Infinera targets multilayer Transport SDN with Xceed Software Suite

Infinera says it has solved the control plane complexity of Transport SDN with the Xceed Software Suite. The suite comprises the Xceed Multi-layer SDN Platform based on OpenDaylight and the first elements of a planned family of Xceed Applications. The suite is optimized for networks based on Infinera's Intelligent Transport Network optical transport family but will work in a multivendor optical network environment, says Pravin Mahajan, Infinera's director of product and corporate marketing.

The SDN Platform combines an SDN controller and microservices elements, with an abstraction layer than includes Infinera's previously announced Open Transport Switch (OTS; see "Infinera, ESnet demo Transport SDN via Open Transport Switch" and "Pacnet deploys optical layer SDN and NFV with Infinera") and open APIs for interface with Infinera's platforms and those from vendors with equally open APIs on their systems (such as the white box platforms from Lumentum that were the subject of a recent announcement from the two companies; see "Infinera pairs DWDM platforms with Lumentum's white box optical line system"). The platform also supports OpenFlow and OVDSB for interaction with virtual packet switches and other Layer 2/3 resources. The microservices include multi-layer WDM, Optical Transport Network (OTN), and packet intelligence, including a multilayer path computation element (PCE) with calendaring to support scheduled bandwidth capacity.

Mahajan says that Infinera chose to base the SDN Platform on OpenDaylight because it works better with YANG models than ONOS. However, he notes that Infinera has performed proof of concept exercises in ONOS environments. In fact, GEANT, one of the first customers Infinera has announced for the Xceed suite (Windstream is another), has interfaced to elements of the suite via an ONOS-based controller.

Infinera will pair the SDN Platform with a series of application packages. The company has announced two so far. Xceed Dynamic Bandwidthprovides on-demand provisioning of OTN (including ODUFlex) and Metro Ethernet Forum (MEF) compliant Ethernet services. Xceed Instant Virtual Networksenables service providers to define and create virtual transport networks on a shared physical network infrastructure. Multiple virtual networks can occupy the same physical infrastructure, and each virtual network will have its own multi-layer PCE container instance.

Mahajan says that Infinera is developing a network of partners who can supply additional apps for such functions as telemetry and analytics. He notes that the company has no plans currently to develop an orchestration capability.

Infinera has made the Xceed Software Suite available for "selected customer trials and deployments." The company expects to make the suite generally available in the fourth quarter of this year.

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