ADVA Optical Networking reports that it is now working with nine customers on trials of the Facebook-designed Voyager solution, including Tier 1 service providers and large enterprises. The open optical packet transport system is being tested in a range of proof of concept (POC) installations.
ADVA said the over the last nine months, Voyager has matured rapidly from blueprint to physical product. The 1RU DWDM unit features 12 x 100Gbit/s QSFP 28 clients and 4 x 200Gbit/s 16QAM on the line side.
ADVA also announced integration of Voyager into its FSP Network Manager.
“The two founding principles of the Voyager and Open Optical Packet Transport projects are openness and innovation and it’s these principles that have guided everything that our team has developed here,” said Niall Robinson, VP, global business development, ADVA Optical Networking. “Now that the Voyager system is complete, we’re focusing much of our time on further developing our services to ensure that customers have a turn-key solution. That’s why these POCs are so important. We’re able to see firsthand what resonates. Which services do the customers like? Which services do they need to see more of? Which services are truly critical? And what’s fascinating here is the breadth of applications these POCs cover. The lessons learnt from the next few months will be key as we move from trials to commercialization.”
“We’re excited by the progress we’ve made with Voyager by working with partners like ADVA Optical Networking. What was only an idea less than a year ago is now almost commercially ready for deployment,” said Hans-Juergen Schmidtke, co-chair, Open Optical Packet Transport project group, TIP, and director, engineering, Facebook. “We’re looking forward to collaborating with our partners to build the open optical packet transport solutions with Voyager into a complete package that will enable service providers and enterprises to deploy an open networking solution that delivers rapid results and enables continuous innovation.”
Facebook to Contribute Open Packet DWDM to Telecom Infra Project
Facebook outlined its plan for Open Packet DWDM for metro and long-haul fiber optic transport networks. The idea is to “enable a clean separation of software and hardware” based on open specifications.
Facebook had already developed a new “white box” transponder and routing platform called Voyager based on Open Packet DWDM, which it will contribute to the Telecom Infra Project.
Facebook said the Voyager open line system will include Yang software data models of each component in the system, and an open northbound software interface (NETCONF, Thrift, etc.) to the control plane software. This allows multiple applications to run on top of the open software layer, enabling software innovations in DWDM system control algorithms and network management systems.
The DWDM transponder hardware includes DSP ASICs and complex optoelectronic components, and thus accounts for much of the cost of the system. The hardware design leverages technologies implemented in Wedge 100, Facebook’s top-of-rack switch, including the same Broadcom Tomahawk switching ASIC. It also uses the DSP ASIC and optics module (AC400) from Acacia Communications for the DWDM line side with their open development environment.
Facebook worked with Lumentum to develop a terminal amplifier specification so that multiple applications can run on top of the open software layer to enable software innovations in DWDM system control algorithms and network management systems.
Some additional notes:
- Equinix has successfully tested the Voyager solution and Lumentum’s open line system over 140km of production fiber. MTN also shared the results of their successful test of Voyager over their production fiber network in South Africa. Facebook, Acacia Communications, Broadcom, Celestica, Lumentum, and Snaproute are delivering a complete disaggregated hardware and software optical networking platform that is expected to significantly advance the industry.
- ADVA Optical Networking is providing commercial support for Voyager, including all of the essential services and software support needed to make it a complete network solution that is ready for deployment.
- Coriant is extending its networking software to enable engineering support for Voyager, providing routing and switching as well as DWDM transmission capabilities. The combination of DWDM and packet switching/routing opens up the potential for more open and more programmable network architectures.
- The first TIP Ecosystem Acceleration Centers, sponsored by SK Telecom and Facebook, will open in Seoul in early 2017. Other TIP Ecosystem Acceleration Centers are being planned to encourage community participation. The latest companies to join TIP include Bell Canada, du (EITC), NBN, Orange, Telia, Telstra, Accenture, Amdocs, Canonical, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, and Toyota InfoTechnology Center.
