The goal of disaggregated optical networks is to spur price competition and facilitate optimized performance for

varied optical transport applications. Such networks are assembled using distinct optical transport subsystems,

equipped with well-defined control interfaces. Based on its Apollo optical networking product line, ECI provides

a complete set of flexible building blocks – all controllable through standard interfaces – to pursue a modular

and disaggregated approach. ECI’s Open Optical Line System (Open OLS) for high-performance transport

of 3rd-party wavelengths and spectrum mixes and matches an extensive selection of ROADMs and amplifiers

in a common chassis. The solution also provides open and programmable multiservice transponders and

muxponders, as well as control and monitoring systems for ECI and 3rd-party wavelengths and equipment.

ECI makes it easy to create a powerful and economical disaggregated multivendor optical network.

ENABLING DISAGGREGATED OPTICAL TRANSPORT

ELASTIC OPEN OPTICAL LINE SYSTEM

ECI or 3rd-party open

management system

3rd-party lambdas

and spectrum

ECI lambdas and spectrum

Standard control interfaces

Apollo

Open

OLS

Apollo

Open

OLS

3rd-party

transponders/muxponders

Apollo open

transponders/muxponders

3rd-party

transponders/muxponders

Apollo open

transponders/muxponders

3rd-party

transponders/muxponders

3rd-party

transponders/muxponders

THE EMERGENCE OF OPEN OPTICAL LINE SYSTEMS

The wave of openness that has swept over telecommunications systems in recent years has recently arrived at

the shore of optical systems. This approach allows network operators to assemble systems from best-of-breed

hardware and software modules.

Optical was one of the last places the modular openness wave reached, due to its inherent analog nature. Optical

system vendors argued, with some validity, that they could provide superior end-to-end performance via integrated

responsibility for design, implementation, and control of lightpaths. This includes signal conversion, multiplexing,

transmission, amplification, and routing, and associated monitoring, protection, and restoration.

However, this tendency is starting to change. Distinct optical subsystems are emerging with well-defined control

interfaces, allowing network operators to pursue a best-of-breed approach to building optical networks. The

primary approach is termed Open Optical Line Systems (Open OLS). Here, typically a single vendor (though

it can be multiple vendors) provides the ROADM and amplifier subsystems. These transport wavelengths from

multiple vendors of transponder and muxponder subsystems. A major goal is to increase price competition for the

trans-muxponder subsystems, which are usually the pricier parts of an optical network.

Initially, Open OLS is expected to be deployed for simple, short-haul, point-to-point applications like data

center interconnects. Then, as experience is gained, it will be used for more complex metro and long-haul optical

networking applications.

E2E network management

Optical Line System Optical Line System

Disaggregated optical network architecture

ECI is a member of the Open ROADM

Multi-Source Agreement (MSA), which

defines interoperability specifications

for Reconfigurable Optical Add/Drop

Multiplexers, transponders, and

pluggable optics. Specifications consist

of both optical interoperability and

YANG data models.

ECI’s Apollo optical networking system is exceptionally open and modular. It is ideally suited to deliver various

levels of OLS to fit different customer needs. Apollo’s Open OLS solution enables you to:

APOLLO ELASTIC OPEN OLS

• Provide a line system consisting of ROADMs

and amplifiers that transports alien (3rd-party)

wavelengths.

• Configure and manage alien wavelengths –

configuring them as virtual transponders – with

the same capabilities as Apollo wavelengths.

• Monitor alien wavelengths – using its

integrated OCM – with the same capabilities

as Apollo wavelengths.

• Extend the alien wavelength concept to an

alien spectrum. This defines a spectral band

between ingress and egress points that can

carry any wavelength combination, such as

superchannels and multi-wavelength DCI.

• Benefit from excellent lifecycle automation

and network management value for alien

wavelengths and spectrum, running over its

ROADM and amplifier line system, including

deep performance insights provided by

LightPULSE.

• Support open, industry-standard NETCONF/

YANG control interfaces, enabling control

by non-ECI management systems. ECI is a

member of the Open ROADM consortium

that is defining these interfaces for OLS

applications.

• Provide the service card (transponder and

muxponder) side of an Open OLS, with

exceptional capabilities, such as service-

specific Layer 1 encryption and continuous

modulation. ECI transponders and

muxponders are also transportable as alien

wavelengths over other vendors’ line systems.

