White Paper

ROADMs in Network Architectures

Advanced optical network technologies such as Dense Wavelength Photonic Switch
Division Multiplexing (DWDM) form the foundation for communi-

{ {
2.5, 10, or
All-Optical
cations infrastructures, enabling worldwide traffic aggregation and 40 Gb/s
Express
LH or ULH
Fabric
metro and regional network consolidation. Reconfigurable Optical Ring/Mesh

Add/Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) are anticipated to deliver new WDM Optical

Terminal Add/Drop
flexibility to DWDM networks by enabling dynamic, transparent

optical wavelength add/drop functioning. ROADMs add considerable

agility and robustness to network architectures, vastly improving Figure 1. ROADMs enable optical bypass and add/drop

service velocity and lowering the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).

ROADM Technology
OADM technology delivers greater flexibility and cost savings on
optical transport platforms and enables add/drop of optical channels
anywhere within an optical network linear span or ring. These
channels can be wavelengths with any bandwidth rate—2.5, 10, and
40 Gb/s currently; 100 Gb/s in the future. The all-optical multi-degree
ROADM functionality added to Ciena’s CN 4200 ®
FlexSelect
Advanced Services Platform lends flexibility to add/drop wavelengths
with reconfigurable OADM technology. In contrast, fixed-filter
OADM technology generally prevents reconfiguration. ROADMs
automate and simplify the planning and configuration of optical
networks by allowing any of the 40 wavelengths on a fiber to be
added, dropped, or expressed optically in any combination through
a node. ROADM technology also allows traffic to pass through a
network location transparently in the optical domain without Optical-
Electrical-Optical (OEO) conversions, as shown in Figure 1.
ROADM BENEFITS
Explosive growth of integrated voice, data, and video services and
packet-based data traffic—such as Internet Protocol Television
(IPTV), Ethernet Private Line/Local Area Network (EPL/LAN), grid
computing, and storage networking—has made 10 Gb/s a common
aggregation trunk speed for Optical Transport Networks (OTNs)
transporting the aggregated traffic of multiple lower rate services,
™
such as Gigabit Ethernet (GbE), 10/100 Ethernet, and SONET/SDH.
ROADM technology helps minimize much of the guesswork
associated with capacity planning and addresses changing
bandwidth requirements by automating implementation and
reconfiguration processes. Minimizing guesswork reduces risk and
capital and operational costs from the deployment of an optical
network. Operators face the additional challenge of scaling the
network rapidly, which implies a reduction of time-to-service
provisioning, to offer powerful advantages for strategic initiatives and
revenue realization.

ROADMs ease the planning process for

DWDM-based networks by allowing the Improved utilization

addition, removal, or modification of one

or more wavelength channels within a Ring B Ring A On-demand

routings
network automatically, with minimal user Ring C
intervention. Formerly, the network tuning

process was performed manually and

required considerable equipment, traffic

Figure 2. Ring partitioning and on-demand routing
management, and personnel.
 ROADMs in Network Architectures

CN 4200 ROADM

Since the development of cost-

effective, reliable next-generation

ROADMs, Ciena has integrated

several new optical technologies into

its FlexSelect Architecture via the

CN 4200. Enabled by Wavelength

3 degree node 5 degree node
Selective Switching (WSS) technology,

these multi-degree optical ROADMs

provide a higher level of component

integration by delivering wavelength Figure 3. ROADMs enable various networking architectures, including spurs and
mesh configuration, with nodes up to eight degrees
blocking and port tunability. Each

DWDM wavelength entering the

CN 4200 can be switched independently to any one of several output networks can share a limited set of wavelength resources within

ports, in any combination. These multi-port wavelength switches WDM domains. As a result, instead of having access to 40 channels

provide port tunability and the ability to dynamically route multiple, of capacity per domain, channel wavelengths can be utilized at two

non-contiguous wavelength channels for optical ring partitioning and or more domains within an optical network, helping eliminate

on-demand routing, as shown in Figure 2. provisioning delays and increasing customer satisfaction and revenue

streams. Even a small network-blocking probability can delay orders

Multi-degree ROADM for the CN 4200 can serve local client systems

or connect to fiber routes reaching other nodes. As a result, the

CN 4200 is reconfigurable up to eight degrees, enabling networks Port 2

Port 3
with spur configurations or a fully meshed architecture, as shown in Port 8
Port 9
Figure 3.
•••

