Application Note

Transmodes Flexible Optical Networks

4th generation optical networks provide the most cost efficient and
flexible way of delivering new and existing transport services
Service providers have many new revenue opportunities now as IT and networking increasingly merge.
New high bandwidth networked multimedia applications, services and video content are changing the
way we live our business and personal lives. But despite the revenue potential these services create,
they generate far more traffic at less revenue per bit, while increasing operational challenges. Service
providers will need to attain new levels of operational efficiency if they are to maintain and grow their
profitability.
WDM and ROADM technology, planning tools and network management software are tightly
integrated in Transmodes Flexible Optical Network to simplify the entire life cycle of planning,
provisioning, commissioning, monitoring and troubleshooting the network. It gives operators an
intuitive and flexible view and complete control of network resources and services that they need, and
enables remote provisioning and automation to streamline operations.

The result: an unprecedented level of operational efficiency

and flexibility that enables service providers to overcome cost
challenges, grow revenues, and ensure future profitability.

The Transmode Flexible Optical Network leverages a design that

is the product of Transmodes extensive experience building WDM
and ROADM networks around the globe. Based on the state of
the art in proven commercially viable ROADM technology, it
incorporates innovative concepts in planning and management
tool design and automation.

This Application Note describes the changing market environment,

the new opportunities and challenges that this environment
creates for service operators and how Transmodes Flexible Optical
Network creates unprecedented operational efficiency in the
network to ensure a bright future for service providers.

The Transmode Flexible Optical Network enables service operators

to reduce time to market, simplify planning and management, and
leverage automation to streamline operations.

Optical Network Evolution

The first and second generation of optical
systems were single wavelength systems
where all switching and other higher order
network functions were done in electronic
equipment. Examples of typical first and second generation optical systems are the PDH
and SDH networks deployed in Europe and
SONET networks deployed in North America.
The third generation came with the introduction of WDM technology using fixed/static
filters enabling optical bypass. All traffic no
longer needed to pass through an electronic
switch fabric to enable local add/drop. This
could now be achieved in the optical domain.

Transmodes Flexible Optical Networks provide key functionality for cost efficient & flexible
handling and management of wavelengths in an optical network.
1

The introduction of ROADM technology

represents the fourth generation where optical wavelengths can be dynamically switched
within an optical network.

Application Note
Challenges to profitability demand a new
operations model

construction or moves, services that can be difficult to support at

the pricing and within the timeframes that enterprise customers
want. The desire to leverage the network for real-time marketing
wherever and whenever large crowds gather has even begun to
create a bit of demand for event-based services, which can be very
difficult to offer profitably.

The telecoms networking business is undergoing a rapid

transformation. A wide variety of new bandwidth-intensive
applications and services are driving many of the revenue
opportunities that service operators must increasingly rely on for
growth. A phenomenal number of new applications are already
changing the way consumers interact with their world, and such
applications also change the way an increasingly mobile work force
does its job. This new environment creates many new challenges
to the service operators operations model in addition to the
revenue opportunity.

So the good news is that there is very strong demand for a variety
of new services that have an increasing reliance on the network,
giving service operators many new revenue streams while allowing them to diversify their service portfolios. The bad news is that
although these new services are driving growth for operators, they
not only generate far less revenue per bit, but are also placing
extreme new demands on planning, network performance and
availability, bandwidth resources, and the complexity and cost of
operations.

The figure below illustrates the kind of changes in network

utilization patterns that a service provider might encounter during
a day, comparing a view of past years to a more recent scenario.
Note that spikes in bandwidth demand have increased and
peak-to-average traffic ratio has soared, and more traffic is being
generated at all hours of the day.

Operators have two scenarios to contemplate. They can either try

to accommodate the demand for new bandwidth hungry services
with the current cost model and suffer the consequences, or find a
new way to maximize operational efficiency to cut cost per managed bit to the level required to make these new high bandwidth
services profitable as shown in figure 2.

