Thursday, December 10, 2020

COBO forms Co-Packaged Optics Working Group

The Consortium for On-Board Optics (COBO) has formed a Co-Packaged Optics (CPO) Working Group to encourage the adoption of co-packaged optics by developing technical guidance and standards for CPO implementations.  

This effort focuses on the optical connectivity and remote laser sources necessary to make co-packaged optics a reality and it is complementary to other co-packaging standardization efforts.  COBO's CPO Working Group is a collaboration of end users and technology suppliers uniquely positioned to address these topics for hyperscale data centers. 

"To support advancements in bandwidth requirements, COBO has advanced to co-packaged optics for enablement of robust fiber optic networks with higher, more reliable, and more efficient throughput," said Tiger Ninomiya, CPO Working Group Chair and COBO Board Member. "Stakeholders involved in co-packaging applications are lending their expertise to advance the industry in a standardized way that meets all anticipated future requirements and to increase adoption with ease in this rapidly expanding market."

"It is critical that the industry develops standards and guidance to enable a robust co-packaging eco-system," said Mark Filer, Principal Engineer, Azure Hardware Architecture at Microsoft.  "COBO is the perfect forum to leverage its membership's expertise to address the optical connectivity challenges for the co-packaging of optics with ASICs."

"COBO has a unique eco-system of member companies which is well suited to address these optical connectivity related challenges," said Jeff Hutchins, Director in the CTO Office at Ranovus and COBO Board Member.  "The working group's efforts will help make the co-packaging of optics a reality."

https://www.onboardoptics.org/

ONAP marks its 7th release - Guilin - with focus on mobile

The ONAP community announced the 7th ONAP release, codenamed Guilin after the Chinese city of the same name in China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.

New features in ONAP Guilin focus on 5G wireless networks and open RAN, along with numerous improvements to the code quality, security, and maturity. 

New use cases include:

  • 5G Network slicing – including the capability of orchestrating network slices in all three domains – RAN, Transport, and Core
  • O-RAN Integration – the ONAP interfaces have been aligned to be compatible with O-RAN Alliance specifications and the O-RAN Software Community modules. Specifically, Guilin adds support for the A1 interface (O-RAN A1-AP v1.1), 
  • Cloud Native Network Functions – Moving in parallel with the evolving architecture of the network functions ONAP orchestrates, the community significantly improved the way ONAP handles Cloud Network Functions (CNFs). It is now more aligned with the way ONAP handles VNFs and PNFs, leading the way to orchestrating hybrid network services using any combination of technologies.

Other enhancements to the ONAP Blueprints includes a new Standard Defined VNF Event Stream (VES) event for Fault Management (FM) / Performance Management (PM) Data Collection, the first use of Machine Learning in Self-Organizing Networks (SON), and greater support for 5G RAN Wireless Network Resource Model (NRM) with Service Modeling and Definition and Intent Based Network supporting intent-drive 5G slice creation. 

Multi-Domain Optical Network Services (MDONS) first introduced in Frankfurt, now supports Inter Domain Link (IDL)/Path Optimization for Optical Transport Network (OTN) links across multiple optical domains. This enables improved policy-driven automated service operations and LCM across cross-carrier optical domains.

https://www.onap.org/software


Keysight launches 800G test solutions

Keysight Technologies launched new 800G test solutions for validating electrical and optical interfaces to speed development of next generation data center technologies, including the first 100Gbps transmitter and receiver pre-conformance test solution.

Keysight’s new portfolio of electrical and optical analysis solutions enable an 800G ecosystem, consisting of optical components, chipset, switch and semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) vendors, as well as system integrators, to speed design, development, test and validation across the entire design cycle.

New Keysight 800G test solutions include:

100Gbps electrical conformance test

  • The first pre-conformance test solution for validating both transmitter and receiver electrical signaling input interfaces according to the 100Gb/s standard currently under development by IEEE and OIF.
  • Combines Keysight’s Infiniium UXR-Series real-time oscilloscope or digital communication analyzer (DCA), 64 Gbaud high performance bit error rate tester (BERT) and pre-conformance test cases for simplified 100Gbps, 200Gbps, 400Gbps and 800Gbps electrical input interface testing, resulting in accurate and repeatable test results.

