Ciena.

Final 6/3/97 5:56 PM Page 1

Dense
Wavelength
Division
Multiplexing

ATG’s Communications &

Networking Technology
Guide Series

This guide has been sponsored by

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:56 PM Page 2

Table of Contents
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
The Growing Demand . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Bandwidth Demand Driven By . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Telecomunications Infrastructure Good
But Overwhelmed . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Achieving Bandwith Capacity Goals . . . . . . . . . . 6
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing . . . . . . . 9
Parlaying New Technologies into
a DWDM System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Network Management . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Measurements of Performance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Applications for DWDM . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
The Future of DWDM—Building Block
of the Photonic Network . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
ANNEX: Practical Considerations of
DWDM Deployment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
CASE STUDY: How CIENA Corporation
Teamed With Sprint to Break the
Fiber Bandwidth Barrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Glossary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
About the Editor…
Gerald P. Ryan is the founder of Connections Telecommunications Inc., a
Massachusetts-based company specializing in consulting, education and soft-
ware tools which address Wide Area Network issues. Mr. Ryan has developed
and taught numerous courses in network analysis and design for carriers, gov-
ernment agencies and private industry. Connections has provided consulting
CIENA Corporation develops, manufactures and markets high capacity support in the areas of WAN network design, negotiation with carriers for
fiber optic transmission systems for public networks. These systems contract pricing and services, technology acquisition, customized software
development for network administration, billing and auditing of telecommuni-
unlock fiber bandwidth, improve network reliability, and significantly cations expenses, project management, and RFP generation. Mr. Ryan is a
reduce the cost of providing new broadband services. CIENA’s transpar- member of the Networld+Interop program committee.
ent optical systems deliver transmission capacities many times greater
This book is the property of The Applied Technologies Group and is made
than any in service today. Development of such advanced, high capacity available upon these terms and conditions. The Applied Technologies
transmission and switching systems represent a challenge that can not be Group reserves all rights herein. Reproduction in whole or in part of this
addressed solely by application of electronic time division multiplexing. book is only permitted with the written consent of The Applied Tech-
Through the application of its advanced technology, CIENA is setting a nologies Group. This report shall be treated at all times as a proprietary
document for internal use only. This book may not be duplicated in any way,
new standard for bandwidth. except in the form of brief excerpts or quotations for the purpose of review.
In addition, the information contained herein may not be duplicated in
other books, databases or any other medium. Making copies of this book, or
any portion for any purpose other than your own, is a violation of United
States Copyright Laws. The information contained in this report is believed
to be reliable but cannot be guaranteed to be complete or correct.
Copyright © 1997 by The Applied Technologies Group, One Apple Hill,
Suite 216, Natick, MA 01760, Tel: (508) 651-1155, Fax: (508) 651-1171
CIENA Corporation, 920 Elkridge Landing Rd, Linthicum, MD 21090 E-mail: [email protected] Web Site: http://www.techguide.com
phone: 410-865-8500 e-mail: [email protected]
Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:56 PM Page 2

Introduction Every aspect of human interplay—from business, to

entertainment, to government, to academia—increas-
ingly depends on rapid and reliable communication
Over the last decade, fiber optic cables have been networks. Indeed, the advent of the Internet alone is
installed by carriers as the backbone of their interoffice introducing millions of individuals to a new world of
networks, becoming the mainstay of the telecommuni- information and technology. The telecommunications
cations infrastructure. Using time division multiplexing industry, however, is struggling to keep pace with these
(TDM) technology, carriers now routinely transmit changes. Early predictions that current fiber capacities
information at 2.4 Gb/s on a single fiber, with some would be adequate for our needs into the next century
deploying equipment that quadruples that rate to 10 have proven wrong.
Gb/s. The revolution in high bandwidth applications
and the explosive growth of the Internet, however,
have created capacity demands that exceed traditional
TDM limits. As a result, the once seemingly
Bandwidth
inexhaustible bandwidth promised by the deployment Demand

of optical fiber in the 1980s is being exhausted. To

meet growing demands for bandwidth, a technology
called Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing
(DWDM) has been developed that multiplies the Time

capacity of a single fiber. DWDM systems being

deployed today can increase a single fiber’s capacity
sixteen fold, to a throughput of 40 Gb/s! This cutting
edge technology—when combined with network Bandwidth Demand
management systems and add-drop multiplexers—
enables carriers to adopt optically-based transmission Driven By…
networks that will meet the next generation of band-
width demand at a significantly lower cost than
…Growing Competition
installing new fiber.
During the past several years, a trend has developed
throughout the world to encourage competition in the
telecommunication sector through government deregu-
The Growing Demand lation and market-driven economic stimulation. Since
competition was introduced into the US long-distance
market in 1984, revenues and access lines have grown 40
It is clear that as we approach the 21st century the
percent, while investment in outside plant has increased
remarkable revolution in information services has
60 percent. The 1996 Telecommunication Reform Act
permeated our society. Communication, which in the
is giving way to an even broader array of new operators,
past was confined to narrowband voice signals, now
both in the long-distance and local-exchange sectors,
demands a high quality visual, audio, and data context.
which promise to drive down telecommunications costs

2 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 3

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:56 PM Page 4

and thereby create new demand for additional services usage, which some analysts predict will grow by 700
and capacity. Moreover, while early competition among percent annually in coming years, is threatening to
long distance carriers was based mainly on a strategy of overwhelm telephone access networks and further
price reduction, today’s competitive advantage depends strain the nation’s fiber backbone. The growth of
increasingly on maximizing the available capacity of cellular and PCS is also placing more demand on fiber
network infrastructures and providing enhanced relia- networks, which serve as the backbone even for wireless
bility. communications.

