February 26, 2007

Ciena Flexes Ethernet Muscles with New Releases

By Mike Robuck

To borrow a line from Ethernet inventor and recent SCTE Conference of Emerging Technologies keynote speaker Dr. Robert Metcalfe, Ethernet is the answer.

Cable companies and vendors have jumped on the Ethernet bandwagon over the past few years by joining the Metro Ethernet Forum. Today Ciena flexed its Ethernet muscles by announcing the addition of FlexSelect for Ethernet, which is part of its FlexSelect Architecture.

"Why would cable operators choose Ciena for Ethernet transport? Ciena has a long history of leadership in designing and providing high-performance optical transport networks," said Mitch Auster, Ciena's senior director, service provider solutions marketing. "We have expertise in providing the transition to next generation architectures. What we're doing is combing that experience and expertise with our innovation in control plane and OTN to make carrier Ethernet performance grade and essentially transforming Ethernet from a simple technology into a foundation that customers can build their business profitably on."

Auster said IP networks and business services are driving Ethernet solutions, but at the same time they need to be delivered in a cost-efficient, scalable manner. The two mainstays to the FlexSelect for Ethernet platform are Ciena's 3000 Ethernet Access Series and its 5000 Packet Service Series.

The 3000 Series has Ethernet network termination equipment (NTE) that can reside on customer premises to provide Ethernet demarcation between carrier and enterprise networks and pay-as-you-grow NTE aggregators that can be located in central offices or distribution hubs to aggregate traffic from multiple NTE devices. The first offerings in the 3000 Series are designed to enable E-Line and E-Lan services for business applications, including Internet access, IP-VPN access and interoffice LAN connectivity over any access media.

The 3000 Series can serve providers with copper or fiber connections and optimizes infrastructure for multiservice application such as 2G and 3G wireless backhaul. Cable operators could use the 3000 for cellular backhaul bandwidth by using legacy T-1 lines.

"Cable operators with limited footprints could go after very geographically concentrated enterprises such as hospitals and their surrounding clinics and municipal governments," Auster said. "They could lease T-1s from a variety of exchange carriers to reach just about any place and then run Ethernet over those leased circuits."

The 3000 Series is certified compliant to MEF-9 and MEF-14 specifications and is designed to bridge the Ethernet gap between LAN and WAN environments, as well as help providers offer carrier Ethernet services.

Currently, Ciena's CN 5060 Multiservice Carrier Ethernet Platform, which is the first product out of the 5000 Series, isn't MEF certified, but Auster said it should reach MEF-14 certification later this year.

The CN 5060 delivers E-Line and E-Lan services, Advanced Ethernet Interworking for Layer 2 services, MPLS functionality and support for TDM-over-packet capabilities to enable service providers to deliver any service over a performance-grade carrier Ethernet network. Auster said the 5060 provides up to six 9s of availability and maintains voice-grade performances in packet networks.

The 5060 is in trials with service providers, although none are cable operators, and will be generally available in June. The 3000 Series is also in trials, including a cable operator, and will be available in May.

- Mike Robuck