Pre-silicon design verification

  • Combines Keysight’s IxVerify software, which generates network traffic, with Synopsys ZeBu Server 4 emulation system to accelerate pre-silicon design verification of system-on-chip (SoC) solutions and 800G Ethernet designs.
  • Delivers consistent test methodologies, configurations and scripts to accelerate testing from pre-silicon to post-silicon device validation.

200Gbps solution for 800G research and pathfinding

  • Combines an arbitrary waveform generator (AWG) and an Infiniium UXR-Series real-time oscilloscope to characterize the digital interface including error detection up to 224Gb/s.
  • Extends testing into the optical domain using Keysight’s 60GHz optical-to-electrical (O/E) converter.

Physical layer test system (PLTS)

  • Establishes signal integrity measurements and performs data post processing of high-speed interconnects, such as cables, backplanes, PCBs and connectors.
  • Supports de-embedding techniques on a common platform, enabling users to optimize performance margins in their 800G channel designs.

“Keysight’s close collaborations across the high-speed industry, as well as with standard organizations such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF), enable us to deliver first-to-market solutions that accelerate design cycles and technology waves, well before standards mature,” said Dr. Joachim Peerlings, vice president of network and data center solutions at Keysight Technologies. “Access to a portfolio of 800G test solutions across physical and protocol layers, from simulation to design, validation, conformance and manufacturing, enables our customers to verify interoperability and simplify testing across the workflow using common, uniform interfaces and software automation.”


Deutsche Telekom aligns with Microsoft Azure

Deutsche Telekom and Microsoft announced a seven-year strategic agreement to help customers of all sizes accelerate their cloud transformation initiatives. 

"We have agreed on the framework for joint strategic growth with our long-term partner Microsoft. We are delighted," said Adel Al-Saleh, member of the Deutsche Telekom Board of Management and CEO of T-Systems. "This partnership will enable us to enhance services for our customers. We will also be supporting each other with digitalization and network build-out." 

Highlights

  • Telekom plans to migrate the majority of its internal IT workloads to the public cloud by 2025 and Azure is a central part of that strategy. Through a companywide training program, thousands of Telekom employees will learn how to maximize the benefits of Azure. 
  • Telekom will also offer its customers direct access to the Microsoft cloud through Azure ExpressRoute. 
  • Telekom will offer Microsoft 365, including Microsoft Teams. As part of this, the companies have started a project for German schools to reimagine traditional approaches to education, enabling remote learning through cloud-based IT infrastructure, modern devices and the cloud productivity and collaboration applications within Microsoft 365. 
  • Telekom will help its customers with moving their SAP environments to Azure. SAP solutions on Azure offer enterprise-grade security, and business continuity and reduce hardware expenses, making it easier for start-ups and smaller organizations to get started. 

“The case for digital transformation has never been more urgent. We know that the next decade of economic performance for every business, whether large or small, will depend on the digital investments made today," said Jean-Philippe Courtois, executive vice president and president, Microsoft Global Sales, Marketing and Operations. “Through this strategic partnership, which combines the power of Deutsche Telekom’s network and Microsoft’s cloud, customers will have more opportunities to become resilient, accelerate innovation and ultimately drive success.”

AWS launches Transit Gateway Connect for SD-WANs

 AWS announced the launch of Transit Gateway Connect, a native way to connect SD-WAN infrastructure with AWS without having to set up IPsec VPNs between SD-WAN network virtual appliances and Transit Gateway. 

Transit Gateway Connect is a new attachment type that supports Generic Routing Encapsulation (GRE) for higher bandwidth performance compared to a VPN connection. Transit Gateway Connect supports Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) for dynamic routing, and removes the need to configure static routes. This simplifies network design and reduces the associated operational costs. In addition, integration with Transit Gateway Network Manager provides advanced visibility through global network topology, attachment level performance metrics, and telemetry data.