••
•

With this added flexibility, network operators can change the ingress ••
•
••
•

•••
•••
Port 1 •••

and egress points of all wavelengths within a DWDM architecture. An

ingress DWDM wavelength (shown as red in Figure 4) can be Port 2 Port 9

Port 3 Port 8
reconfigured automatically from port 8 to port 3, which can be either

a drop port on the node or a DWDM port expressed to another

node. This ability redirects stranded optical capacity to match

Rearrange:
evolving bandwidth requirements without network re-engineering. Red Port 3

Bandwidth requirements over the lifetime of the network can deviate

•••

substantially from original forecasts.

••
•

•
••
••
•
•••
•••

The CN 4200 multi-degree ROADM option also reduces the need for Port 1 •••

network planning and the upfront cost of deploying a network. The Port 2 Port 9
Port 3 Port 8
ability to reallocate optical capacity after a network has been

deployed simplifies planning for bandwidth growth. Reconfigurable

Figure 4. WSS-based ROADM

2

and diminish revenue. CN 4200 ROADM technology significantly
improves flexibility and economics and provides the advantages
inherent in a purely optical technology optimized for full-wavelength
services.
THE VALUE OF OTN IN SUB-WAVELENGTH LIGHTPATH
RECONFIGURATION
The sub-wavelength grooming and aggregation capability of the
CN 4200 permits traffic add/drop at the sub-wavelength service
delivery level, and grooming of any traffic at any speed and protocol
at any node. The ability to add/drop traffic and multiplex sub-
wavelength traffic down to 155 Mb/s, combined with the optical
ROADM ability to switch wavelengths, permits maximum flexibility
and more efficient wavelength utilization to minimize stranded
bandwidth within a wavelength. Sub-wavelength grooming using an
electronic ROADM (eROADM) allows wavelengths to be packed for
maximum network efficiency and utilization. Based on ITU G.709
OTN technology, the CN 4200 eROADM carves wavelengths into
individual timeslots to allow sub-wavelength service aggregation and
Time Slot Interchanger Function
Client Signals
GbE
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Gigabit Ethernet
STM-1/OC-3
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
STM-1/OC-3
FC100
1 2 3 4 5 6 Mapped into ODU-1 Frame
Client Port Interfaces
Figure 5. eROADM functionality with OTN
ROADMs in Network Architectures
grooming similar to SONET/SDH containers. However—unlike
legacy technologies—OTN is transparent to the individual services it
carries, which can include any combination of SONET/SDH and
packet-based services, such as 10/100/1000 Ethernet, Fibre Channel,
and FICON®/ESCON®, as shown in Figure 5. More importantly, OTN
provides robust Operations, Administration and Management (OAM),
which enables end-to-end, service-specific performance management
and fault sectionalization over any arbitrary topology.
Depending on the traffic mix, eROADM functionality can reduce the
number of wavelengths required to carry the service by 50 to 85
percent, lowering initial and total costs by extending the network’s
life and enabling deployment of much smaller line systems.
LEVERAGING ROADM TO OPTIMIZE COSTS AND BENEFITS
Multi-degree ROADM and eROADM functionalities, which combine
optical and electrical add/drop in a single CN 4200 to form a hybrid
ROADM, deliver ultimate service flexibility. The hybrid ROADM
allows multiple sub-wavelength services to be aggregated and
STM-1/OC-3
ESCON
Gigabit Ethernet FC100
1 1 1 1 1 1 1
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6
ESCON
GbE
ESCON
FC100
FC100
Unused
3
 ROADMs in Network Architectures

groomed onto a single wavelength for improved wavelength Any amount of eROADM capability can be added to nodes

utilization, which decreases the number of wavelengths needed in incrementally to distribute capital expenditures over time and keep

the network. Using the CN 4200 ROADM, operators can drop any the network in service during upgrades. When eROADM is upgraded

wavelength or sub-wavelength in the optical domain at any point— to hybrid ROADM, additional degrees can be added in-service to

without having to terminate every wavelength in the stream and drop the hybrid.

any arbitrary service from that wavelength.

