Data Sheet

a division of ciena

MANAGE, CONTROL AND PLAN

Unleash the programmability of trusted Ciena networks

Network operators are burdened with multiple, separate

management tools that force time-consuming, manual,
error-prone steps. This results in slow service turn-up and the
inability to integrate new technologies. With Ciena’s Blue Planet
Manage, Control and Plan (MCP) software, operators now can
unify all aspects of operations across Ciena’s optical and packet
network assets, with consistency, reliability, and speed. Blue
Planet MCP’s modern, extensible architecture evolves network
Features and Benefits
• Plan, provision, and turn up multi-layer services quickly
using a single, intuitive interface
• Gain a unified, real-time view of the network and services
for rapid troubleshooting
• Extract optimal value from advanced network

operations with real-time, software-defined programmability infrastructure, such as WaveLogic Ai coherent optics

to drive service agility. • Integrate easily with Billing and Operations Support
Systems (B/OSS) using open REST APIs
Blue Planet MCP is a lifecycle operations system that unifies
network and service management, with granular resource • Streamline business processes with integrated,

control and online network planning, within a single rich user online network planning

interface. MCP marks a strategic shift from legacy network • Leverage Blue Planet’s scalable, modular, open
architecture to grow as needed

• Embark on an evolutionary path leading to multi-vendor,

NETWORK
SERVICE AND multi-domain service orchestration
ASSURANCE

Manage
management software, enabling the transformation to open,
scalable software control that easily integrates into network
NETWORK operators’ business processes.
SERVICE
UTILIZATION
PROVISIONING
MONITORING
With Blue Planet MCP, network operators can perform all
the essential tasks that keep the network running smoothly
Control today and in the future. This means they can fulfill customer
service requests rapidly, on top of Ciena infrastructure, and
accurately assure high service quality. Furthermore, using
MCP’s integrated, online capacity planning, driven by network
Plan
data analysis, operators can ensure the network can satisfy
NETWORK AND
RESOURCE
SERVICE customers’ bandwidth and quality demands tomorrow.
COMMISSIONING PLANNING

Figure 1. Lifecycle network and service management,

resource control, and online planning
Leverage network data to inform operational decisions
Big data alone is not sufficient to run a high-performance
network. A dynamic view of the network and service topology,
and real-time analysis of key performance indicators, are
required to drive informed operational decisions. The Blue
Planet platform provides the foundation for such network
intelligence. Blue Planet MCP utilizes resource adapters to
interface with the Ciena network resources under management,
to discover and build a comprehensive network information
model. Data is collected from the network dynamically, so the
MCP user always has the most accurate view of the network
and service topology, without needing to reconcile multiple,
Figure 3. End-to-end service topology visualization
static inventory spreadsheets or tools.

Evolve network operations with open web-scale IT architecture

The phenomenal rise of on-demand consumption of video,
mobility, cloud, and Internet of Things services demands
massive scale and elasticity from the network, but many
network operations systems are not up to the challenge.
Unlike legacy network management platforms built on
monolithic software architectures, MCP is built on Blue Planet’s
scalable, modular micro-services architecture that scales
as the network expands. Leveraging multiple open source
components and open software development techniques,
the platform is flexible to adapt to customer requirements
and future innovations. With its open REST APIs, MCP rapidly
integrates with adjacent B/OSS and orchestration systems.
Figure 2. Intuitive shelf view for granular resource management

Blue Planet MCP software is readily accessible to customers,

With confidence in the underlying data, MCP users can
third-party developers, and partners via Ciena’s Emulation
manage the full service lifecycle in conjunction with network
Cloud™, which supports a simulated Ciena network
resources. Fault, Configuration, Accounting, Performance, and
environment. This means operators can easily test MCP REST
Security (FCAPS) tasks are completed reliably. End-customers’
APIs to third-party network components, and leverage the
services are provisioned in record time, across optical and
community’s expertise. This accelerates solution integration
packet layers, so service revenue can be realized as soon
and advances skills development for customers and partners.
as possible. Blue Planet MCP’s rich user interface simplifies
monitoring of network and service utilization. Armed with key
performance metrics, operators can take proactive measures
C I E N A’ S E M U L AT I O N C LO U D
to maintain a high level of service quality. By leveraging S I G N U P N OW
MCP’s discovered network topology and historical telemetry
data, operators can plan network build-outs most efficiently,
schedule commissioning of requisite equipment, and deploy
services—all from MCP’s intuitive interface. This reduces the
overall planning time horizon.
Drive business transformation
OSS / BSS
with centralized programmability
Blue Planet MCP introduces centralized
MDSO
control and automation for Ciena network
operations, and through its open and MCP
extensible architecture, it lays the foundation Domain Y
REST APIs
for further modernization. Blue Planet MCP
Manage, Control and Plan
enables the transformation to comprehensive Micro-services Domain X
software-defined operations by integrating
Web-scale Platform
easily into network operators’ business
Resource Adapter Framework
processes—those that are currently in
place, and those envisioned for the future.
Operators seeking to bring programmability
to their extensive networks, across multiple
Ciena Ciena
technical domains, composed of multi-vendor
Ciena
physical and virtual network elements, can Packet Optical
Domain
leverage MCP’s common Blue Planet platform Ciena
Ciena Ciena

to evolve to Blue Planet Multi-Domain Service Ciena

Orchestration (MDSO).
Figure 4. Blue Planet MCP’s open and extensible architecture
Technical specifications
Supported Operating Environments
Server
• Red Hat Enterprise (RHEL) 7.x or equivalent (64-bit)
• Clustering for high availability and geographically
redundant configurations available
• Deployment on bare metal and virtualized/cloud
infrastructure (such as OpenStack, VMWare)
• Specific hardware requirements will vary based upon
network size, complexity, and supported network element
types. Please consult a Ciena representative for sizing
and deployment guidelines
Client
• HTML 5 web client usable with modern Web browsers
(Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge)
Supported Configurations and Services
Optical:
• Colorless Direct Attach (CDA) Flexible Grid
• Colorless Directionless (CD) Flexible Grid
• Colorless Directionless Contentionless (CDC) Flexible Grid
• WL3 and WLAi Transponders
Packet:
• MPLS-Transport Profile (TP) services and tunnel management
• MPLS-TP with Q-in-Q spurs
• MPLS Multi-Segment Pseudo-Wire (MS-PW)
• Carrier Ethernet services: E-Line, E-Tree, E-Access, E-Transit
CONNECT WITH BLUE PLANET TODAY

Supported Ciena Network Elements

Converged Packet Optical: 6500 family, 6200 Packet-Optical
Platform, Waveserver ®
Packet Networking: 3000 family, 5000 family,
Ciena may make changes at any time to the products or specifications contained herein
without notice. Ciena, Blue Planet, and the Blue Planet logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Ciena Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. A complete list of Ciena’s
trademarks is available at www.ciena.com. Third-party trademarks are the property of their
respective owners and do not imply a partnership between Ciena and any other company.
Copyright © 2017 Ciena® Corporation. All rights reserved. BPDS007 2.2017

8700 Packetwave® Platform

a division of ciena