Fig 2. The impact of operational efficiency on making high bandwidth

services profitable.
Here is the dilemma. Operators must offer new services unless
they are happy with the stagnating margins and increasing commoditization of legacy revenue streams. On the other hand, they
cannot afford to offer new services if they do not find a way to offer
them profitably. Simply lowering prices without changing network
costs dramatically is untenable. Is there an answer?

The need for more flexible optical

networks
There is an answer: operators need more flexible optical networks.
The changes in the market environment are causing the traditional
business model to break if service operators rely on historic
operations procedures. An innovative new model that redefines
the benchmark of operational efficiency is needed in order to make
new revenue opportunities profitable. Static networks cannot
be used to attain that goal. A new approach to operations that is
more simple, flexible, and agile is required. Making that flexible
and agile network a reality requires integrating planning with
management oversight and control of the network, eliminating
redundant efforts, and leveraging automation wherever possible to
streamline operations.

Fig 1. Typical bandwidth utilization during a day before and now.

Bandwidth in general has increased over time, but traffic peaks have
increased even more resulting in higher peak-to-average traffic ratio.
Bandwidth demand, scalability challenges, and unpredictable traffic patterns are not the only problems associated with the rapid
growth in high bandwidth multimedia services. As businesses and
consumers increasingly rely on the network, they demand shorter
provisioning intervals, and their patience with service degradation
or down time has decreased dramatically due to the rising cost
of such events. These costs have also created some demand for
temporary network services to maintain operations during office

Application Note
Pros and cons of current ROADM deployments

WDM provides a multi-service carrier that separates services

onto wavelengths to ensure simplicity and manageability. And
WDM aggregation rings are preferable to creating cascaded
chains of Ethernet switches, which invariably creates undesirable
dependencies. WDM is also very effective network wide, offers
a smooth upgrade path and can be Layer 2 aware. Making
upgrades to the network to bring WDM connectivity direct to
the bottleneck node in the access network can alleviate network
congestion, and channel upgrades can add capacity as needed.
WDM also has advantages in scalability and security. Thanks to
recent advances in ROADM technology, WDM has also become
the best technology on which to base a more flexible optical
network that will help operators reduced operations costs and
profitably offer new services.

The first generation of ROADMs eliminated the stranding of

capacity associated with wavelength banding, and simplified
traffic engineering to make optimization and rerouting easy.
They enabled wavelength path setup without having to send
technicians out to intermediate nodes. Finally, they allowed for
per channel power control to enable optimization of transmission
and simple capacity upgrades.
Networks based on the first generation of ROADMs have offered
greater flexibility and eliminated the need for some truck
rolls, but they have not created the full degree of operational
efficiency that service operators will need in future. A site visit
is still required to change the fixed direction assignment for the
add/drop and to reassign the wavelength assigned to specific
ports at the end nodes. So full automation and rapid end-toend provisioning is not possible, which limits flexible options in
protection that can be offered and does not allow acceleration of
time to market. Legacy ROADMS can also experience contention
for use of a wavelength when traffic is rerouted due to a failover.
These early ROADMS can experience bandwidth constraints by
traffic being limited to a single instance of a specific wavelength.

Introducing Transmodes Flexible Optical

Networks
How can service operators build a flexible optical network with
the kind of flexibility, operational efficiency, and simplicity they
need? By using Transmodes Flexible Optical Network solutions!
Based on an innovative approach that leverages the state of
the art in commercially viable WDM and ROADM technologies,
Transmodes Flexible Optical Network incorporates intuitive
planning and management systems that are tightly integrated
with efficient planning tools, a complete suite of cost optimized
ROADM technologies and other innovative optical components.
Based on Transmodes extensive experience designing and building
a large installed base of WDM and ROADM systems in many
countries around the globe, Transmodes Flexible Optical Network
gives operators the levels of operational efficiency they need to
survive and thrive in the rapidly evolving services market.