…Network Survivability
Another significant cause of bandwidth demand is Telecommunications
the carriers’ need to guarantee fail-safe networks. As
telecommunications has become more critical to busi- Infrastructure Good But
nesses and individuals, service providers have been Overwhelmed
required to ensure that their networks are fault tolerant
and impervious to outages. In many cases, telephone
companies must include service level guarantees in Since the early 1980s, the telecommunications
business contracts, with severe financial penalties infrastructure—built on a hierarchy of high
should outages occur. performance central office switches and copper lines—
To meet these requirements, carriers have broad- has been migrating to massive computerization and
ened route diversity, either through ring configurations deployment of fiber optic cables. The widespread use
or 1:1 point-to-point networks in which back-up of fiber has been made possible, in part, by the
capacity is provided on alternate fibers. Achieving industry’s acceptance of SONET and SDH as the
100% reliability, however, requires that spare capacity standard for signal generation.1 Using SONET/SDH
be set aside and dedicated only to a backup function. standards, telecommunication companies have gradu-
This potentially doubles the bandwidth need of an ally expanded their capacity by increasing data trans-
already strained and overloaded system, since the mission rates, to the point that many carriers now
“protective” path capacity must equal that of the routinely transport 2.4 Gb/s (STM–16/OC–48).
revenue-generating “working path.” The bad news, however, is that the once seemingly
inexhaustible capacity promised by ever increasing
SONET rates is reaching its limit. In fact, bandwidth
…New Applications demand is already approaching the maximum capacity
At the same time that carriers are enhancing available in some networks. Primarily because of tech-
network survivability, they must also accommodate nical limitations and the physical properties of
growing customer demand for services such as video, 1 SONET is a North American standard promulgated by the American National
high resolution graphics, and large volume data Standards Institute (ANSI). There is an equivalent standard approved by the
International Telecomunications Union (ITU) called Synchronous Digital
processing that require unprecedented amounts of Hierarchy (SDH). SONET and SDH refer to similar data transmission rates.
bandwidth. Technologies such as Frame Relay and Synchronous Transfer Mode (STM) is used to describe SDH rates, while the
Optical Carrier (OC) designation applies to SONET–based systems.
ATM are also adding to the need for capacity. Internet STM–16/OC–48 transmits 2.48 Gb/s, while STM–64/OC192 transmits
almost 10 Gb/s.

4 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 5

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:56 PM Page 6

embedded fiber, today there is a practical ceiling of 2.4 associated support systems and electronics, has been
Gb/s on most fiber networks, although there are estimated to be about $70,000 per mile, with costs esca-
instances where STM–64/OC–192 is being deployed. lating in densely populated areas. While this projection
Surprisingly, however, the TDM equipment installed varies from place to place, installing new fiber can be a
today utilizes less than 1% of the intrinsic capacity of daunting prospect, particularly for carriers with tens of
the fiber! thousands of route miles. In many cases, the right-of-
way of the cable route or the premises needed to house
transmission equipment is owned by a third party, such
as a railroad or even a competitor. Moreover, single-
Achieving Bandwidth mode fiber is currently in short supply owing to produc-
Capacity Goals tion limitations, potentially adding to costs and delays.
For these reasons, the comprehensive deployment of
additional fiber is an impractical, if not impossible,
Confronted by the need for more capacity, carriers solution for many carriers.
have three possible solutions:
• Install new fiber. Higher Speed TDM — Deploying
• Invest in new TDM technology to achieve faster STM-64/OC-192 (10 Gb/s)
bit rates. As indicated earlier, STM–64/OC–192 is becoming
• Deploy Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing. an option for carriers seeking higher capacity, but there
are significant issues surrounding this solution that may
restrict its applicability. The vast majority of the existing
fiber plant is single-mode fiber (SMF) that has high
dispersion in the 1550 nm window, making
Current
Bandwidth
Demand Fiber
STM–64/OC–192 transmission difficult. In fact, disper-
Capacity
sion has a 16 times greater effect with STM–64/OC–192
equipment than with STM–16/OC–48. As a result, effec-
tive STM–64/OC–192 transmission requires either some
Time form of dispersion compensating fiber or entire new fiber
builds using non-zero dispersion shifted fiber (NZDSF)—
which costs some 50 percent more than SMF. The greater
carrier transmission power associated with the higher bit
Installing New Fiber to Meet Capacity Needs
rates also introduces nonlinear optical effects that cause
For years, carriers have expanded their networks by degraded wave form quality.
deploying new fiber and transmission equipment. For The effects of Polarization Mode Dispersion
each new fiber deployed, the carrier could add capacity (PMD)—which, like other forms of dispersion affects the
up to 2.4 Gb/s. Unfortunately, such deployment is distance a light pulse can travel without signal degrada-
frequently difficult and always costly. The average cost tion—is of particular concern for STM-64/OC–192.
to deploy the additional fiber cable, excluding costs of This problem, barely noticed until recently, has become

6 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 7

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:56 PM Page 8

significant because as transmission speeds increase, Evolution of WDM

dispersion problems grow exponentially thereby dramat-
16+ Channels
ically reducing the distance a signal can travel. PMD 0.8 nm spacing
appears to limit the reliable reach of STM–64/OC–192 Dense WDM, integrated systems
with network management,
to about 70 kms on most embedded fiber. Although 1996 add-drop functions.

there is a vigorous and ongoing debate within the 2–4 Channels

industry over the extent of PMD problems, some key Early 3–5 nm spacing
Passive WDM components/parts
1990s
issues are already known.
2 Channels
• PMD is particularly acute in the conventional single- 1980s Wideband WDM
1310, 1550
mode fiber that comprises the vast majority of the
existing fiber plant, as well as in aerial fiber.
• Unlike other forms of dispersion that are fairly
predictable and easy to measure, PMD varies
significantly from cable to cable. Moreover, PMD
is affected by environmental conditions, making it Dense Wavelength
difficult to determine ways to offset its effect on
high bit rate systems.
Division Multiplexing
• As a result, carriers must test nearly every span of
DWDM technology utilizes a composite optical
fiber for its compatibility with STM–64/OC–192;
signal carrying multiple information streams, each
in many cases, PMD will rule out its deployment
transmitted on a distinct optical wavelength. Although
altogether.
wavelength division multiplexing has been a known
technology for several years, its early application was
restricted to providing two widely separated
A Third Approach – DWDM
“wideband” wavelengths, or to manufacturing compo-
Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) is nents that separated up to four channels. Only recently
a technology that allows multiple information streams to has the technology evolved to the point that parallel
be transmitted simultaneously over a single fiber at data wavelengths can be densely packed and integrated into
rates as high as the fiber plant will allow (e.g. 2.4 Gb/s). a transmission system, with multiple, simultaneous,
The DWDM approach multiplies the simple 2.4 Gb/s extremely high frequency signals in the 192 to 200 tera-
system by up to 16 times, giving an immense and imme- hertz (THz) range. By conforming to the ITU channel
diate increase in capacity—using embedded fiber! A
plan, such a system ensures interoperability with other
sixteen channel system (which is available today) supports
equipment and allows service providers to be well posi-
40 Gb/s in each direction over a fiber pair, while a 40
tioned to deploy optical solutions throughout their
channel system under development will support 100
networks. The 16 channel system in essence provides a
Gb/s, the equivalent of ten STM–64/OC–192 transmit-
virtual 16–fiber cable, with each frequency channel
ters! The benefits of DWDM over the first two options—
serving as a unique STM–16/OC–48 carrier.
adding fiber plant or deploying STM–64/OC–192—for
increasing capacity are clear.
8 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 9
Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 10

