Ciena adds pseudowire, advanced Ethernet interworking enhancements to DN 7000 Series

Aug. 14, 2006
August 14, 2006 Linthicum, MD -- Ciena today announced availability of enhancements to its pseudowire emulation edge-to-edge (PWE3) and advanced Ethernet interworking capabilities on the DN 7000 Series FlexSelect Multiservice Edge Switching and Aggregation Platform.

August 14, 2006 Linthicum, MD -- Ciena today announced availability of enhancements to its pseudowire emulation edge-to-edge (PWE3) and advanced Ethernet interworking capabilities on the DN 7000 Series FlexSelect Multiservice Edge Switching and Aggregation Platform. Key application requirements addressed by the latest developments include migrating DSL aggregation from ATM to Ethernet; delivering access technology-agnostic Layer 2 MPLS VPNs; and consolidating 2G/3G TDM, Ethernet, and ATM-based wireless backhaul onto a converged radio access network (RAN).

As the infrastructures utilized to deliver triple-play, business data, and 3G wireless services become increasingly Ethernet and MPLS-centric, service providers continue facing the challenge of maintaining a profitable mix of new and legacy networks and services. Ciena claims the latest enhancements to its DN 7000 product family provide support for seamless interworking of TDM, Frame Relay, and ATM with new advanced services delivered natively across Ethernet or over MPLS--while more efficiently supporting legacy customers and reducing capital and operational expenditures through network consolidation.

"Pseudowire technology has a significant role to play throughout the entire network, and the technology is well positioned to take center stage as a cost-effective and flexible solution to service providers' converged infrastructure plans," notes Scott Clavenna, chief analyst at Heavy Reading. "And advanced Ethernet interworking functionality provides a solution to help carriers transition the network edge as they continue to optimize their infrastructures and services around a portfolio of advanced IP and Ethernet-based communications."

According to Ciena, its DN 7000 Series is the next-generation multiservice edge market leader with deployments at multiple Tier 1 carriers, including AT&T and Verizon, as well as other large wireline and wireless service providers.

All of DN 7000 series' pseudowire and advanced Ethernet interworking capabilities are standards-based implementations proven in several MFA Forum, multi-vendor Ethernet and MPLS interoperability demonstrations. Some key features include:

• Multiservice Flexibility: Supports Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) Mediation defined by the IETF for Ethernet to ATM/FR service interworking; RFC 1483/2684 and RFC 1490/2427 for Ethernet to ATM/FR network interworking; full suite of multiservice pseudowires, including Ethernet, TDM, ATM and Frame Relay; and the MFA Forum's ATM-MPLS interworking standard.

• Scalability: Patent-pending Learning Virtual Connection (LVC) functionality for a standards-based approach to overcoming Ethernet virtual local area network (VLAN) scalability issues when interworking with ATM, particularly in DSL aggregation--including support for DSL Forum's WT-101. Also supports several hundred thousand pseudowires per platform to accommodate high-growth traffic and large installed bases of legacy customers.

• Reliability, OAM & Quality of Service: The DN 7000 series platforms are the only data products to deliver six-nines (99.9999%) system availability along with strict priority queuing and multiple QoS levels for ensuring service level agreements, say Ciena representatives. Support for MPLS resiliency via Fast Re-route, LSP ping and traceroute, and Virtual Circuit Connection Verification (VCCV) to ensure reliability, ease of operations, and performance monitoring.

"These DN 7000 Series enhancements deliver a multiservice 'insurance policy' for seamless network migration, preventing service disruption and subsequent risk for customer churn while service providers migrate their installed base of customers to more advanced Ethernet and IP access services," explains Steve Alexander, chief technology officer at Ciena. "This upgrade also underscores the integral role DN 7000 products play as networks evolve, and increased scalability, reliability, and advanced service interworking is required to keep pace with the growth in triple-play, Carrier Ethernet, and wireless backhaul services," he adds.

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