Software-Defined Optical Network (SDON) the Program configured optical networks

The architecture of SDON assumes transition from close connection between control functions and transportation to communication of control functions and operation. SDON also performs transition from model of the closed management focused on connection to model of the open management focused on creation of networks. Such model promotes emergence of more intelligent virtualized networks on the basis of cloud computing and represents next way of development of technologies and applications based on optical networks.

In the White book characteristics of the solution SDON ZTE which includes four levels located from top to down are described: application level, orkestrator level, level of the single domain controller and level of devices of an optical network. This architecture allows to perform capacity coordinating on demand (BoD), an optical private virtual network (OVPN), IP/optical technology (a combination of IP and optic communication) and other applications. Implementation of SDON ZTE helps operators to render quickly services, to regulate capacity on demand, to build large interdomain networks, to simplify operation and maintenance and to reduce costs for creation of networks.

In the White book scenario analysis of standard application of the solution SDON is also carried out: scenario of coordination IP/optical and scenario of interaction of the center of Internet and data (IDC). Many operators in the industry reached a consensus that coordination of IP/optical is the direction of development of networks in the future. The network with the core router and the IP channel (IP level) and a backbone optical transport network (optical level) develop independently of each other. With rapid growth of services routers at the IP level collide enormous pressure in an issue of increase in capacity and expansion of opportunities of processing.

Also in the existing networks strong need for decrease in network costs and energy consumption is noted. Therefore, the transport network of the future should have more open and flexible architecture and apply the solution SDON for satisfaction of needs of package services of high granularity. Today operators implement city computer networks (MAN) or backbone networks for creation of an interconnection architecture of Internet and data (IDC) for the purpose of ensuring fast data exchange and information between the cities or within one city between centers.

Nevertheless, owing to high costs and underutilization of these connections, flexible regulation of capacity of broadband networks is not carried out that also maintenance of time slot assignment influences satisfaction of needs of users of networks with different granularity. Thus, the software should adapt dynamically and flexibly distribute capacity between IDC. Within the program configured interconnection architecture of IDC operators apply the unified resource management of IDC and also uniform resource allocation of IDC and network transmission capacity according to the status of network resources and granularity of services. Thanks to it operators can apply planning in real time and programmable control and management.

ZTE continues to be guided by use of technology of the program configured networks and virtualization of network functions (SDN/NFV) at the network layer. And the solution SDON is one of indicative achievements in this direction. ZTE completed commercial solution deployment based on the Chinese operators and considerably lowered their operating costs and maintenance. ZTE will continue full cooperation with operators, the Internet companies and SDN standardization organizations further to analyze needs of users, to improve product characteristics and to advance the innovation researches in the field of SDN and commercial deployment of this technology.

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