In response to the requirements of Tier-1 operator customers, DriveNets and Acacia have developed a joint solution that integrates multiple Acacia 400G ZR/ZR+ optical modules with DriveNets’ Network Cloud platform.
Last September, DriveNets announced that Network Cloud was the first Disaggregated Distributed Chassis/Backbone Router (DDC/DDBR) to support ZR/ZR+ optics as native transceivers that can be inserted into any Network Cloud-supported white boxes.
The companies cite several benefits:
- The joint solution will deliver significant simplicity and cost savings by collapsing Layer-1 to Layer-3 communications into a single platform.
- The use of 400ZR/ZR+ eliminates the need for standalone optical transponders, lowering the number of boxes in the solution, and reducing operational-overhead, floor-space, and power. DriveNets and Acacia worked together to ensure that the DriveNets NOS (DNOS) supports the 400ZR/ZR+ modules beyond simply plugging them into the box.
- The collaboration ensures the 400ZR/ZR+ modules can be tunable, configurable, and manageable by DriveNets Network Cloud software.
This integration also goes beyond interoperability validation. DriveNets Network Cloud offers full software support for the Acacia modules, including configuration (channel and power), monitoring, and troubleshooting for Acacia Bright 400ZR+ transceivers with transmit power greater than +1dBm.
“Today’s announcement is further proof of the growth of disaggregated networking solutions and demonstrates that more operators are looking for open solutions that will allow them to mix elements from multiple vendors and avoid being locked to a specific end-to-end vendor solution,” said Nir Gasko, Vice President, Global Strategic Alliances for DriveNets. “By collaborating with Acacia, we enable our joint customers to quickly adopt cutting-edge technologies and evolve their networks faster.”
“Partnering with DriveNets on this joint solution will allow network operators to deploy Acacia’s high-volume standard-based coherent pluggable portfolio in open disaggregated networks with less effort,” said Fenghai Liu, Senior Director of Product Line Management for Acacia. “Through this collaboration customers can achieve significant capex and opex savings with router-based coherent optics.”