Transmitter Receiver
1 Transmission 1

Transmitter Receiver

Demultiplexer
2 2

Multiplexer
Transmitter Receiver
3 3

Transmitter Receiver
n n

600 KM

Demultiplexers
To transmit 40 Gb/s over 600 kms using a
traditional system would require 16 separate With signals as precise and as dense as those used
fiber pairs with regenerators placed every 35 in DWDM, there needed to be a way to provide accu-
kms for a total of 272 regenerators. rate signal separation, or filtration, on the optical
A 16 channel DWDM system, on the other receiver. Such a solution also needed to be easy to
hand, uses a single fiber pair and 4 amplifiers implement and essentially maintenance free. Early
positioned every 120 kms for a total of 600 kms. filtering technology was either too imprecise for
DWDM, too sensitive to temperature variations and
polarization, too vulnerable to crosstalk from
neighboring channels, or too costly. This restricted the
evolution of DWDM. To meet the requirements for
16 channel WDM multiplexers higher performance, a more robust filtering technology
was developed that makes DWDM possible on a cost
effective basis: the in–fiber Bragg grating.
The new filter component, called a fiber grating,
The most common form of DWDM uses a fiber consists of a length of optical fiber wherein the refrac-
pair—one for transmission and one for reception. tive index of the core has been permanently modified
Systems do exist in which a single fiber is used for bi- in a periodic fashion, generally by exposure to an ultra-
directional traffic, but these configurations must sacri- violet interference pattern. The result is a component
fice some fiber capacity by setting aside a guard band to which acts as a wavelength dependent reflector and is
prevent channel mixing; they also degrade amplifier useful for precise wavelength separation. In other
performance. In addition, there is a greater risk that words, the fiber grating creates a highly selective,
reflections occurring during maintenance or repair narrow bandwidth filter that functions somewhat like a
could damage the amplifiers. In any event, the mirror and provides significantly greater wavelength
availability of mature supporting technologies, like selectivity than any other optical technology. The filter
precise demultiplexers and Erbium Doped Fiber wavelength can be controlled during fabrication
Amplifiers (EDFA), has enabled DWDM with eight, through simple geometric considerations which enable
sixteen, or even higher channel counts to be commer- reproducible accuracy. Because this is a passive device,
cially delivered. fabricated into glass fiber, it is robust and durable.

10 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 11

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 12

Fiber Circuits at Location A Fiber Circuits at Location C

Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier
Network
Optical Amplifier Management
Unit

Amplified Line Add Drop Line

Amplified 1 1
Spontaneous Amplifier Multiplexer Amplifier

Demultiplexer
channel uits
Spontaneous

Multiplexer
Emissions • •
Emissions • •
• •
16 16
1550 nm band Erbium doped fiber W-E-E-W
signal input Terminal Terminal

pump signal
pump signal input output
Spectrum of a typical EDFA Fiber Circuits Dropped
-20 and Added to Location B

-30
-40
4,000 GHz
-50
-60
-70
Parlaying New Technologies
1500 1520 1540 1560 1580 1600
wavelength into a DWDM System
The fiber Bragg grating and the EDFA represented
The advent of the Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier
significant technological breakthroughs in their own
(EDFA) enabled commercial development of DWDM
right, but the bandwidth potential associated with these
systems by providing a way to amplify all the
innovations could only be realized by their incorporation
wavelengths at the same time. This optical amplification
into integrated DWDM transport systems for optical
is done by incorporating Erbium ions into the core of a
networks. Without such a development the fiber grating
special fiber in a process known as doping. Optical pump
would retain component status similar to other passive
lasers are then used to transfer high levels of energy to
WDM devices, while the power potential of EDFAs
the special fiber, energizing the Eribum ions which then
would remain underutilized. The ability to harness the
boost the optical signals that are passing through.
potential of these technologies, however, is realizable
Significantly, the atomic structure of Erbium provides
today through commercially available, integrated,
amplification to the broad spectral range required for
DWDM systems. Such a system is attained through the
densely packed wavelengths operating in the 1550–nm
use of Optical Add–Drop Multiplexers (OADM) and
region, optically boosting the DWDM signals. Instead of
sophisticated network management tools.
multiple electronic regenerators, which required that the
optical signals be converted to electrical signals then back Add/Drop Configuration
again to optical ones, the EDFA directly amplifies the
Express
optical signals. Hence the composite optical signals can Traffic

travel up to 600 kms without regeneration and up to 120

Terminal

Terminal

kms between amplifiers in a commercially available, OADM

terrestrial, DWDM system.

Local Traffic Local Traffic

12 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 13

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 14

Optical Add–Drop Multiplexers Telecommunications Management Network (TMN).

Current systems utilize an optical service channel that is
The OADM based on DWDM technology is moving
independent of the working channels of the DWDM
the telecommunications industry significantly closer to the
product to create a standards–based data communications
development of optical networks. The OADM can be
network that allows service providers to remotely monitor
placed between two end terminals along any route and be
and control system performance and use. This network
substituted for an optical amplifier. Commercially avail-
manager communicates with each node in the system and
able OADMs allow carriers to drop and/or add up to
also provides dual homing access and self–healing routing
four STM–16/OC–48 channels between DWDM termi-
information in the event of a network disruption. By
nals. The OADM has “express channels” that allow
meeting ITU standards and utilizing a Q3 interface, the
certain wavelengths to pass through the node
system ensures that end users retain high Operations,
uninterrupted, as well as broadcast capabilities that enable
Administration, Maintenance, and Provisioning (OAM&P)
information on up to four channels to be dropped and
service.
simultaneously continue as “express channels.” By
deploying an OADM instead of an optical amplifier, Network Management
Layered Architecture
service providers can gain flexibility to distribute
EML • Element Management Layer
revenue–generating traffic and reduce costs associated – Standards based, GUI, Unix
– Equipment & Service MO Views
with deploying end terminals at low traffic areas along a DCN • DCN
route. The OADM is especially well-suited for meshed or – IP/Internet protocol based
– Self healing service channel
branched network configurations, as well as for ring archi- Agent
• Agent Layer
Backplane Protocol – Menu based craft interface
tectures used to enhance survivability. Such flexibility is – Protocol independent
less achievable with current STM64/OC–192 offerings. • Backplane
Instrumentation – Redundant NE M&C bus
• Instrumentation
– Intelligent plug-in modules

