Cisco, Ciena Announce Successful VSR Trial

The companies tested 10 Gbps interoperability between a Cisco 12000 core routing platform and a Ciena coredirector intelligent optical core switch.

by dc.internet.com Staff [December 8, 2000]

Cisco Systems, Inc., and Ciena Corp. (NASDAQ:CIEN) are reporting the first successful interoperability test of 10 Gbps Very Short Reach (VSR) optics. VSR promises to speed deployments of OC-192 links to scale Internet Points of Presence (POPs) while lowering overall connectivity costs by as much as 40 percent. VSR's parallel optic interconnect technology provides the foundation for more affordable intra-office interconnections at 40 Gbps and 80 Gbps speeds.

The VSR protocol utilizes low-cost technologies developed for Gigabit Ethernet networking and uses a 12-element array of 850-nanometer lasers, each operating at 1.25 Gbps. "With this demonstration, Ciena and Cisco are working to drive down the high network costs that service providers face in delivering high-speed, high-capacity services," said Elizabeth Perry, senior vice president of Switching Divisions and Network Management Systems at Ciena. "Service providers are under pressure to lower operating costs and increase the level of customization they provide to their customers. We believe that this interface represents one of the fastest steps toward making customized next-generation service offerings more affordable for both the provider and the customer."

By providing interoperable VSR 10 Gbps connections between core IP and optical networking equipment, service providers can scale the deployment of core IP networks. This enables service providers to significantly lower the total costs of connecting co-located network elements, including switches, routers, optical cross-connects, and DWDM transport gear.

"This successful interoperability test represents an important milestone for service provider networks moving to 10 Gbps core IP infrastructures," said Tony Bates, vice president and general manager of Cisco's Internet POP Systems Business Unit. "This effort reflects our continued commitment to delivering innovative technology on the Cisco 12000 routing platform and Cisco's optical portfolio. With VSR optics, service providers can deploy a low-cost, standards-based 10 Gbps optics solution months ahead of other proposed technologies."

The 300 meter trial run
The VSR interoperability test was performed over 300 meters of multi-mode ribbon fiber.

Ciena claims that current 10 Gbps optical interfaces defined by SONET and SDH standards are designed for transmission distances of two kilometers or more, and therefore result in excessively high component costs when used for the very short distance requirements often encountered in intra-office applications.

The concept of using parallel optics as the basis for a low-cost OC-192 interface was first proposed to the industry by Cisco in October of last year. Since then Cisco and Ciena have worked to garner support within the vendor community and to define an open specification within industry standards-setting groups.

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