Future proofing a traditional ROADM-based network for scaling

beyond 100Gbps line rates can also be a problem, since 400Gbps
will be unlikely to conform to the 50 GHz grid that is typically
used at 100Gbps line rates and below. Future proofing ROADMs
partially addresses the challenges of moving to line rates of
greater than 100Gbps as other network components will require
replacement for 400Gbps, e.g. amplifiers. Where it makes
economic sense to use future-proof ROADM modules operators
should do so, but they should not pay a premium for this
capability due to the rest of the upgrade costs associated with line
speeds in excess of 100Gbps.

Designed from the ground up to provide comprehensive, flexible

and granular control of the network throughout the entire life
cycle process, the Transmode Flexible Optical Network sets a new
benchmark for simplicity in operations by making the planning
and management of the network a highly intuitive, integrated,
and automated process. This creates a whole new level of
efficiency that directly translates into minimizing operators
costs, building new revenues, enhancing competitive position, and
maximizing profitability-a future proof solution leveraging proven
technology.

Finally, lower cost ROADMs may be required closer to the

customer premise, residence, or cell site and it might be more
cost effective to deploy a partial mesh there or even to use a
logical mesh architecture leveraging the assets of existing ring
topologies.
That is why building efficient WDM and ROADM-based meshed
networks that maximize operational efficiency requires the use of
a full and flexible suite of advanced ROADM technologies that is
cost optimized and provides the flexibility and features required
for each part of the network.

ROADM applications

Transmodes Flexible Optical Network ROADM

technology

ROADMs are used in bus and ring networks to give operators

flexible add/drop and hitless upgrade capability. But they can also
be used in a meshed network to provide full flexibility to route
wavelengths among a number of nodes. ROADMs can be used to
make quick changes in carrier networks, for remotely provisioning
upgrades and changes in any network in response to new service
demand or to compensate for changing traffic patterns. They can
be an important enabler of core router offload. Furthermore, they
can also support shared protection and restoration capabilities
in a meshed architecture, or dynamic provisioning capabilities for
special applications.

Transmodes Flexible Optical Network utilizes the Transmode

WDM portfolio and a complete suite of state-of-the-art
commercially viable ROADM technologies, applying each for
the right application and in the right part of the network to
give service operators the kind of flexibility, efficiency, and
control that they need. The Flexible Optical Network ROADM
portfolio includes 2-degree and multi-degree ROADMs as well as
contentionless, colorless and directionless ROADM technologies
each of which provides distinct benefits and can be combined for
ultimate in operational efficiency.

Application Note
Multi-degree ROADMs: Multi-degree ROADM nodes allow service
operators to route wavelengths in a number of directions. The first
generation of multi-degree ROADMs required that an operator
visit the end nodes to change the Mux/DeMux port to change
direction, or to change both the Mux/DeMux port and Transponder
color whenever a new wavelength is required. However, a number
of enhancements have increased the flexibility of both 2-degree
and multi-degree ROADMs considerably and the design of
Transmodes Flexible Optical Network means that step by step
upgrades to colorless, directionless and contentionless capabilities
today, and ultimately gridless capabilities, can be accomplished
when needed.

Explanation of Transmodes modular architecture:

Transmodes Flexible Optical Networking ROADM nodes are built
using a range of ROADM and other plug-in units such as fixed or colourless filters and optical channel monitors. This offers the network
designer great flexibility in network design.
These units provide either 1x2, 1x4 or 1x8 capabilities and support both
50 and 100 GHz spaced networks. All Transmode ROADM units use
a Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) on the add side of the module
which provides additional benefits to the network operator over some
ROADM designs, namely:
Increased security against networking errors. By using the WSS on
the add side instead of the drop side, passing traffic is protected
against erroneously added traffic impacts.