Network Management Measurements of Performance

A critical yet often under appreciated part of any There are several aspects that make the design of
telecommunications network is the management system— DWDM systems unique. A spectrum of DWDM chan-
whose reliability is especially vital in the complex and high nels may begin to accumulate tilt and ripple effects as
capacity world of DWDM. Indeed, dependable and the signals propagate along a chain of amplifiers.
easily accessible network management services increas- Furthermore, each amplifier introduces amplified spon-
ingly will become a distinguishing characteristic of high- taneous emissions (ASE) into the system, which cause a
performance, high-capacity systems. Today’s leading decrease in the signal to noise ratio, leading to signal
DWDM systems include integrated, network manage- degradation. Upon photodetection, some other features
ment programs that are designed to work in conjunction of optically amplified systems come into play. The Bit
with other operations support systems (OSSs) and are Error Rate (BER) is determined differently in an opti-
compliant with the standards the International cally amplified system than in a conventional regener-
Telecommunication Union (ITU) has established for ated one. The probability of error in the latter is domi-

14 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 15

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 16

nated by the amount of receiver noise. In a properly Fiber Non Linearities

designed optically amplified system, the probability of
In addition to ASE accumulation and dispersion, there are
error in the reception of a binary value of one is deter- several types of fiber nonlinearities that can further limit the perfor-
mined by the signal mixing with the ASE, while the mance of any fiber optic transmission system—including those that use
DWDM. These nonlinearities fall into two broad groups: scattering and
probability of error in the reception of a binary value refractive index phenomena.
of zero is determined by the ASE noise value alone. Scattering Phenomena
One subtype of this phenomena is known as Stimulated Brillouin
Scattering (SBS), which is caused by the interaction between the optical
Optical SNR and Transmitted Power signal and acoustic waves in the fiber. The result is that power from the
optical signal can be scattered back towards the transmitter. SBS is a
Requirements of DWDM Systems narrowband process that affects each channel in a DWDM system
individually, but which is even more pronounced in STM–64/OC–192
Ultimately, the BER performance of a DWDM systems, due to the greater power levels required for their transmission.
channel is determined by the optical SNR that is deliv- A second form of scattering is known as Stimulated Raman
ered to the photodetector. In a typical commercial Scattering (SRS), which is prompted by the interaction of the optical
signal with silica molecules in the fiber. This interaction can lead to the
system, an optical SNR of approximately 20 dB, transfer of power from shorter wavelength, higher photon energy chan-
measured in a 0.1 nm bandwidth, is required for an nels, to longer wavelength, lower photon energy channels. Unlike SBS,
SRS is a wideband phenomena that affects the entire optical spectrum
acceptably low BER of 10–15. This acceptable SNR is that is being transmitted. SRS can actually cause a spectrum of equal
delivered through a relatively sophisticated analysis of amplitude channels to tilt as it moves through the fiber. Moreover, its
impact worsens as power is increased and as the total width of the
signal strength per channel, amplifier distances, and DWDM spectrum widens. One way to combat this phenomena is to use
moderate channel powers as well as a densely packed channel plan that
the frequency spacing between channels. minimizes the overall width of the spectrum.
For a specific SNR at the receiver, the amount of Refractive Index Phenomena
transmit power required in each channel is linearly propor- This group of nonlinearities includes self-phase modulation
tional to the number of amplifiers as well as the noise and (SPM), cross-phase modulation (CPM), and four-wave mixing (FWM).
These are caused because the index of refraction, and hence the speed
SNR of each amplifier, and is exponentially proportional to of propagation in a fiber, is dependent on the intensity of light—a
the loss between amplifiers. Because total transmit power is dependency that can have particularly significant effects in long–haul
applications. SPM, which refers to the modulation that a light pulse has
constrained by present laser technology and fiber nonlin- on its own phase, acts on each DWDM channel independently. The
earities, the workable key factor is amplifier spacing. This is phenomena causes the signal’s spectrum to widen and can lead to
crosstalk or an unexpected dispersion penalty. By contrast, CPM is due
illustrated in the accompanying graph by showing the rela- to intensity fluctuations in another channel and is an effect that is
tionship for a fiber plant with a loss of .3 dB/km, a receiver unique to DWDM systems. Finally, four-wave mixing refers to the
nonlinear combination of two or more optical signals in such a way
with a .1nm optical bandwidth, and optical amplifiers with that they produce new optical frequencies. Although four-wave mixing
a 5 dB noise figure. The system illustrated is expected to is generally not a concern in conventional single-mode fiber, it can be
particularly troublesome in the dispersion shifted fiber that is used to
cover 600 kms and the optical SNR required at the receiver propagate STM64/OC192. As a result, carriers that opt for
is 20 dB measured in the 0.1 nm bandwidth. STM–64/OC–192 equipment to relieve today’s congestion may unin-
tentionally be limiting their ability to grow their capacity through future
600 Km total length, .3 dB/km loss, .1 nm bandwith, 20 dB SNR
deployment of DWDM.
30
25
All three types of refractive index phenomena can be controlled
20 either through careful choice of channel power or increases in channel
15
10
spacing.2
Power
in dBm 5
0
-5
-10
-15 2 See—Transmission of Many WDM Channels Through a Cascade of EDFAs in Long
-20
10 100 1000
distance Links and Ring Networks—Alan Willner and Syang Myau Hwang IEEE
0733–872/95 Journal of Lightwave Technology
Amplifier Spacing (Kms)

16 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 17

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 18

Applications for DWDM SONET RINGS

As occurs with many new technologies, the poten-

tial ways in which DWDM can be used are only begin-
ning to be explored. Already, however, the technology
has proven to be particularly well suited for several
vital applications.
• DWDM is ready made for long-distance telecom-
munications operators that use either
point–to–point or ring topologies. The sudden
availability of 16 new transmission channels where
there used to be one dramatically improves an
operator’s ability to expand capacity and simulta-
neously set aside backup bandwidth without
installing new fiber.
• This large amount of capacity is critical to the
development of self-healing rings, which charac-
terize today’s most sophisticated telecom networks.
By deploying DWDM terminals, an operator can
construct a 100% protected, 40 Gb/s ring, with
16 separate communication signals using only two
fibers.
• Operators that are building or expanding their
networks will also find DWDM to be an econom-
ical way to incrementally increase capacity, rapidly
provision new equipment for needed expansion,
• The transparency of DWDM systems to various
and future–proof their infrastructure against
bit rates and protocols will also allow carriers to
unforeseen bandwidth demands.
tailor and segregate services to various customers
• Network wholesalers can take advantage of along the same transmission routes. DWDM
DWDM to lease capacity, rather than entire fibers, allows a carrier to provide STM–4/OC–12
either to existing operators or to new market service to one customer and STM–16/OC–48
entrants. DWDM will be especially attractive to service to another all on a shared ring!
companies that have low fiber count cables that
• In regions with a fast growing industrial base
were installed primarily for internal operations but
DWDM is also one way to utilize the existing thin
that could now be used to generate telecommuni-
fiber plant to quickly meet burgeoning demand.
cations revenue.