AWS Transit Gateway Connect integrates with a number of industry-leading partners, including:

  • 128 Technology
  • Alkira
  • Arista Networks
  • Aruba
  • Aryaka
  • Aviatrix
  • Cisco Systems
  • Citrix
  • Fortinet
  • Palo Alto Networks (CloudGenix, VM-Series Virtual Firewall)
  • Silver Peak
  • Sophos
  • Versa Networks

https://aws.amazon.com/blogs/networking-and-content-delivery/simplify-sd-wan-connectivity-with-aws-transit-gateway-connect/?nc1=b_rp

Verizon and Corning launch commercial indoor 5G

Verizon Business and Corning have begun commercial installations of 5G in-building cell sites for enterprise customers.

Initial deployments are happening in Verizon retail store locations to provide the fastest 5G Ultra Wideband experience. WeWork has also chosen Verizon Business to provide Corning’s indoor 5G cells, with ten WeWork locations across the US set to receive installations. 

Corning’s indoor cell site is designed to provide Verizon’s 5G mmWave service inside facilities such as hospitals, manufacturing facilities, warehouses, schools, ports, commercial office space, retail stores and any indoor environment where large amounts of data traffic must be managed and optimized. The launch of these indoor cell sites will not only extend the footprint of Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network, but will also bring the promise of private networks with Mobile Edge Compute (MEC) capabilities one step closer. 

Ciena posts Q4 revenus of $828.5 million

 Ciena posted revenue of $828.5 million for its fiscal fourth quarter ended October 31, 2020, down from $968.0 million for the fiscal fourth quarter 2019. For fiscal year 2020, Ciena reported revenue of $3.53 billion, as compared to $3.57 billion for fiscal year 2019. 

Q4 net income per share was $0.42 GAAP; $0.60 adjusted (non-GAAP), increasing 3.4% year over year.

"Our fiscal fourth quarter and full-year 2020 performance reported today demonstrates that we have the innovation, diversification and global scale to perform well in a challenging environment," said Gary Smith, President and CEO, Ciena. "While we expect current market conditions to persist in the near-term, we are confident in strong secular demand dynamics and our ability to continue to outperform the market."

Some notes:
  • No customer represented more than 10% of revenue for the fiscal quarter 
  • One 10%-plus customer represented a total of 10.6% of revenue for the fiscal year 
  • Cash and investments totaled $1.3 billion 
  • Headcount totaled 7,032

FCC adopts rules to secure communications

The FCC adopted rules to implement the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act of 2019, aimed at protecting the security of the United States and the safety of U.S. communications networks.  

Specifically, the Second Report and Order approved today requires the Commission to publish a list of communications equipment and services determined to be a risk to national security that has been identified either by (1) executive branch interagency bodies with appropriate national security experience; (2) the Department of Commerce pursuant to its authority under Executive Order 13873; (3) Congress in the John S. McCain National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019, or (4) U.S. national security agencies.  Once Congress appropriates funding, eligible telecommunications carriers that receive universal service funding to provide service in remote areas of the country must remove such equipment or services from their networks and properly dispose of it.  


The Order also establishes and adopts rules for the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Reimbursement Program, which will provide funds to smaller providers of advanced communications services for the removal and replacement of communications equipment and services on the list published by the Commission, conditioned on the appropriation of funds by Congress.  Commission staff have estimated the program will require at least $1.6 billion to reimburse eligible providers, based on an analysis conducted by the Commission’s Wireline Competition Bureau and Office of Economics and Analytics.  

The Order further requires all providers of advanced communications services to report whether their networks include any covered communications equipment or services acquired after August 14, 2018.  Finally, the Order mandates strict reporting requirements to ensure that the Commission is kept informed about the ongoing presence of insecure equipment in U.S. communications networks.

In addition, the FCC voted to deny Huawei Technologies Co.’s application for review of a June 30, 2020 order designating the company, as well as its parents, affiliates, and subsidiaries, as posing a national security threat to the safety of communications networks and the communications supply chain. In the June order, the Commission’s Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau formally designated Huawei as a covered company for purposes of the agency’s November 2019 ban on the use of support from the Commission’s Universal Service Fund to purchase equipment or services from companies posing a national security threat.

https://www.fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-rules-secure-communications-networks-and-supply-chain