Juniper Networks (NYSE:JNPR) says it has collaborated with Telefonica's Research and Development division (Investigación y Desarrollo, I+D) to demonstrate a dynamic IP/optical multilayer network architecture. The architecture coordinates the interaction of IP and optical network layers in a way that reduces complexity and improves economics, Juniper Networks asserts.
The architecture used Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) as the signaling mechanism.
"We are working on defining how networks should be built in the next five to ten years, and the coordination of the IP and optical layers is a fundamental pillar of this next-generation architecture," said Enrique Algaba, technology director, Telefonica I+D, as quoted in a Juniper Networks press release. "Our collaboration with Juniper Networks to test this architecture model has been very fruitful in demonstrating what the new network of the future could achieve."
Juniper Networks unveiled this past March its vision for how IP/optical convergence should proceed. It also unveiled a cornerstone system for this approach, the PTX Packet Transport Switch (see “PTX Series Packet Transport Switch starts Juniper Networks down packet-optical transport path”). Like its fellow router vendor Cisco, Juniper Networks favors an approach in which MPLS provides the majority of the convergence foundation. This approach differs from that of many optical transport systems vendors, who favor Optical Transport Network (OTN) for that role.
"Telefonica I+D has clearly identified a key capability required to build and maintain economical and more efficient core transport networks, namely the intelligence to coordinate resources in the IP and optical layers," Luc Ceuppens, vice president of product marketing, Platform Systems Group, Juniper Networks, was quoted as saying in the same press announcement. "The ability to dynamically adapt the network to actual traffic patterns and identify where traffic should be aggregated is essential for service providers to minimize network resource consumption, without compromising service reliability or reducing quality of experience for their end users. This is the philosophy behind Juniper's new Converged Supercore architecture which combines the inherent efficiency of MPLS with the simplicity of switching and integrated optics to deliver unmatched network scale with fewer network elements without compromising service reliability."