Matisse Networks Introduces First Optical Burst Switch

Matisse Networks has come out of stealth mode today to announced the availability of the EtherBurst optical switch, the first product to market using optical burst switching techniques.

Optical burst switching overcomes an increasingly common dilemma for service providers – the need to scale Ethernet beyond 10gbps without sacrificing its flexibility to by running it over pre-provisioned, point-to-point optical circuits, said Mark Showalter, a spokesperson for Matisse Networks.

“It creates inefficiencies to run packet traffic over circuit technology. It’s also expensive,” he said, noting each DWDM path has to have two transponders – one at either end. “Ethernet over DWDM is not optimal.”

In contrast, he said, optical burst switching combines the any-to-any flexibility of Ethernet switching with the bandwidth of DWDM. It employs optical burst transponders that switch packet traffic in bursts at different wavelengths, enabling them to be used for different colors at the same time, rather than be statically provisioned for one at a time as with DWDM.

Matisse Networks takes the optical burst switching concept to another level with its patented 10gbps “Tango” optical burst transponder, which is capable of tuning to any wavelength in the ITU C-band in nanoseconds. It also addresses some common challenges – burst scheduling, collision avoidance and QoS -- with optical burst switching using its MeshWave packet processor.

Both Tango and Meshwave are contained in an optical burst switching interface card called TAP that is included in Matisse Network’s EtherBurst SX-1000 Ethernet Service Node. The SX-1000s support up to 48 gigE or four 10gigEinterfaces.

The SX 1000s interfact to the PX-1000 Photonic Nodes, which provide the fully-automated, all-optical photonic layer. Up to 32 SX-1000s -- each with two 10gbps TAP interface modules -- can be attached to the dual-ring photonic layer, yielding a total network capacity of 640gbps.

“We eliminate the need for optical circuit provisioning,” said Showalter. “All you have to worry about is provisioning the Ethernet switch.”

“EtherBurst is the first technology we’ve seen that is capable of building packet networks over fiber with such a high degree of ease and automation, and at capacities higher than 10gbps,” said Michael Howard, principal analyst and co-founder of Infonetics Research. “With the metro marketplace experiencing rapid growth from demand for new bandwidth-intensive applications like IPTV, EtherBurst is appearing on the scene at the right time.”

The EtherBurst optical switch is available now for evaluation and pilot projects, and will be generally available in the fourth quarter of 2006. Showalter said the system is in beta trials with Lawrence Livermore National Laboratories and is expected to be in trials with a CLEC and an ISP later this year.

Prices start at $86,000 for the SX-1000 e and $58,000 for the PX-1000. The MatisseView management system is included.

Matisse Networks www.matissenetworks.com 

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