18 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 19

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 20

The Future of DWDM— • For example, DWDM systems with open

interfaces give operators the flexibility to provide
Building Block of the SONET/SDH, asynchronous/PDH, ATM,
Photonic Network Frame Relay, and other protocols over the same
fiber. Open systems also eliminate the need for
additional high-performance optical transmitters
DWDM is already established as the preferred to be added to a network when the need arises to
architecture for relieving the bandwidth crunch many interface with specific protocols. Rather, open
carriers face. Several US carriers have settled on systems allow service providers to quickly adapt
DWDM at STM–16/OC–48 rates as their technology new technologies to the optical network through
of choice for gaining more capacity. With 16 channel the use of “off-the-shelf,” relatively inexpensive,
DWDM now being deployed throughout the carrier and readily available transmitters.
infrastructure, and with a 40 channel system coming,
DWDM will continue to be an essential element of • In contrast to DWDM equipment based on propri-
future interoffice fiber systems. Indeed, deployment of etary specifications, systems with open interfaces
DWDM is a critical first step toward the establishment provide operators greater freedom to provision
of photonic networks in the access, interoffice, and services and reduce long-term costs. Proprietary
interexchange segments of today’s telecommunication based systems, in which SONET/SDH equipment
infrastructure. is integrated into the optical multiplexer/demulti-
plexer unit, are adequate for straight point–to–point
The Photonic Network configurations. Nevertheless, they require additional
and costly transmission equipment when deployed
Channels
1
2
3
in meshed networks.
RING TOPOLOGY Terminals 4
5
6
7
8
for Protection 9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16

ATM
= Regenerators
OC-3 ASYNCH/PDH

OC-12 SONET/SDH
Proprietary
OC-48 Optical Optical DIG VIDEO Systems
PC-48 Amplifier Amplifier
Terminals
Optical Add/Drop
Multiplexer

Given the rapidly changing and unpredictable

nature of the telecommunications industry, it is impera-
tive that today’s DWDM systems have the ability to
Open
Terminal
Terminal

adapt to future technological deployments and network System

configurations. DWDM systems with an open architec-
ture provide such adaptability and prepare service
providers to take full advantage of the emerging Terminal
photonic network.
20 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 21
Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 22

• Finally, DWDM systems that comply with the 1. Compatibility with Fiber Plant.
ITU channel plan will reassure carriers that they The majority of the legacy fiber plant cannot
are deploying technology with recognized industry support high bit rate TDM. Earlier vintage fiber
standards and the flexibility needed to grow their has some attributes that lead to significant disper-
optical networks into long distance, local sion and would, therefore, be incompatible with
exchange, and eventually access networks. high bit rate TDM. Recently produced fiber—
NZDSF, for example—is flexible enough for the
In the space of two years, DWDM has become latest TDM equipment, but it is expensive and
recognized as an industry standard that will find accep- may limit the ability of carriers to migrate to the
tance in any carrier environment. Deployment of greater bandwidth available through DWDM at
DWDM will allow new services to come on-line more STM–16/OC–48 rates.
quickly, help contain costs so that prospective customers 2. Transparency and Interoperability.
can more easily afford new services, and readily over- The chosen solution must provide interoperability
come technological barriers associated with more tradi- between all vendors’ transmission equipment,
tional solutions. Its acceptance will drive the expansion both existing and new. It must be vendor
of the optical layer throughout the telecommunications independent and conform to international stan-
network and allow service operators to exploit the enor- dards such as the proposed ITU channel spacing
mous bandwidth capacity that is inherent in optical and be based on the Open Systems
fiber but that has gone largely untapped—until now. Interconnection (OSI) model. Furthermore, it
must be capable of supporting mixed protocols
and signal formats. Some commercially available
DWDM systems provide such transparency and
ANNEX: Practical can be used with any SONET/SDH bit rates, as
Considerations of well as with asynchronous/PDH protocols.
DWDM Deployment 3. Migration and Provisioning Strategy.
The best solution must also offer the ability to
expand. It must be capable of supporting
Based on bit rate alone, DWDM has a fourfold
differing bit rates and have channel upgrade
advantage even over the latest—albeit nascent—TDM
capability. It has to be a long-term solution and
option, STM–64/OC–192. To fairly compare the two
not just a short-term fix. TDM systems already
technologies, however, we need to review and outline
are reaching their technological barriers and
what would be an ideal technological solution for
STM–64/OC–192, although rich in capacity,
expanding network capacity. This has to be done in a
may represent a practical limit that could only be
broad sense, recognizing that there are instances in
superseded by DWDM.
which TDM may offer a better solution than DWDM.
Analyzing the alternative attributes and benefits of 4. Network Management. A properly engineered
each approach would require a comparison of several solution should also support a comprehensive
key issues: network element management system. The solu-

22 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Technology Guide • 23

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 24

tion must meet international standards, interface

with the carrier’s existing operating system, and
CASE STUDY:
provide direct connection for all of the network How CIENA Corporation
elements for performance monitoring, fault iden-
tification and isolation, and remedial action.
Teamed With Sprint to Break
Sophisticated and reliable network management the Fiber Bandwidth Barrier
programs will become increasingly important to
deal with the increased complexity and expanded “We knew we had the best kind of business
capacity that will be unleashed through migration problem,” said Douglas McKinley, Director of Network
to optical networks. Planning for Sprint, the global communications
5. Technical Constraints. The systems deployed company. “In early 1995, we forecast unprecedented
must be able to resolve some of the outstanding growth in the Sprint network. We had huge customers
technical issues present in current lightwave trans- all coming to us asking Sprint to carry their long
mission systems. For example, signal dispersion distance traffic. Along with all of our other customers,
compensation, filtering and channel cross talk, they wanted everything - voice, video, data - and they
nonlinear four-wave mixing, and physical equip- wanted it fast. How were we going to give them the
ment density are some of the more common prob- capacity they needed?”
lems. Ideally, an optimized system level architec- For Sprint, the challenge was to provide customers
ture that provides a coherent and unified with desperately needed bandwidth in a timely and reli-
approach should be chosen over one that involves able manner. The solution also needed to be cost effec-
the acquisition and deployment of components on tive. And, one of the most important requirements was
a piecemeal and uncoordinated basis. that the expanded network capacity had to take advan-
tage of the facilities Sprint already had in place.
Sprint had built the United States’ only nationwide
all-digital, fiber optic network that served more than 15
million businesses and residential customers. A leader
in the industry, Sprint was the country’s first major
provider of long distance, local, and wireless services.
In addition, Sprint is the world’s largest carrier of
Internet traffic.
The explosive growth of Internet-related applica-
tions coupled with the surge in all types of network
traffic made 1995 a watershed year for the company. In
addition, the passage of the Telecommunications Act of
1996 unleashed a torrent of activity in the telecommu-
nications marketplace with many of the new long
distance companies leasing facilities from Sprint.

