OIF Launches FlexE 2.1 Project

OIF has launched the FlexE 2.1 project, which covers FlexE over 50Gbe PHY applications. It also adds an extension to the recently released FlexE 2.0 Interoperability Agreement (IA).

FlexE 2.1 will specify a 50G FlexE frame and multiplexing format and will address Flex Ethernet (FlexE) applications with lower bandwidth needs and provide an implementation foundation for applications including the access layer of the future 5G mobile network. This new 50GbE support will extend the existing support for 100, 200 and 400GE in the just published FlexE 2.0 IA.

OIF expects possible large volume applications for channelization (5Gb/s granularity for minimum 10G clients) and bonding of 50GE PHYs in the future access layer/metro edge (based on IPRAN/PTN) of the 5G mobile backhaul network, FlexE implementation logic will be critical.

“There is continued demand by data center and network operators for a solution for flexible deployment and provisioning of Ethernet bandwidth,” said Dave Ofelt, Juniper Networks and OIF Physical and Link Layer (PLL) Working Group – Protocol Vice Chair. “Building on OIF’s great work for FlexE and FlexE 2.0, this new FlexE 2.1 project will ultimately result in a single IA that adds n×50Gb/s support to FlexE 2.0, along with other possible feature enhancements.”

In addition, OIF announced the following election results for its Board of Directors:

• Nathan Tracy, TE Connectivity, was re-elected to the Board and appointed as President
• Tad Hofmeister, Google, was appointed as Vice President
• Martin Bouda, Fujitsu, was re-elected to the Board and appointed as Secretary/Treasurer
• Mike Li, Intel, was newly elected to the Board
• Cathy Liu, Broadcom Inc., was re-elected to the Board
• Gary Nicholl, Cisco, was newly elected to the Board
• Ian Betty, Ciena, continues to serve on the Board

Officers:

• Klaus-Holger Otto, Nokia, was re-elected as Technical Committee Chair
• Ed Frlan, Semtech, was re-elected as Technical Committee Vice Chair
• Tom Issenhuth, Huawei Technologies, was newly elected Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, Physical and Link Layer (PLL)
• Lyndon Ong, Ciena, was re-elected as Market Awareness & Education Committee Co-Chair, Networking
• Dave Brown, Nokia, was appointed as Communications Director, having termed out as a Board member and Board President
• Technical Committee – Working Groups:
• Jia He, Huawei Technologies, was newly elected as Network & Operations Working Group Chair
• Jeff Maki, Juniper Networks, was re-elected as Physical Layer User Group Working Group Chair