Ciena Opens Up to Software-Defined Networking

Ciena might not call it SDN, but a new concept, called OPn, sure has a lot of the same ideas

Craig Matsumoto, Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

June 11, 2012

2 Min Read
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Ciena Corp. (NYSE: CIEN) didn't mention software-defined networking on Monday as it announced its new network architecture, OPn. But a lot of SDN concepts were thrown about as CTO Steve Alexander introduced the idea.

OPn got its debut at Ciena's analyst conference in New York, in a presentation that stuck to high-level discussion of how the network ought to be controlled.

Alexander talked about making the network "responsive" to applications -- relocating virtual machines based on requests issued from the virtual machines themselves, for example. He added that a recent Ciena demo showed exactly that capability.

OPn spans Ciena's optical and packet layers and will involve programability at multiple layers of the network, enabled both through application programming interfaces (APIs) and through network-to-network interfaces that are "subtly different," Alexander said -- that difference being the responsiveness he mentioned.

OPn will also involve bypassing certain network functions. Alexander didn't give many specifics, but the idea is that traffic today doesn't need as many network touches as, say VoIP traffic does.

Every major vendor is declaring an SDN plan, it seems, and there might be a fight brewing over who gets to provide the control plane that will reach into multiple layers of the network and orchestrate tasks such as virtual-machine moving.

Cyan Inc. has such a control plane, although it doesn't work with absolutely everybody's equipment. And Cisco Systems Inc. (Nasdaq: CSCO), which is presumably announcing more about its SDN plans this week, has described programming multiple layers of the network via APIs.

For more

  • Cyan & Calient Become Packet-Optical Buddies

  • What's the Holdup With Cisco & SDN?

  • Brocade Sets an SDN Plan

  • OpenFlow, SDN & an Industry Uprising

— Craig Matsumoto, Managing Editor, Light Reading

About the Author

Craig Matsumoto

Editor-in-Chief, Light Reading

Yes, THAT Craig Matsumoto – who used to be at Light Reading from 2002 until 2013 and then went away and did other stuff and now HE'S BACK! As Editor-in-Chief. Go Craig!!

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