Members of the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) validated an implementation agreement (IA) for OTN-over-Packet-Fabric Protocol. The OIF initiative presents the market demand for architectural challenges, packet and optical convergence, along with transporting Packet and OTN traffic on a general cell switching or packet fabric.
ACG research analyst, Eve Griliches says that the IA will allow accelerated convergence of packet and OTN traffic required by the industry. The cost of network equipment for multiple switching options will be reduced by generating a regular process of translating and mapping OTN into a packet fabric besides establishing the progressive converged IP+OTN networks.
The IA is an integrated output from network equipment producers, semiconductor suppliers, network service providers, and is appropriate for switches and routers, and for identical transportation of equipments. The IA elucidates the mapping protocol for an OTN stream conversion into packets though maintaining its phase and frequency. The resulting protocol can be applied for FPGA, ASSP, or ASIC solutions. The IA is intended to minimize the power of network equipment as well as its cost by reducing any dual or hybrid fabrics requirement.
The optical communications network emerges from TDM (SONET/SDH) based network to an integrated TDM (OTN) and packet (Ethernet) network. Traditionally, network elements employed separate fabrics, each for TDM traffic and packet respectively. An individual converged fabric will be simple, utilizing reduced power and shelf real estate. Packet traffic is cost effective and beneficial to construct network elements utilizing packet oriented switching fabrics and incorporating circuit emulation techniques for the conversion of OTN client streams into packet format for packet fabric modification.
Source: http://www.oiforum.com/