Infinera says it's addressing the need for 'cloud scale networks' with its new portfolio additions.

November 17, 2016

3 Min Read

SUNNYVALE, Calif. -- Infinera, a provider of Intelligent Transport Networks, announced a number of new platforms within the award winning DTN-X Family designed to power cloud scale networks. With this announcement, Infinera is ushering in the next generation of Intelligent Transport Network architecture that blends the best of web scale technologies with the best of telco-grade technologies, yielding over 50 percent better total cost of ownership (TCO) over conventional networks. Infinera announced two new platforms, the XT-3300 and the XT-3600 meshponders, as well as significant upgrades to the XTC-4 and XTC-10 Packet Optical Transport Node (P-OTN) platforms. Infinera also announced the MTC-6 FlexILS chassis and 20-port super-channel Flexible Grid Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (FlexROADM), a key element within one of the most widely deployed flexible grid open line systems.

New cloud-based applications such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Network Function Virtualization (NFV), XaaS, video and virtual reality are driving a growing amount of bandwidth across service provider subsea, long-haul, metro and data center interconnect (DCI) networks. As cloud infrastructure expands and networks migrate to a new architecture of Layer C (Cloud Services) and Layer T (Intelligent Transport), service providers need their Layer T networks to adapt to new traffic flows and to support smooth scale-out expansion. These cloud scale networks allow service providers to efficiently address both large N x 100 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) linear connectivity requirements driven by web scale operators as well as the diverse mesh connectivity requirements driven by more traditional telco enterprise and residential customers. To meet these requirements, service providers need cloud scale networks that are:

  • Scalable and sliceable - multi-carrier super-channel technology delivering massive bandwidth per optical engine along with the ability to use software defined networking (SDN) control to independently tune, modulate and route each wavelength

    • Integrated and disaggregated - integrated dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) and switching platforms working in harmony with disaggregated server-like platforms to build the most cost effective networks possible

    • Secure and open - completely open and programmable solutions while featuring in-flight line-rate encryption and other critical security features

      The DTN-X Family platforms now integrate the ground-breaking Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine featuring the Advanced Coherent Toolkit. The new server-like DTN-X XT-3300 and XT-3600 are the industry's first meshponder platforms, which combine sliceable photonics and muxponder functionality to deliver hyper-scalability up to 2.4 terabits per second (Tb/s) along with fine-grained granularity for optical mesh networks. The server-like small form factor meshponder platforms, developed from experiences in the web scale market, seamlessly interoperate with the chassis-based DTN-X XTC switching platforms. The Infinera DTN-X XTC-4 and XTC-10 platforms have been upgraded to support 1.2 Tb/s per slot and more than double the switching and transmission capacity through non-disruptive, in-service upgrades. The new DWDM modules, powered by the Infinera Infinite Capacity Engine, co-exist with the deployed modules thereby offering complete investment protection. The DTN-X XTC now offers up to 12 Tb/s of non-blocking switching capacity and unlike competitive systems, have no tradeoffs between client side tributary capacity and line side capacity.

      The Infinera FlexILS open line system, which supports over 50 Tb/s of fiber capacity, takes super-channels from the DTN-X platforms and routes wavelengths to the appropriate destination for flexible optical mesh networking. The new 20-port super-channel FlexROADM supports flexible grid super-channels with single-channel granularity and full CDC (colorless, directionless, contentionless) functionality while using six times fewer fibers than conventional ROADMs. FlexILS now includes the new compact MTC-6 chassis and is fully open and interoperable with Infinera and third-party terminals.

      All of the new capabilities in the FlexILS and DTN-X Family are controlled by the Xceed Software Suite and managed by Infinera's Digital Network Administrator (DNA). This comprehensive software portfolio enables service providers to simply and easily optimize the network including keeping traffic at the optical layer longer and only grooming and switching when necessary.

      By bringing these capabilities into the next generation unified Intelligent Transport Network and supporting the migration to cloud scale networks, service providers can dramatically decrease TCO by over 50 percent through reduced equipment, power and space consumption.

      Infinera Corp. (Nasdaq: INFN)

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