 78% reduction in wavelength usage based on the CN 4200's efficient sub-wavelength grooming as compared to competing ROADM-only solutions.
- 66% reduction in line card spares, based on having one programmable line card that can support multiple services and speeds versus individual service cards for each.
Ciena also plans to extend the CN 4200's current sub-wavelength ROADM capabilities with "Dynamic Wavelength Routing" reconfigurable OADM technology for full 10G wavelength services, giving transport networks greater flexibility.
Swisscom is currently certifying to deploy Ciena's CN 4200, to offer storage area networking services, including ESCON, Fibre Channel and 2 Gbps Fibre Channel in regional applications, to its large enterprise customers.
http://www.ciena.com