24 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Case Study • 25

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 26

Ideally, the bandwidth capacity expansion solution In short, the CIENA MultiWave 1600 builds on
Sprint sought would also complement the carrier’s existing fiber optic technology and increases its
complete commitment to a SONET fiber network. In efficiency dramatically. By expanding the transmission
1993, Sprint committed to a Synchronous Optical capability of fiber already installed, Sprint can meet
Network (SONET) technology, and the company is and exceed its customers’ current requirements, as well
now the only long-distance carrier with a four-fiber, bi- as the anticipated delivery of new interactive
directional, line-switching ring topology (four-fiber, multimedia services.
BLSR) installed from coast-to-coast and from border- Fiber optics transmit data as pulses of light moving
to-border. The four-fiber BLSR allows customers on at 124,000 miles per second. More than 2.5 billion bits
Sprint’s SONET network to survive network outages of information per second can be carried over long-
and fiber cuts in milliseconds. The company anticipates distance fiber. To keep the pulses from fading, fiber-
that the majority of its customers will be on the optic cables use amplifiers and regenerators to recharge
SONET network by the end of 1997. the power of the light approximately every 60 miles.
“We started looking for the solution at the concep- “Traditionally, we could carry about 32 thousand
tual stage,” recalled Bill Szeto, Manager of Engineering transmissions in a fiber at one time,” explains Szeto.
for Sprint. “We needed the best companies in the busi- “With CIENA’s MultiWave 1600 system we can carry
ness to focus their resources on this capacity problem so 16 times this. All at once, we essentially expanded from
we called in a few well-known manufacturers along our 32 thousand capacity to a capability of carrying
with CIENA Corporation, a relatively new company in 512 thousand calls at the same time.
Maryland which we knew was developing high-capacity “Efficiency is also a factor,” he continued. “When
fiber optic transmission systems. you used fiber without DWDM for high-bandwidth
“Teaming with CIENA was just the right thing to applications, you had to use more fiber. If we can use
do. Starting with just the concept, the solution took less fewer fibers, we can increase capacity for new services
than a year to complete. It was unheard of in the using our existing fiber base. And, that can translate into
industry, considering the complexity of the problem to cost savings for customers.” Economies of scale are also
have this happen in such a short time frame. One of apparent to Sprint with the technology offering 16 times
the reasons it was able to happen this way is because the capacity at a fraction of the cost, according to Szeto.
CIENA is knowledgeable. And, working right along The CIENA MultiWave product is a high-capacity,
with Sprint’s technical people, there was synergy to optical transmission system which enables aggregate
work efficiently, closely, and effectively.” transmission capacities up to 40 Gigabits per second
The solution that CIENA developed, called the (40 Gb/s) over existing fiber facilities. Sixteen discrete
CIENA MultiWave™ 1600 system, far exceeded the channels can transmit over one fiber. Each channel is
parameters required. The 16 window, dense wavelength bit-rate transparent from 150 Mb/s to 2.4 Gb/s and
division multiplexing (DWDM) technology allows Sprint operates with existing SONET/SDH/Asynchronous
to increase the capacity of its fiber network by a factor of fiber optic terminals.
16 without installing more fiber optic cable. In essence, it This available capacity per fiber allows Sprint’s
gives Sprint 16 virtual fibers where it once had one. The network designers to fine tune each network span
system meets the need for more bandwidth and provides according to the customer’s or Sprint’s own internal
Sprint with more capability in its installed plant. requirements.

26 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Case Study • 27

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 28

The system also incorporates optical line ampli- to incrementally expand the transmission capacity of
fiers to extend the transmission range. Designed specifi- our network as we deliver new broadband services to
cally for DWDM, the amplifier is capable of our customers,”
amplifying the system’s entire 16 channel, 40 Gb/s And, demand for more capacity to deliver those
capacity. Two optical service channel modems enable services isn’t going away soon. “Nineteen months ago
access to local network management data and all the analysts were saying they thought four - and eight -
elements of the MultiWave system. channel WDM would be enough for the foreseeable
In addition, CIENA’s MultiWave system for Sprint future,” noted Steve Chaddick, senior vice president of
is equipped with an integrated network management products and technologies at CIENA. “The foreseeable
system that includes an optical service channel with a future turned out to be about three months.”
2.048 Mb/s capacity, that supports the Data
Communications Network (DCN). The DCN commu- “The CIENA solution protects our existing
nicates system management information throughout investment and allows us to incrementally
the Sprint network and enables vital remote access to expand the transmission capacity of our
performance monitoring and control, as well as network...” Marty Kaplan, Senior Vice President
multiple simultaneous craft interface access. Self- and Chief Technology Officer, Sprint
healing information routing in the event of network
disruption and dual homing access is also included.
Embedded throughout the system is instrumenta-
tion that observes, measures, and records the status and
operation of every module. Distributed system intelli-
gence analyzes, processes, and stores the data gleaned
from the instrumentation. On an element-by-element
basis, performance and fault information data can be
accessed and manipulated by Sprint network
managers.
Sprint is deploying CIENA’s MultiWave 1600 on
selected routes throughout its network. In fact, DWDM
is pervasive throughout the Sprint network, especially
in high traffic areas.
“CIENA was given a business problem and we
gave them only a short time to solve it. By working
closely with us, CIENA has helped Sprint maintain its
technology leadership in the telecommunications
industry,” McKinley commented.
Marty Kaplan, senior vice president and chief
technology officer for Sprint, added, “The CIENA
solution protects our existing investment and allows us

