DECEMBER 17, 2008 -- Building on a number of Layer 2 Ethernet developments in 2008, Transmode (search for Transmode) today announced the extension of Layer 2 functionality with the new 12-port Layer 2 Ethernet Muxponder. The new unit aggregates 10x Gigabit Ethernet signals but has a 10-Gigabit Ethernet LAN output for direct interconnection with switches and routers, enabling compact and cost-efficient aggregation of Gigabit Ethernet and better network utilization, says the company.
Building on two of the company's core competencies, Layer 1 Muxponders and Layer 2 integration into WDM, Transmode has developed the new Ethernet Muxponder with both Layer 1 and Layer 2 aggregation. The Ethernet Muxponder has 12 ports: 10 Gigabit Ethernet SFP ports and two 10-Gigabit Ethernet XFP ports. The use of SFPs and XFPs in all ports ensures the Ethernet Muxponder supports all necessary options of CWDM and DWDM and all necessary client port options, including CWDM, DWDM, or inter-office connections.
In a typical configuration, the Ethernet Muxponder supports 10 client ports running at Gigabit Ethernet rates and aggregates these into a Layer 2 protected 10-Gigabit Ethernet LAN signal using the two 10G ports. As the uplink is a 10-GbE LAN signal, it does not require demultiplexing in the optical domain and can be plugged straight into a switch or a router.
Allowing network operators to selectively combine Layer 1 and Layer 2 functions within the transport domain enables them to architect the transport network in the most cost-effective manner and to optimize the use of expensive switching and routing assets within the network, explain Transmode representatives. In addition, because the unit features a maximum power draw of only 30W, it can help the operator reduce its environmental impact and keep costs down.
Furthermore, says the company, the Ethernet Muxponder contains many other Carrier Ethernet capabilities, such as quality-of-service (QoS) and service level agreement (SLA) management. Protection is provided at Layer 2 via IEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation Control Protocol on both the 10G line ports and any of the GbE client ports. By using VLAN mapping, the operator can reduce the number of network flood events, thereby simplifying the network operation.
Transmode's Intelligent WDM (iWDMTM) adds further functionality, such as VLAN termination on client ports to allow remote management of Transmode or third-party CPE devices.
The new Ethernet Muxponder is part of the TM-Series Release 12. Other highlights of this release include a new version of the popular 9x GbE Muxponder. This new 9x GbE Muxponder is focused on Layer 1 aggregation but also includes some of the Ethernet awareness features of the Ethernet Muxponder, such as VLAN client port termination for remote CPE management. The new version of the 9x GbE Muxponder also supports multiple line ports for network protection and selectable Forward Error Correction (FEC) to allow interworking with the previous version in non-FEC environments.
"We are excited about this next step in selective Layer 1 and Layer 2 integration," says Patrik Von Matern, director of product management at Transmode. "It is important to decide exactly what functionality is required within an Ethernet-aware transport network, and leaving out some functions is as important as what you integrate. Ultimately, this is a transport network optimized for Ethernet transport, not a complete integration of Ethernet switches into the WDM system," he notes. "That would prove to be too complex to design and manage, and we feel that we have hit the sweet spot here with the Ethernet Muxponder. All the right functions to optimize Ethernet transport have been included, but operational simplicity is maintained."
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