Transmode offers 1x2, 1x4 and 1x8 multi-degree ROADM units to

match cost to the degree of flexibility and number of links that
need to be supported. A ROADM module can easily be added
to existing Transmode chassis, and a straightforward design
means step by step upgrades to colorless, directionless and
contentionless capabilities are possible. Figure 3 shows a simple
8-degree WSS ROADM node architecture (i.e. not colorless,
directionless or contentionless).

Simpler power balancing of all pass-through and add/drop

channels by a single optical channel monitor and control loop.
The alternative approach with the WSS on the drop port and a
simple optical coupler for the add traffic has much more complex
power balancing as locally added traffic can be balanced via a local
Variable Optical Attenuator (VOA) but pass through traffic must be
balanced in the various remote nodes where the wavelength was
first added which may cause issues elsewhere in the network.
See below illustration of Transmodes ROADM architecture.

Transponder
MDU

Local drop

Line 1

Express traffic

1x8 ROADM

1x8 ROADM

Line 7

1x
8

M
AD
O
R

R
O
AD
M

8
1x

Line 6

Line 2

1x8 ROADM

1x
8

M
AD
O
R

R
O
AD
M

8
1x

Line 8

Line 3

Line 4

1x8 ROADM
Line 5

Transmodes Flexible Optical Network also partially uses gridlessready technology where it makes economic network complexity
sense. As previously mentioned this only partially addresses
the issues associated future proofing with speeds in excess of
100Gbps so should not be done if it drives up the cost of ROADM
deployments today. As component technology matures the
Transmode Flexible Optical Network will gradually bring more
gridless ROADM options onboard when the economics are right.

Fig 3. 8-degree ROADM node.

WSS Multi-degree ROADMs enable failover of a wavelength to a
fixed, predefined backup path.

The role that these Metro ROADM technologies fulfill as part of

Transmodes Flexible Optical Network solution is summarized
below:
2-degree ROADMs: 2-degree ROADM nodes in the Flexible Optical
Network solution allow simple add/drop functionality optimized
for wavelengths at the edge of the network where cost issues
predominate and the architecture is typically ring based. A cost
efficient Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) design simplifies
network planning, freeing up wavelength allocation and allowing
operators to make more efficient use of wavelengths while
simplifying fiber management as compared to using static optical
filters. WSS technology on the add side of the ROADM gives full
control of optical power levels for both added and passed channels
reducing transmission problems and providing greater security.

Fig 4. How protection and traffic engineering occur with multi-degree

ROADMs
Colorless ROADMs: An upgrade to colorless ROADM technology
provides wavelength transparent access to DWDM network ports
and helps an operator manage wavelength allocation issues
with any add/drop traffic. With the first generation of ROADMs,
manual intervention was required to connect non-tunable
transceivers to a specific mux/demux port at the add/drop site,

Application Note
meaning wavelengths were fixed. Colorless ROADMs replace
this architecture and enable remote, automated wavelength
assignment via wavelength tunable traffic units to be carried out
by the control plane, reducing normal operations costs and the
potential for errors.

Contentionless ROADMs: Contentionless ROADMs ensure

that no wavelength blocking can occur in the case that two
wavelengths of the same color are encountered, a scenario that
can potentially happen with colorless and directionless ROADMs
as add/drop traffic is rerouted.

Figure 5 shows how colorless ROADMs can be used to change the

wavelength on a new protection path due to lack of availability of
the initial wavelength being used on one of the links in the span.

Colorless, Directionless, and Contentionless (CDC) ROADMs offer

the same advantages as a colorless and directionless ROADM,
and also leverages colorless ports to allow several lambdas of the
same color to be added or dropped rather than only one. It can
also route traffic in any direction using any wavelength.

Note that although a colorless ROADM can change the

wavelength to be used for the backup path, it cannot change the
direction of the backup path. Doing both of these tasks requires a
ROADM that is both colorless and directionless.