28 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Case Study • 29

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 30

Glossary data. (2) A binary digit, either a zero or one. The

smallest element of a computer program. In the U.S.,
eight bits make up one byte.
Add-Drop (OADM)—Optionally allows up to four Bit Error Rate (BER)—Percentage of bits in a trans-
optical wavelengths to be added or dropped at any line mittal received in error. (2) The number of coding viola-
amplifier location. tions detected in a unit of time, usually one second.
Add/Drop Multiplexer (ADM)—A multiplexer Bits Per Second (bps)—(1) The number of bits
capable of extracting or inserting lower-rate signals passing a point every second. The transmission rate for
from a higher-rate multiplexed signal without digital information. (2) A measurement of how fast data
completely demultiplexing the signal. are moved from one place to another. (Example: a 28.8
American National Standards Institute modem can move 28,800 bps.)
(ANSI)—The coordinating body for voluntary Broadband—A data-transmission scheme in which
standards groups within the United States. ANSI is a multiple signals share the bandwidth of a medium. This
member of the International Organization for allows the transmission of voice, data, and video signals
Standardization (ISO). over a single medium. Cable television uses broadband
Backbone—(1) The part of a network used as the techniques to deliver dozens of channels over one cable.
primary path for transporting traffic between network Capacity—The information carrying ability of a
segments. (2) A high-speed line or series of connections telecommunications facility. What the “facility” is deter-
that forms a major pathway within a network. mines the measurement. You might measure a line’s
Bandwidth—(1) Measure of the information capacity capacity in bits per second. You might measure a
of a transmission channel. (2) The difference between switch’s capacity in the maximum number of calls it
the highest and lowest frequencies of a band that can can switch in one hour, or the maximum number of
be passed by a transmission medium without undue calls it can keep in conversation simultaneously.
distortion, such as the AM band - 535 to 1705 Carrier—A company which provides communications
kilohertz. (3) Information carrying capacity of a circuits. Carriers are split into “private” and
communication channel. Analog bandwidth is the “common.” A private carrier can refuse you service. A
range of signal frequencies that can be transmitted by a “common” carrier cannot. Most of the carriers in our
communication channel or network. (4) A term used to industry—your local phone company, AT&T, MCI US,
indicate the amount of transmission or processing Sprint, etc.—are common carriers. Common carriers
capacity possessed by a system or a specific location in a are regulated. Private carriers are not.
system (usually a network system).
Channel—(1) A communication path. Multiple chan-
Bandwidth On Demand Interoperability Group nels can be multiplexed over a single cable in certain
(BONDING)—Makers of inverse muxes. environments. The term is also used to describe the
Bit—(1) The smallest unit of information in the binary specific path between large computers and attached
system of notation. (2) One binary digit; a pulse of peripherals. (2) An electrical or photonic, in the case of
fiber optic-based transmission systems, communications

30 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Glossary • 31

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 32

path between two or more points of termination. ingly simple, is that they are not frequency dependent,
(3) The smallest subdivision of a circuit that provides a and therefore allow bandwidth upgrades (within limits)
type of communication service; usually a path with without replacing the entire transmission systems.
only one direction. Undersea transmission systems, such as Americas 1,
TAT-12/13, and TCP-5 use EDFA technology.
CIENA MultiWave™ 1600—A dense wavelength
division multiplexing (DWDM) system that is capable Fiber In the Loop (FITL)—Optical technology
of transmitting up to sixteen (16) discrete optical chan- from CO to customer premises.
nels over one fiber pair. Each channel is bit-rate trans-
Fiber Optical Bragg Grating—An optical fiber
parent from 150 Mb/s to 2.4 Gb/s and operates with
grating is an optical fiber component consisting of a
existing SONET/SDH/Asynch fiber optic terminals.
length of optical fiber wherein the refractive index of
This system incorporates optical line amplifiers to
the core has been permanently modified in a periodic
extend the transmission range, and it offers integrated
fashion, generally by exposure to an optical interfer-
network management facilities.
ence pattern as generated by an ultraviolet laser.
Deregulation—The removal of regulatory authority
Fiber Optic Cable—A transmission medium that
to control certain activities of telephone companies. An
uses glass or plastic fibers, rather than copper wire, to
attempt by federal authorities to make the telephone
transport data or voice signals. The signal is imposed
industry more competitive. Deregulation is meant to
on the fiber via pulses (modulation) of light from a
benefit the consumer.
laser or a light-emitting diode (LED). Because of its
Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA)— high bandwidth and lack of susceptibility to interfer-
Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers have become the ence, fiber-optic cable is used in long-haul or noisy
dominant method for signal amplification in long-haul applications.
lightwave transmission systems. EDFAs differ from the
Fiber Optics—A method for the transmission of
normal method of regenerative or electro-optic
information (sound, pictures, data). Light is modulated
repeaters in that light does not have to be converted to
and transmitted over high purity, hair-thin fibers of
an electrical signal, amplified, and then converted back
glass. The bandwidth capacity of fiber optic cable is
to light. Optical amplifiers contain a length of fiber
much greater than that of conventional cable or
that is doped with erbium doped (a rare earth
copper wire.
substance) that provides the gain medium, an energy
source or “pump” from a laser source at the correct Fiber Plant—Arial or buried fiber optic cable that
frequency, and a coupler to couple the pump laser to established connectivity between fiber optic transmis-
the doped fiber. Both the signal to be amplified and the sion equipment locations.
pump energy are coupled into the doped fiber section Frequency—(1) Measures the number of electromag-
of the transmission system. The pump laser puts the netic waves that pass a given point in a given time
erbium-doped fiber into an excited state where it is period. It is equal to the speed of light, divided by
able to provide optical gain through emission wavelengths and is expressed in cycles per second or
stimulated by a passing signal photon. One of the most hertz. (2) The number of cycles of periodic activity
important features, after the fact that EDFAs are amaz- that occur in a discrete amount of time.

32 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Glossary • 33

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 34

Gigabits Per Second (Gb/s)—Billion bits per Multimode—Used to describe optical fiber that
second. A measure of transmission speed. allows more than one mode of light signal transmission.
Multimode fibers are generally used for short-distance
Infrastructure—The basic facilities, services, and
links.
installations needed for the functioning of a commu-
nity or society such as transportation and communica- Multimode Fiber—Optical fiber supporting propa-
tions systems. gation of multiple modes of light.
Interexchange Carrier (IXC) or Interexchange Multiplexer (MUX)—Equipment that enables
Common Carrier—(1) Any individual, partnership, several data streams to be sent over a single physical
association, joint-stock company, trust, governmental line. It is also a function by which one connection from
entity, or corporation engaged for hire in interstate or an (ISO) layer is used to support more than one
foreign communication by wire or radio, between two connection to the next higher layer. (2) A device for
or more exchanges. (2) A long-distance telephone combining several channels to be carried by one line or
company offering circuit-switched, leased-line or fiber.
packet-switched service or some combination.
Multiplexing—In data transmission, a function that
Interoperability Technology Association for permits two or more data sources to share a common
Information Processing (INTAP)—The technical transmission medium such that each data source has its
organization which has the official charter to develop own channel.
Japanese OSI profiles and conformance tests.
Network Element (NE)—Any device which is part of
ITU—International Telecommunications Union a communications transmission path and serves one or
more of the section, line, or path terminating functions.
Local Exchange Company (LEC)—A telephone
company that provides customer access to the world- Network Management System (NMS)—A system
wide public switched network through one of its responsible for managing at least part of a network.
central offices. NMSs communicate with agents to help keep track of
network statistics, resources, and performance.
Megabit (Mb/s)—One million bits.
OC-192—Optical carrier Level 192. Sonet bit rate of
Megabits Per Second (Mb/s)—A digital transmis-
10 Gb/s.
sion speed of millions of bits per second.
OC-48—Optical carrier Level 48. Sonet bit rate of
Multi-conductor copper cable—Provides trans-
2.4 Gb/s.
mission facilities for VF and digital services up to
1.5MB/s. Upper bit rate growth possible through new Optical Carrier (OC-x)—Fundamental unit used in
technology such as ADSL (Adaptive Digital Subscriber SONET (Synchronous Optical NETwork) hierarchy.
Loop). OC indicates an optical signal and x represents incre-
ments of 51.84 Mbps. OC-1, -3, and -12 equal optical
rates of 51, 155, and 622 Mbps.

