HEAnet, Juniper, ADVA Demo Automated Router and Optical Layer Provisioning

Communications networks are not loosely-coupled systems, as a user's PC, tablet or smart phone is loosely coupled to that user's web services, local applications, peripherals

HEAnet, Juniper Networks and ADVA Optical Networking have successfully demonstrated the automated setup of optical circuits between Juniper Networks routers using an ADVA Optical Networking Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) optical network, using a common signaling protocol.

The typical end user of services won't care. The carriers that have to create and maintain services will care quite a lot.

Using the control plane, HEAnet was able to provision end–to-end circuits between the routers over the optical network, using equipment from multiple suppliers. That typically is harder than first appears.

The deployment of the control plane enabled the initiating router to discover, reserve and then build an optical circuit across the optical network without any user intervention beyond the original user commands on the initiating router.

Rapidly growing traffic levels in both metro and core networks are driving many network operators to deploy a new network architecture based on integrated packet-layer routers and optical-transport systems, the companies say.

That is the optical core network equivalent to the requirement that retail service providers likewise operate their networks at lower cost as well.

“This is one of the first customer GMPLS interworking tests between router and optical equipment manufacturers,” said Eoin Kenny, project leader, HEAnet.