Gridless ROADMs: Gridless ROADMs enable the passband of

the ROADM to be changed to allow channels of a speed greater
than 100 Gbps to be efficiently mapped into available spectrum.
Gridless ROADMs are required at every node in the network, and
must offer flexible channel spacing settings to accommodate
the still unknown passband that will be required at 400Gbps and
beyond.
A gridless WSS makes it possible to change to new modulation
formats that require new channel spacing without having to
swap out all the filters in the network, and also makes it possible
to optimize frequency utilization to accommodate multiple
passbands of different channel spacing so that different line rates
can be utilized within the same band. However, the complexity
of doing so makes it difficult to optimize spectrum utilization and
periodic defragmentation may be required as a result. A gridless
ROADM also makes the use of any fixed filters in the network very
difficult to manage.
As previously mentioned, gridless technology can be useful if
the economics are right and currently not all ROADM units are
best served with gridless technology. Overtime as component
technology matures this will change. However, this only partially
addresses the issues associated with line rates above 100Gbps
as it is anticipated that a significant portion of other network
components such as amplifiers will also require upgrading for
these line rates.

Fig 5. Colorless ROADM changing wavelengths to a free lambda

Directionless ROADMs: Directionless ROADMs enable
dynamic multi-directional capabilities, i.e the ability to launch a
wavelength into a ROADM network in any direction as directed
remotely by control plane software. This offers greater flexibility
and automation than did previous fixed add/drop ROADM
designs, which had a fixed relationship between the transponders
and add/drop ports. These fixed designs dictated a single, fixed
direction over which an outbound wavelength could be routed
until manually reconfigured.
However, in addition to the advantages of the directionless
ROADM, they have a number of disadvantages as well - such as
potentially introducing a single point of failure unless a duplicated
WSS is used, and high capex if that is the case.

Fig 7. Shows the passband being reconfigured over time for a gridless
ROADM

Directionless ROADMs are required at the end nodes and can

provide fixed or colorless add/drop capabilities.

Optical design flexibility

In addition to the broad range of ROADM options, Transmode
also offers a very extensive range of fixed filter modules and other
optical units that allow network designers great design flexibility.
This includes a broad range of fixed filter options that has grown
from Transmodes early heritage as an innovative Metro WDM
vendor. This range encompasses modules for single fiber and fiber
pair applications, CWDM, DWDM and mixed applications, and a
complete portfolio of terminal and fixed 1, 2 and 4 wavelength
add/drop modules supporting the full spectrum. The range also
contains unique interleavers that allow networks to grow from
40 channel 100 GHz spaced designs to 80 channel 50 GHz spaced
designs while still allowing the use of 100 GHz spaced optics on
the first 40 channels.

Fig 5. Directionless ROADM picking a new path.

Application Note
Ease of use

The broad range fully compliments the ROADM solutions, especially when combined with the range of amplifiers offered, which
includes a range of EDFA options and Raman and Power Booster
amplifiers.

Ease of use is the key to achieving unprecedented operational

efficiency, and is the driving force behind the design of Transmodes
Flexible Optical Networks. Transmodes TNM achieves this through
automation and simplification of

Overall, this range of additional components provides optical

network designers with the broadest possible toolkit to enable the
best possible and most flexible optical network design.
Resilience Features
Transmodes Flexible Optical Network solutions also has benefits
in terms of Resilience

The commissioning and operation of amplified networks

The provisioning of new services

Network planning

Transmodes Flexible Optical Networks enables remote

commissioning, upgrades, and optimization of amplified optical
networks. The optical control plane simplifies monitoring
and control of the amplified optical network from the
Transmode Network Manager, while local control loops simplify
commissioning of nodes and control of long term drift. Optical
channel monitoring enables control of channel power to optimize
performance. Integrated and separate variable optical amplifiers
enable control of added power in both terminal and OADM nodes.