Service

applications

Network

applications

OSS/Orchestration

RESTFUL Internet-driven APIs

NETCONF/YANG

Alien wavelengths

Alien spectrum

Integrated

OCMApollo Elastic OLS

APOLLO ELASTIC OPEN OLS PLATFORMS

The foundation for ECI’s Elastic Open OLS is the Apollo 9603 and 9608

flexible DWDM transport platforms. These can use any Apollo line card

with complete interchangeability. For data center applications, these

platforms also feature AC power and front-to-rear airflow options. Apollo

also provides separate passive shelves with slots of the same size, providing

flexibility on how to package passive elements. ROADMs and amplifiers

are two of Apollo’s main OLS line cards.

ROADMs

Apollo’s extensive ROADM offering spans from 2-degree to 20-degree

connectivity enabling a full range of ring, star, and mesh topologies. They support

CDC (colorless, directionless, contentionless) configurations, and can be applied

to both fixed 50/100 GHz grids, as well as flexible spectrum grids with granularity

of 6.25 GHz. Apollo ROADMs feature full built-in Optical Channel Monitoring

(OCM) for all output channels, including alien wavelengths, making them a

perfect fit for OLS.

Among Apollo’s many ROADM options, one module of particular interest for its OLS applications is the

ROADM_4FS. This 4-degree ROADM integrates two pluggable CFP2 MSA amplifiers (booster and/or

pre-amp) and a built-in OSC, enabling ultra-dense and efficient OLS deployments. The pluggable amplifier

capability is key, allowing customization for different applications.

AMPLIFIERS

Apollo offers a wide variety of Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifiers (EDFAs),

Raman, and Hybrid EDFA/Raman amplifiers to suit any OLS application. These

include both dynamic variable-gain and fixed-gain amplifiers. The variable-gain

EDFAs adjust automatically to the length of the fiber span for which they are

compensating. This provides optimized amplification over the entire spectral

band. By maintaining an optimal optical signal noise ratio (OSNR) at the output

of each amplifier, far longer spans and many more amplifiers can be cascaded. The result is an OSNR that is

sufficiently high for clear reception at the end of the link, requiring fewer amplifiers.

Two-stage amplifiers have the ability to provide the correct gain at each site while maintaining flat amplification

and optimal OSNR. They include mid-stage access optimized for DCF integration that does not affect the link

power budget. Fixed-gain amplifiers provide a low-cost alternative for specific configuration requirements, such as

a booster after ROADM nodes.

ALIEN WAVELENGTH MANAGEMENT AND

MONITORING

LightSOFT® is ECI’s powerful, intuitive network management system. It is used to provision, monitor, and

troubleshoot all ECI network equipment, including Apollo and the services they support. MuseTM

Orchestrator is

now supplementing LightSOFT’s functionality for automating service and network applications. All Apollo-related

functionality supported by LightSOFT and Muse can also be extended to alien wavelengths and alien spectrum

transported by Apollo, such as creation and management of lightpaths.

LightPULSETM is an especially valuable software feature for OLS applications, running in collaboration with

LightSOFT and Muse. It is a proactive, comprehensive monitoring, reporting, trending, and troubleshooting

system for optical networks. LightPULSE acts as a full-time optical network analyst, making sure that all parts of

the network are up and running in a healthy fashion. LightPULSE maintains records of all data collected, providing

context and a long-range perspective to determine whether anything might need attention and what would be the

most effective response. All of LightPULSE’s capabilities and benefits are applicable to alien wavelengths running

over an Apollo OLS.

Virtual

transponder

Native and alien

wavelengths

Encrypted

Encrypted

Unencrypted

Encrypted

Unencrypted

TRANSPONDER AND MUXPONDER SERVICE CARDS

Apollo platforms support a wide variety of Layer 1 and Layer 2 service cards, providing one of the densest systems

on the market. These can run as Apollo wavelengths over Apollo line systems or as alien wavelengths over other

vendors’ line systems.

The Layer 1 cards support multiple rates and protocol services. This reduces the number of I/O modules and

spare parts required at each site. They are designed as multi-channel cards, with pluggable transceivers, providing

a pay-as-you-grow option. The service cards also interface smoothly with alien client transceivers, providing more

customer choice.

