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CEF Prague 2017CEF Prague 2017

WDM Usage at Forskningsnettet

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• Owners are universities• 100 connected sites• +2000 km fibre• used for internet and

infrastructure

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3 WDM types:

• All passive (CWDM/DWDM)• Passive MUX• WDM optics for routers/switches

• All active (DWDM – vendor controlled)• Transponder based• Amplified/DCM• LR/LX optics for routers/switches

• In between (DWDM)• Passive MUX• Amplified/DCM• WDM optics for routers/switches

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All passive WDM

Capex $500 8-channel CWDM $2500 16-channel DWDM

Opex $160 (1G, 80 km optics) pr. channel$2000/channel (10G, 80 km optics) pr. channel

No monitoringPatching – patching - patching

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All active WDM

Capex $88.000 max 88-channel DWDMOpex

$5.400/channel (10G, 80 km optics) pr. channel

Heavy support-fee

Central monitoring (NMS)Patching endpoints onlyVendor assistance on configuration

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In between

Capex $24.000 max 16-channel DWDMOpex

$160 (1G, 80 km optics) pr. channel$2000/channel (10G, 80 km optics)

pr. channel

Central monitoring of individual nodesPatching – patching – patchingRule of thumbs configuration

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Acquiring a new DWDM-system

We used to have an Alcatel-Lucent 1626 system – 40 channels up to 10G

New acquisition would give us:Modern systemCheaper systemHigher bandwidthImproved network management

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The process

Price turned out to be the major selection point.

We ended up granting the contract to Ericsson, who delivered a system by ECI. And our expectations?

Smart – well, let's get to that. Small – not really. Cheaper – more in the line of 'pay as you grow'.

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Technical solution

The new system is ROADM based – for our purposes 4 direction ROADMs was adequate, but 9 direction nodes is possible too.

It's a traditional setup using amp/preamp, dcm, roadm, mux/demux and transponders for each direction.

Wavelengths are set up in configurable optics and connected passively to the right mux/demux position.

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Technical solution

A POP contains several shelfs – we urged ECI to design each direction in a separate shelf. This way defects or power-problems for one shelf should bother this direction only, giving a less probable disconnection.

ECI configuration appeared to have been handled with garden utensils! They just had no understanding of order and easy numbering.

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Technical solution

Management is done using a central NMS-computer (actually two) which is connected to the management network of the local POP.

Using the NMS hardware can be described and connections created. This can be done even before real hardware is installed.

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What shouldn't have been expected

Core problem with the ECI design really is routing the administrative network between nodes. Each shelf is controlled by a special board, but traffic is routed staticly instead of using the embedded routing-protocol correctly. They just doesn't seem to understand routing.

One result of the static design shows if a line is broken. In this case we loose management to sites 'behind' the broken line – even if alternatives exists and works.

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What shouldn't have been expected

Some problems seen after installation relates to faulty flash-cards used to store the configuration. And if configuration can't be stored, no new circuits can be created through the node.

Other problems relates to defect (original) LAN-optics. Too often the system reports everything is good – and even if tested with soft loops in the transponder, no traffice will reach the end user as the optic fails.

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What shouldn't have been expected

One important checkmark in the tender was 'ability to use 3.rd party optics'. ECI did check this – but the way they permit 3.rd party optics to run is by requiering a command-line setting for each foreign optic. And unfortunately this setting is not permanent – if the system is restarted, the foreign optic will not work until the command-line setting is entered again.

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What shouldn't have been expected

We did expect a modern client/server like NMS. This is not the case! We got a system very alike the Alcatel – a monolitic chump of functionality needing VNC to access the screen.

The NMS is a strange beast! It must be run using Solaris – with the Solaris virtualization system.

And don't expect ECI to be able to handle Solaris problems – that's not the business for their optic experts!

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Good things about an integrated DWDM system

It's not bad all of it!

The main advantage using an integrated DWDM system like ECI, Alcatel, Nokia and such is

Vendor supportThe NMS.

The ability to see all nodes in one error-log, handle installations using one path-tool and so on. And this works!

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What should have been done in tender phase?

Select 3-5 key points, and stick to them – even if you need to dump a vendor.

Take a break before signing – and join education for the most probable product. You do need this to make the right specifications.

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But in the end we'll love it

Experience tells us that even if we start out hating a new system, in the end we'll love it.

Peculiarities are to be circumvented – problems to be solved.