Optical Consortium Seeks Automatic Provisioning

The ODSI, supported initially by Sycamore Networks Inc. (www.sycamorenetworks.com), is attempting to develop an interface that will allow electrical network components, such as routers, ATM switches and cross-connects, to provision services on an optical network. These electrical components, because they are based on packets or cells that contain addressing information, have knowledge of the bandwidth required for each stream, and of the origin and the destination of the traffic--all the information needed to set up a circuit.

"What we are doing with this is looking to get a well-defined handoff between the service layer and the underlying optical layer," says Jeff Kiel, vice president of product marketing at Sycamore.

The handoff or interface will allow IP layers to signal into the optical network, and set up and tear down services on demand. "It is the IP boxes that understand traffic patterns, quality of service and applications, because we don't understand that," Kiel says. "We just provide the backbone. This is taking the ability to manipulate wavelengths in a very agile manner and letting the service layer do it."

Already, the new generation of optical network vendors, such as Sycamore, Monterey Networks Inc., acquired by Cisco Systems Inc. (www.cisco.com), and Corvis Corp. (www.corvis.com) have incorporated some form of service provision in an optical network. "They are marrying dynamic IP with the optical layer to set up circuits on demand," Kiel says.

Among those participating in the ODSI are Alidian Networks Inc. (www.alidian.com), Appian Communications Inc. (www.appiancom.com), Avici Systems Inc. (www.avici.com), IronBridge Networks Inc. (www.ironbridgenetworks.com), Pluris Inc. (www.pluris.com), Tachion Net-works Inc. (www.tachion.com) and Siemens Corp.'s Unisphere Solutions Inc.(www.unispheresolutions.com). The ODSI will not be limited to vendors, however, with service providers encouraged to participate.

ODSI could be important, says Chris Nicoll, director of optical and carrier service at consulting firm Current Analysis Inc. (www.currentanalysis.com), beyond build-ing interoperability between electrical and optical systems, or among optical vendors. "What we are starting to see on ODSI is, 'how can we provision services in general on an optical network?'" he says.

It now takes 90 to 100 days to provision one optical circuit across the country. "If you can get that down to an automatic system that does it in a matter of days, it's a real improvement," Nicoll says. "If it takes 60 days to provision a circuit, that is one-sixth of a year that the service provider can't claim revenue for that service."

Another reason the effort is important is that it is addressing true services, such as provisioning a cross-country OC-48 for a specific customer for a specific period of time.

It is expected there will be several different suggestions for the actual signaling system itself. Sycamore will introduce multiprotocol label switching (MPLS), a QoS protocol that is being developed for IP telephony. "MPLS and traffic engineering are well understood, and vendors are implementing that," Kiel says.

"I am hearing over and over that companies are using [MPLS] to provision internally, though I'm sure they are all different flavors," Nicoll says. "But, at least, if they are in a common format, that's a good start."

Kiel says the group's goal is to demonstrate interoperability between the service layer and the optical layer by the end of the calendar year and then to submit its work to appropriate standards bodies.

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