The ROADM is a critical tool for any transport network to build a

Because the size and complexity of new data applications and highly flexible transport infrastructure, as shown in Figure 6. The

services vary between different metro networks, hybrid ROADM advantages of ROADM technology can be summarized as follows:

functionality may not be required initially. Therefore, an optical

» Electrical ROADM technologies help address stranded bandwidth
transport solution must be able to provide all OTN functionality for problems by delivering transparent sub-wavelength aggregation and

flexible sub-wavelength grooming and leverage the system benefits
of ROADM technology. These capacities allow growth of initial
implementations in an optimized cost structure as network
grooming. An eROADM routes and re-routes services within high-speed
optical trunks, uses OTN framing, and can be managed with a powerful,
SONET-like OAM.

requirements evolve, and provide the ability to upgrade to hybrid » Optical ROADM technologies solve stranded bandwidth problems within
the DWDM layer. When used with OTN framing, ROADM manages waves
ROADM technology.
with a powerful, SONET-like OAM. ROADM capabilities are useful for

Photonic Switch re-routing optical trunks and supporting dedicated, rate-agnostic services
at 10 and 40 Gb/s. Additionally the CN 4200 ROADM is immune to speed

{ {
All-Optical 2.5, 10, or
40 Gb/s upgrades.
Express
Frabric LH or ULH
Ring/Mesh » The hybrid ROADM provides maximum flexibility and reconfiguration.
Integrated WDM
WDM Terminal WDM With point-and-click ease, the hybrid ROADM can reroute optical trunks
Tunable Optics
Terminal
and services to deliver high-bandwidth services from any port to any port.
Optical Electrical
Grooming Grooming Furthermore, the hybrid can provide wavelength conversion if blocking
High speed Clients
(Switch/Routers)
155M – 10G Clients occurs due to fiber impairments.
10G – 40G

IN SUMMARY, Ciena’s approach to optical transport technologies

Figure 6. Integrated optical and electrical ROADM
permits network elements to be upgraded when requirements

demand. This flexibility ensures significant cost savings in the overall

UPGRADES TO THE HYBRID ROADM
architecture solution without sacrificing network functionality. Ciena
For maximum flexibility, the CN 4200 can be deployed in an electrical
has a proven reputation of providing best-value solutions that meet
or hybrid ROADM configuration, depending on the traffic type.
customer requirements, and developing timely, technically innovative
When network capacity is low, with only a few sub-wavelength
optical solutions built for long-term value. These solutions provide
services, the CN 4200 is a low-cost, flexible entry point for metro
investment protection, flexibility, and cost savings that solidify lasting
networks with an eROADM. As network capacities increase to require
business relationships and facilitate customer network adaptation to
significant wavelength switching and routing, the CN 4200 can be
new requirements.
upgraded to an optical multi-degree hybrid ROADM.

About Ciena: Ciena Corporation, the network specialist, supplies application-focused network systems, software and services to customers
worldwide. The company leverages core competencies in optical networking, data networking and broadband access to solve its customers’
most critical networking challenges so they can best exploit the applications that are driving their businesses forward.
For more information about Ciena, please call 1-800-207-3714 (US) or 1-410-865-8671 (outside US), or visit www.ciena.com

Ciena may from time to time make changes to the products or specifications contained herein without notice. ESCON and FICON are registered
trademarks of International Business Machines Corporation. © 2007 Ciena Corporation. All rights reserved. WP051 11.2007 4