Sub-50 ms protection switching

Client/equipment, line, fiber, and L2 protection schemes
Transmodes unique 1+3 line protection

Transmodes suite of network management and

planning tools

The flexibility, control, and simplicity offered by Transmodes

Flexible Optical Network relies on the interaction of a suite of
network planning tools, design tools, and management software
with the ROADM and WDM hardware. Transitioning from static
point-to-point networks to a flexible and dynamic optical network
requires this kind of tight integration.

The Transmodes planning tools and the Transmode Network

Manager (TNM) Software provide integrated software tools that
are compliant with the TMForums eTOM framework and support
the entire service life cycle.
The Transmode planning tools provide planning and provisioning
within Transmodes Flexible Optical Network to support:

Operators need a multi-layer view that converges the optical

and Ethernet layers. By providing visualization and correlation
of Layers 1 and 2, the Transmode Network Manager provides a
comprehensive end-to-end understanding of Ethernet service
performance and its relation to what is going on in the underlying
transport network.

Resource and Service Planning

Route selection
What-if scenario analysis
Optical design
Service restoration planning

Transmodes Flexible Optical Network also provides operators

with an integrated solution that results in efficient work
flow progression from planning and design through network
commissioning, service provisioning and ongoing operations streamlining both network and service operation and providing
valuable proactive diagnostic tools.

Service pre-provisioning
Resource and Service documentation
The Transmode Network Manager (TNM) element and network
management software provides:
Resource Management (FCAPS)
Service Provisioning/Activation
Service Management
Bidirectional northbound interfaces
Optimized Wavelength Management Features
Transmodes Flexible Optical Network supports a number of
optimized wavelength management features which simplify
network operations. Both active and passive network elements
can be registered in the network inventory, which has the benefit
of greatly simplifying the wavelength planning process. Because
the TNM includes ROADMs in its end-to-end configuration
management, automated remote power balancing of each channel
can be performed across the network. The TNM allows alien
wavelengths to be remotely managed and balanced in exactly the
same way as native wavelengths.

Application Note
Benefits of Transmodes Flexible Optical
Networks
Transmodes Flexible Optical Networks ROADM technology
supports offering a variety of protection and restoration services,
and provides the added benefit of enabling operators to offer
dynamic service provisioning. The proper choice and use of the
colorless, directionless, contentionless and gridless ROADMS
allows Transmodes Flexible Optical Networks to provide the
following benefits:
Enables remote configuration while accelerating time to market
Reduces the need for truck rolls and the possibility of human
error
Supports automation and scheduling of changes to the network
Simplifies planning and engineering tasks
Increases bandwidth efficiency by eliminating stranded
wavelengths
Eliminates the potential for blocking to occur in meshed
networks as they failover

Summary
Service opportunities are rapidly evolving, resulting in much greater
bandwidth requirements, more frequent need for upgrades, and
less predictable traffic patterns. Demand is highly variable, and
high bandwidth services are creating less revenue per bit than they
once did while increasing overall costs. A new degree of flexibility,
automation, and control of the optical and data layers is going to
be required.
Based on extensive experience designing and building optical and
ROADM networks, Transmodes Flexible Optical Networks provides
a complete portfolio of advanced commercially viable ROADM
technologies, and a suite of well designed network planning and
management tools that integrate Layer 1 and Layer 2 views to
correlate wavelengths with Ethernet-based services. Transmodes
Flexible Optical Network gives operators unprecedented degree
of operational efficiency, enabling them to maximize the revenue
potential of the network while minimizing total cost of ownership
and maximizing profitability.

Supports optimization of amplification in the network by

attenuating and equalizing all the wavelengths at many points in
the network

The specifications and information within this document are subject to change without further notice.
All statements, information and recommendations are believed to be accurate but are presented
without warranty of any kind. Contact Transmode for more details.

www.transmode.com

Application Note_Flexible Optical Networks_A

Enables scalability to future channel speeds while ensuring

efficient use of spectrum and backwards compatibility for the
installed base