Optical Layer Intelligence
Empowering Automation and Awareness, Visibility and Control
Sycamore switches bring unique intelligence and manageability to the optical network, from edge to core. Sharing the same optical signaling, routing, and management software across every switching platform simplifies provisioning and improves capacity utilization. Network-aware intelligence enables superior manageability and a business-driven migration toward data-optimized architectures, without compromising the reliability of existing services. Industry-leading BroadLeaf® networking and SILVX® management software form a more resilient, secure, and scalable underlying infrastructure – and a reliable foundation for evolving multiservice networks.
SILVX builds on BroadLeaf control plane intelligence, common across all Sycamore optical switching platforms, to dramatically simplify end-to-end configuration, performance management, and maintenance. Unique layered services management capabilities allow logical service partitioning and multi-layer resource management from a single SilvxManager software platform. Network operators can easily correlate multi-layer service information (Ethernet, optical, low-order and high-order SONET/SDH) to speed service provisioning and restoration, simplify troubleshooting, and improve visibility and control of resource utilization.
Intelligent optically switched backbone solutions provide a robust and versatile optical layer for data traffic (private line, Frame Relay, ATM, Ethernet, IP, and IP-VPN). The unmatched switching capacity and high-density, multiservice aggregation capabilities of Sycamore switches offer an efficient, cost-effective alternative to packet-over-SONET/SDH (PoS) interfaces for rapidly growing IP traffic. Sycamore switches support maximum configuration flexibility and capital efficiency with:
- In-service scalability to 2.5 Tbps
- Unique, pay-as-you-grow incremental bandwidth licensing
- Port-agnostic support for circuit and packet services that optimizes convergence
- User-selectable service interfaces (SONET/SDH and high-speed Ethernet) and varying optical reaches
Sycamore implementations of the ITU-T VCAT, LCAS, and GFP standards ensure compatibility with an existing SONET/SDH network and underpin a new level of Ethernet manageability. Intelligent policing, aggregation, and packet-to-circuit mapping of data traffic at the flow level – augmented by compliance with optical network standards (ASON, GMPLS, UNI/E-NNI) – tightly integrates the service network and the optical network. Intelligent bandwidth management blends the best elements of Ethernet and SONET/SDH to deliver optimal support for data traffic and readily adapt to evolving end-user needs.
The maturity of BroadLeaf and SILVX underpins the superior reliability, flexibility, and scalability of Sycamore infrastructure solutions. Our unique, tightly-integrated optical layer intelligence fits today's evolving networks and forms a foundation to meet tomorrow's service requirements:
- Supports groomed, optically switched services
- Enables automated, end-to-end provisioning of optical circuits
- Supports multiple protection options and resilient mesh restoration
- Optimizes optical layer efficiencies and bandwidth management
- Extends, in common, across an edge-to-core portfolio of optical switches
