Wednesday, June 2, 2021

Fujitsu Network Communications demos open optical network control with TIP

 Fujitsu Network Communications demonstrated open optical network control in collaboration with the Telecom Infra Project (TIP) Converged Architectures for Network Disaggregation & Integration (CANDI) project group. The proof of concept, conducted in collaboration with the project team including Tier 1 network operators, demonstrates end-to-end service operations and network visibility across multi-vendor optical networks.

Fujitsu contributed the Virtuora Network Controller (NC) to enable multi-vendor SDN control across a partially disaggregated Open Line System (OLS), helping to define real-world operator use cases to accelerate adoption of open converged and packet optical networks. The controller supports both a standard T-API interface for the ROADM network as well as an OpenConfig interface for the transponders.


The proof of concept is the first integration of a commercial SDN controller based on the OpenDaylight platform, along with GNPy, the only vendor-neutral, open-source optical planning tool for optical reach verification. Virtuora NC supports both OLS domain control and optical SDN control, leveraging OpenDaylight to deliver a blend of openness and out-of-the-box capabilities for optical network design, installation, service creation, assurance and maintenance.

Fujitsu Network Communications said ths proof of concept demonstrates how flexible, modular optical hardware products and software control solutions based on open-source platforms provide a unique offering that achieves immediate needs for new network infrastructure, while positioning the network itself for migration to open networking in phases. This inherent flexibility allows communications service providers to deploy an optical architecture today and achieve an open network architecture tomorrow.

“The open optical control project is a major milestone toward enabling operators to achieve greater vendor diversity and efficiencies in their optical networks,” said Francois Lafontaine, vice president and head of the software business at Fujitsu Network Communications, Inc. “This proof of concept clearly validates the capabilities of Virtuora NC as a true multi-vendor SDN controller.”

 https://www.fujitsu.com/