Infinera introduced a hardware-based implementation of Shared Mesh Protection, an emerging industry standard that ensures network resiliency with protection against multiple failures while simultaneously lowering costs by eliminating the need to provision backup links for every live connection.
Infinera’s new FastSMP leverages a purpose-built, FastSMP acceleration processor on every line card of its DTN-X platform. This enables recovery from multiple-failures in less than 50 milliseconds (ms). This hardware chip is pre-installed on the DTN-X and can be enabled via a simple software upgrade ensuring complete investment protection for customers building their networks with the DTN-X.
Infinera has shipped more than 2,000 100G ports to date and every port shipped is ready to be upgraded to FastSMP.
Key features of FastSMP:
- Deterministic Protection: providing recovery for multiple failures within 50ms versus software-based Shared Mesh Restoration which can take multiple seconds to recover.
- Enhanced Availability: FastSMP leverages intelligent GMPLS control to provide multiple backups with continuous real-time path re-computation ensuring better survivability for every protected service.
- Cost-effective Deployment: in contrast to 1+1 protection, it allows for sharing of backup resources with priority pre-emption to lower overall capex and opex costs.
Infinera said that because FastSMP utilizes the digital transport layer it provides better network economics than packet-based solutions and recovers from local as well as remote failures across thousands of nodes within 50ms.
“Pacnet’s unique position is its ability to offer true long haul submarine mesh architecture on its core network within the APAC region,” said Andy Lumsden, Pacnet Chief Technology Officer. “Our selection of the DTN-X has provided new levels of scale for our network allowing us to accommodate customer traffic and deliver high capacity services faster than our competitors. The combination of the Infinera DTN-X platform and its hardware-accelerated FastSMP™ approach will provide Pacnet with a combination of resiliency, capacity and flexibility needed to meet the highest demands of our customers.”
Infinera has filed patents for its hardware-accelerated FastSMP™ and is expected to start delivering multi-failure protection and restoration capabilities in 2013.