All Layer 1 and Layer 2 cards support both B&W and colored (C/DWDM) clients. Services on these cards are

independently configurable to work with no protection or full equipment protection. The cards support GFEC,

EFEC, and no-FEC modes towards the line. Apollo service cards comply with ITU-T standards for 50 GHz, 100

GHz, and flexible-grid multichannel spacing, using fixed or tunable transceivers.

Of Apollo’s approximately 15 services cards, the TM200EN, TR200_2, and TM1200 are key for implementing

disaggregation applications.

TM200EN

The TM200EN is a 200G coherent multiservice transponder/muxponder that

supports configurable Layer 1 optical encryption. Each client service can be

encrypted selectively and independently, with its own key management. Moreover,

encrypted and non-encrypted services can be combined on the same line without

restrictions. Service providers can install the hardware for an ultra-high-speed

200Gbps network on day one, offering both encrypted and unencrypted services

to their clients. Existing clients can be upsold at any time to an encrypted service without the need to replace any

hardware, since the service can be enabled at any time via software commands.

• Multiservice

• Encrypted/unencrypted transport

• Multiplexed to 200G

• P2P or over DWDM network

Standard OTN/WDM

network

Cloud-based applications

Data center

Remote office

Unencrypted mix of services

10GE

25GE

40GE

100GE

FC8G

FC10G

FC16G

FC32G

STM-64

OC-192

OTU2

OTU2e

TR200_2

The TR200_2 200G dual transponder/muxponder card is a masterpiece of design

elegance for high-capacity metro-optical networking applications, combining

high performance, compact size, versatility, and cost-effectiveness. Its flex rate

100G/200G coherent line interfaces are uniquely provided by digital CFP2-

pluggable modules, making the TR200_2 a true pay-as-you grow service card. It

can be software-configured as a dual transponder, mapping 2 x 100GbE/OTU4

signals to 2 x OTU4, or as a dual muxponder, mapping 4 x 100GbE/OTU4 signals to 2 x OTUC2. At less than

0.25W per Gbps, the TR200_2 is also a genuine green technology.

TM1200

The TM1200 next-generation muxponder extracts every bit of bandwidth capacity

from underlying fibers. It approaches modulation in a fundamentally different

way. Rather than being engineered to support specific modulation schemes (e.g.

DPSK, QAM), TM1200 provides software-controllable ‘knobs’ for the baud rate,

modulation scheme, transmit power, and FEC overhead. This permits optimizing

the optical transmission rate (line rate) from 50G to 600G in 50G increments, for

a wide range of transport distances and fiber conditions.

Among its benefits, TM1200 optimizes your return on fiber capex investment, delaying the need to add new fiber

and optical networking infrastructure. By operating at the edge of the Shannon limit, it squeezes the maximum

capacity from each channel on a fiber. This includes both brownfield deployments with fixed 50G/100G ITU

spacing, and greenfield deployments that have a mix of fixed and flexible spectrum channel spacing.

Contact us to find out how to disaggregate your optical network

ABOUT ECI

ECI is a global provider of ELASTIC network solutions to CSPs, utilities as well as data center operators. Along with its

long-standing, industry-proven packet-optical transport, ECI offers a variety of SDN/NFV applications, end-to-end network

management, a comprehensive cyber security solution, and a range of professional services. ECI's ELASTIC solutions ensure

open, future-proof, and secure communications. With ECI, customers have the luxury of choosing a network that can be tailor-

made to their needs today – while being flexible enough to evolve with the changing needs of tomorrow. For more information,

visit us at w w w.e c i t e l e.c o m

EXPLORE THE DISAGGREGATION TREND

The trend to disaggregated optical networking systems has started and is picking up steam. ECI is responding by

taking advantage of the inherent modularity and openness of its Apollo optical networking system to package

and offer Apollo in various open configurations. This includes various combinations of ROADM and amplifier

OLS, and trans-muxponder subsystems. These open transport solutions can be managed via ECI’s value-added

network management and control systems.

Apollo subsystems are also controllable via 3rd-party management systems using standard NETCONF/YANG

interfaces, such as those defined by the Open ROADM multisource agreement consortium.

Standard

NETCONF/YANG control

interfaces

Transparent provisioning

and monitoring of alien

wavelengths

Alien spectrum

as a new service