Matisse offers EtherBurst to solve DWDM issues

When scaling packet networks beyond 10 Gbps, there are few choices. Although Ethernet is clearly the interface of choice for metro aggregation network architectures, scaling beyond 10 Gbps requires adding another layer of infrastructure and overhead into the network to take advantage of dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) technology. 

Along with the explosive growth in bandwidth, traffic patterns in the metro are becoming more volatile.  Peer-to-peer applications are driving any-to-any connectivity requirements. Uneven traffic spikes created by Internet protocol television (IPTV), video on demand (VOD), or self-published video content can occur from multiple locations at any time, a consequence of the exponential growth in the number of content sources. Ethernet over DWDM lacks the flexibility to meet these demands.

EtherBurst delivers several important advantages compared to discrete Ethernet over DWDM multi-layer networks:

Nature of the problem

The benefits of Ethernet packet switched networks are widely understood: plug-and-play flexibility, transparent accommodation of bursty traffic patterns, and efficient sharing of available bandwidth.  These benefits have elevated Ethernet to the interface of choice for metro networks.

But Ethernet is limited to 10 Gbps and metro bandwidth requirements are rapidly exceeding that mark.  Traditionally, scaling beyond 10 to 640 Gbps has required the deployment of DWDM optical transmission systems which rely on a circuit-oriented optical architecture. The problem arises where packet switched networks meet circuit-oriented infrastructure. The inflexibility resulting from the discontinuity at this packet-to-circuit interface creates inefficiencies and added expense.

With Ethernet over DWDM, network engineers immediately lose the any-to-any flexibility of Ethernet. This is because with DWDM, optical circuits need to be planned, provisioned and maintained independent of the packet service infrastructure. As volatile metro traffic patterns change, optical circuits need to be re-engineered and transponders re-configured. The complexity of DWDM network design and maintenance quickly negates the flexibility of Ethernet.

With Ethernet over DWDM, capital expenditures are significant, and are driven by the number of dedicated optical circuits deployed in a network. Since each optical circuit consumes dedicated resources, capital expenditures (CapEx) can grow exponentially with the size of the network. And, since packet traffic patterns are dynamic while DWDM optical circuit paths are fixed, network connections must be designed to accommodate peak traffic levels and changing patterns, resulting in wasted capacity.

Worst of all, the operational expenditures associated with Ethernet over DWDM are staggering. Each new node requires considerable planning and coordination to ensure that the optical circuits are correctly provisioned for the packet services. Since moves, adds and changes require both optical circuit provisioning and packet service provisioning, operational complexity and expenses also grow rapidly with the size of the network. Multiple layers of network infrastructure require multiple layers of operational support, and the methods and procedures to trouble-shoot such networks result in sub-optimal service level agreement (SLA) performance.

The problem remains: How to fully leverage the benefits of packet switching and unleash the bandwidth of DWDM optics while cutting capital and operational expenses?

Matisse has the solution!