The integrated use of Internet Protocol (IP) networking functionality and fibre-optic networking enables service providers to manage end-to-end transport networks that include IP services, optical data transmission, network performance and security within a single system, says networking specialist company Alcatel Lucent Southern and Eastern African solutions consultant Tim Nicholas.

IP and fibre-optic networks are usually provisioned separately. However, Alcatel Lucent has developed a common management system that manages optical and IP networks, signal and supervise lambdas (distinct wavelengths of light used to send streams of data over optical fibres) and security while the network is in operation.

A second development is the company’s Wavelength Tracker system, which provides powerful end-to-end capabilities as temperatures and conditions vary over various parts of the fibre-optic network, such as the automatic management of the power levels of the lambdas in the presence of loss, noise, and other fibre-optic impairments for high performance and throughput. The company has also devel- oped low-latency encryption of signals to remove the possibility of interception along an optical fibre.

“The purpose of an integrated IP and optics management system is to enable the simultaneous management of all characteristics of an IP and fibre-optic-based transport network to improve and maintain the network’s overall performance,” he explains.

The IP and Optics management system enables users to view the status and manage each part of the network, as well as identify problems at individual ports on a switch or on portions of optical fibre. Therefore, maintenance and repairs are much more focused and efficient, removing the need for extended on-site troubleshooting before repairing the fault. Systems engineers can, thus, focus on the operation of the network and on improving performance, rather than on unnecessary on-site repair visits, says Nicholas.

Alcatel Lucent gave journalists a demonstration of the system in operation last month using demonstration equipment flown in from Europe.

The system’s rapid processing enables constant monitoring of all links and junctions in a network, even down to single fibre and individual port level. This enables holistic management of the network, which enables intelligent switching and routing, security monitoring and high-capacity throughput.

The company has also developed their own IP and Optics processors that run at 400 Gb/s that can manage the dispersion, losses and characteristics on a line while it is operating, ensuring smooth performance and constant, high-volume throughput across each wavelength.

The system can be deployed on existing fibre-optic networks, but will require new equipment to be deployed on various points of the optical network to manage it holistically.

The company can provide 88 wavelengths, each carrying 10 Gb/s, 40 Gb/s, 100 Gb/s or 200 Gb/s of data on a single fibre.

The IP and Optics developments are under- pinned by significant research in optical technologies by Bell Laboratories, as well as in the development of high-speed processing and security systems, so that these services can be provided as part of wire-speed operations, without impacting significantly on network speed and latency, Nicholas concludes.