34 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Glossary • 35

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 36

Optical Carrier 1 (OC-1)—ITU-ISS physical stan- Public Switched Network—The combined trans-
dard for optical fiber used in transmission systems mission facilities of the world’s telephone companies
operating at 51.84 Mb/s. and administrations, including all those circuits avail-
able to subscribers on an unrestricted basis.
Optical Carrier 3 (OC-3)—Optical Carrier level 3,
SONET rate of 155.52 Mb/s, matches STS-3. Regenerator—Device that restores a degraded digital
signal for continued transmission; also called a
OSI—Open Systems Interconnection. The only inter-
repeater.
nationally accepted framework of standards for
communication between different systems made by Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC)—
different vendors. OSI was developed by the (1) One of six telephone companies created after
International Standards Organization (ISO). ISO’s AT&T divestiture. (2) The acronym for the local tele-
major goal is to create an open systems networking phone companies created in 1984 as part of the break-
environment where any vendor’s computer system, up of AT&T. The six RBOCs are Ameritech, Bell
connected to any network, can freely share data with Atlantic, Bell South, NYNEX, Southwestern Bell,
any other computer system on that network or a linked and U.S. West.
network. Most of the dominant communications proto-
Repeater—(1) A device that regenerates and propa-
cols used today have a structure based on the OSI
gates electrical signals between two network segments.
model. The OSI model organizes the communications
(2) Device that restores a degraded digital signal for
process into seven different categories and places the
continued transmission; also called a regenerator.
categories in a layered sequence based on their relation
to other user. Layers seven through four deal with end Ring—Connection of network elements in a circular
to end communications between the message source logical topology.
and the message destination, while layers three through Ring Topology—Topology in which the network
one deal with network access. consists of a series of repeaters, add-drop multiplexers,
Pleisiochronous Digital Hierarchy (PDH)— or terminals. Ring networks are relatively immune to
Asynchronous multiplexing scheme from T1 to T3 and interruption and fiber cuts, because of the multiple
higher; contrast with SDH. transmission paths that are implied in the ring.
Provider—A company that provides an interface Signaling—(1) The process of sending a transmission
between the teleservices platform and an installed tele- signal over a physical medium for purposes of commu-
phone device, such as a telephone line or a fax nication. (2) Method of communication between
machine. network components to provide control management
and performance monitoring.
Public Network—A network operated by common
carriers or telecommunications administrations for the
provision of circuit-switched, packet-switched and
leased-line circuits to the public.

36 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Glossary • 37

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 38

Single Mode—Used to describe optical fiber that Time Division Multiplexing (TDM)—Technique
allows only one mode of light signal transmission. where information from multiple channels may be allo-
cated bandwidth on a single wire based on time slot
Single-mode Fiber—Also called monomode. Single-
assignment.
mode fiber has a narrow core that allows light to enter
only at a single angle. Such fiber has higher bandwidth TMN—Telecommunication Management Network. A
than multimode fiber, but requires a light source with a concept where all OMCs (Operation and Maintenance
narrow spectral width (for example, a LASER). Centers) are linked together to form a network. A
centralization occurs to facilitate control, monitoring,
Survivability—A property of a system, subsystem,
and management of all devices in the communications
equipment, process, or procedure that provides a
network.
defined degree of assurance that the device or system
will continue to work during and after a natural or Transport Layer—OSI layer that is responsible for
man-made disturbance. reliable end-to-end data transfer between end systems.
Switch—A device which filters, forwards, and directs Unidirectional—Operating in only one direction.
frames or circuits based on destination address.
Wavelength—The length of one complete wave of
Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH)—ITU- an alternating or vibrating phenomenon, generally
TSS international standard for transmission over measured from crest to crest or from trough to trough
optical fiber. of successive waves.
Synchronous Optical Network (SONET)— Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM)—
(1) A set of standards for transmitting digital informa- two or more colors of light on one fiber.
tion over optical networks. “Synchronous” indicates
that all pieces of the SONET signal can be tied to a
single clock. (2) A CCITT standard for synchronous
transmission up to multigigabit speeds. (3) A standard
for fiber optics.
Synchronous Transport Signal 1 (STS-1)—
(1) SONET standard for transmission over OC-1 optical
fiber at 51.84 Mb/s. (2) A SONET frame including
overhead and payload capacity. The basic SONET
frame is the STS-1. STS-1s can be multiplexed or
concatenated with no additional overhead.

38 • Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing Glossary • 39

Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 40

MultiWave 1600 TM

Features:
• Operates over existing fiber plant
Visit ATG’s Web Site • Provides up to 16 channels of various bit
rates over one fiber
to read, download, and print • Integrates with existing transmission
systems
all the Technology Guides • Operates up to 600 km without
regeneration
in this series. • Provides for modular capacity upgrades
• Integrated network management

Benefits:
• Multiplies fiber capacity by 1600%
• Allows redeployment of existing
equipment
http://www.techguide.com • Relieves fiber constraints
• Facilitates deployment of survivable
networks
• Increases capacity for new services
• Provides rapid incremental expansion
• Reduces expensive fiber builds and
network costs
• Eliminates regenerators and repeater sites
• Consolidates equipment from multiple
fiber systems

A Family of Bandwidth Solutions

“The significant problems we face cannot be solved
by the same level of thinking that created them.”
Optical Amplifier Optical Amplifier
Add/Drop
Albert Einstein

CIENA CIENA
MultiWaveTM 1600 CIENA WaveWatcher MultiWaveTM 1600
Terminal Integrated Network Terminal
Management
Ciena.Final 6/3/97 5:57 PM Page 42

This Technology Guide is one

of a series of guides, published
by ATG, designed to put complex
communications and networking
technology concepts into practical
and understandable terms.
Each guide provides objective,
non-biased information to assist in
the internal education, evaluation
and decision making process.
This Technology Guide, as well
as the other Communications and
Networking Technology Guides
in the series, are available
on ATG‘s Web Site.

http://www.techguide.com

Produced and Published by

One Apple Hill, Suite 216, Natick, MA 01760

Tel: (508) 651-1155 Fax: (508) 651-1171 E-mail: [email protected]