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ROADMS unlock the edge of the network

Article  in  IEEE Communications Magazine · August 2008

DOI: 10.1109/MCOM.2008.4557057 · Source: IEEE Xplore

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TAYLOR LAYOUT 6/18/08 2:51 PM Page 146
IEEE APPLICATIONS & PRACTICE:
OPTICAL COMMUNICATIONS AND NETWORKS
ROADMS Unlock the
Edge of the Network
Thomas A. Strasser and Jay Taylor, Nistica, Inc.
ABSTRACT
Since their introduction in 2003, reconfig-
urable optical add/drop multiplexers have
brought new flexibility and scalability to what was
once a static optical telecommunications net-
work. In five short years, ROADMs have become
a mainstream requirement in core networks, and
are an essential feature in metro DWDM deploy-
ments. As the demand for bandwidth and flexi-
bility overwhelm the edge of the network, carriers
are deploying ROADM-equipped nodes that are
well suited for ring topologies. This is no easy
task as new nodes must accommodate 40 and 100
Gb/s channel capacities, be economically viable,
and be frugal in both power consumption and
footprint. ROADM vendors have made great
strides recently and are now able to take the
ROADMs closer to end users with high-band-
width applications.
EDGE NETWORK TRANSFORMATION
The edge of the telecommunications network is
a natural fit for the reconfigurable optical
add/drop multiplexer (ROADM) (Fig. 1). New
traffic patterns resulting from the intrinsic
churn of services and the broadcast nature of
content delivery are colliding with the limits of
the legacy infrastructure. Service providers
have traditionally deployed fixed optical
add/drop multiplexers (FOADMs) because of
their low initial capital expense (CapEx) with
the understanding that their associated opera-
tional costs (OpEx) would run high due to pro-
visioning truck rolls and forklift upgrades.
Until recently the exorbitant OpEx for these
fixed solutions was grudgingly accepted by car-
riers due to the large CapEx differential
between FOADM and ROADM solutions, but
new low-cost, flexible modules have pushed the
FOADM into obsolescence. This transforma-
tion is reflected in the recent growth of
ROADM infrastructure in carrier networks.
Since 2007 Verizon and AT&T have deployed
over 1000 ROADM nodes as the demand for
high-speed data services and video applications
form the main offerings in their FiOS and U-
verse plans, respectively.
With the fixed nature of new network builds
largely eliminated, the focus has now shifted to
146 0163-6804/08/$25.00 © 2008 IEEE
the various architectures for ROADM deploy-
ments. While large mesh applications with 1 × 9
and even 1 × 23 cross-connect modules are tech-
nically challenging and garner a lot of attention,
the underlying ring nature of deployed fiber
topologies provides the majority of deployments.
Ring topologies remain for three simple reasons:
• The fiber plant was originally built out in
this fashion.
• They offer protected service levels.
• They offer the lowest cost points for back-
haul and broadcast services.
As a result, the largest opportunity for ROADM
applications is the two-degree (1 × 2) ring
ROADMs that serve the needs of over 80 per-
cent of deployments.
EDGE NETWORK
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
ROADM vendors are challenged when trying to
meet their customers’ expectations for the metro
and edge networks. In addition to providing
accepted core ROADM functionality, ROADM
suppliers are expected to provide seamless inter-
operability with existing WDM system architec-
tures at an attractive price point. Some of the
key benefits derived by carriers are given below.
Logistics simplification by single-code
devices: FOADM deployment on a large scale is
considered impractical due to the need to track
multiple product codes or part IDs. For exam-
ple, a fixed filter that adds or drops a specific
wavelength has to be binned and tagged as such.
In a 100-GHz-spaced 40-plus-channel dense
wavelength-division multiplexing (DWDM) sys-
tem, operations personnel have to track 40-plus
product codes and manage the inventory as well
as the replacement parts. ROADMs provide
immediate relief because of their ability to add
or drop any channel anywhere in the network.
Product designers can thus order and track a sin-
gle product ID and deploy the same part every-
where in the network without regard to future
uncertainties in traffic patterns or network
demands.
Ease of provisioning provided by colorless
modules: In FOADMs and previous-generation
ROADMs that used planar lightwave circuits
(PLCs), each port is associated with a specific
wavelength. As a result, operators have to man-
IEEE Communications Magazine • June 2008
TAYLOR LAYOUT 6/18/08 2:51 PM Page 147
ually connect specific fibers to specific
transponders or service interfaces during ser-
vice turn-up or provision for large fiber patch
panels that prove cumbersome and manually
intensive. Colorless ports are now available
with the emergence of wavelength selective
switch (WSS) ROADMs, where a port is not
burdened with a specific wavelength. In fact,
multiple wavelengths can be added to, or
dropped from, a single port, thus adding to the
flexibility of network expansion in multiple
dimensions. All wavelengths are now available
at any port, allowing operators to remotely pro-
vision services via software commands and
point-and-click provisioning.
Elimination of stranded bandwidth: In addi-
tion to the operational complexity of deploying
FOADMs, static systems are highly inefficient in
terms of bandwidth utilization. Banded filters
that enable the add/drop of four or eight chan-
nels presuppose a certain traffic demand based
on forecasts. Most network planners, on the
other hand, would argue that the only certainty
in their business is that future traffic demands
would be uncertain. This disconnect manifests
itself in the form of wasted bandwidth. Very
often, over half the channels assigned between
locations remain unused, and reconfiguration of
these channels is an operational nightmare given
the lack of optical expertise and complexity of
the task. The ability to send any wavelength with
a single-wavelength granularity from any node to
any other node has considerably eased the
restrictions imposed on network planners, and
has led to the complete utilization of all band-
width in the network.
Despite the tremendous benefits afforded by
agile ROADM-driven optical systems, the opera-
tors remain focused on reducing their CapEx,
while enjoying the operating expense (OpEx)
cost savings provided by the ROADMs. As a
result, optical system builders or network equip-
ment manufacturers are integrating the
ROADMs with their traditional synchronous
optical network/synchronous digital hierarchy
(SONET/SDH) systems, or with the emerging
Ethernet and packet solutions. They are inte-
grating multiple functions on single, compact
line cards and utilizing a minimum number of
slots in the chassis (thus allowing the rest of the
slots for use as service interfaces). As these sys-
tems are deployed closer to the edge of the net-
work, the economics of ROADMs are garnering
significant attention from ROADM module sup-
pliers.
ROADM MODULE FEATURES
AND PERFORMANCE
With pricing pressures continuing to build in the
marketplace for large-scale deployment of
ROADMs, the technical community remains
focused on delivering high-end telecom-grade
performance to its masters. In particular, the
system requirements of two-degree, or 1 × 2,
ROADMs in ring topologies demand that the
ROADM modules perform at their pinnacle in
multiple dimensions. An ROADM’s most impor-
tant features include:
IEEE Communications Magazine • July 2008
Low insertion loss: This is a requirement for
any module used in an edge environment that With pricing
experiences many wavelength adds and drops.
pressures continuing
By limiting the insertion loss of each device,
designers can greatly reduce the number of opti- to build in the
cal amplifiers and, in turn, greatly reduce the marketplace for
overall cost of the system.
Flat, sharp filter functions: Optical perfor- large-scale
mance characteristics still reign supreme in the deployment of
evaluation of ROADM performance. In
ROADMs, the
FOADM-based systems, Gaussian filter shapes
would create a narrowing effect as a channel technical community
passed through multiple nodes, creating an ultra- remains focused on
narrow operating window at the receiver.
ROADM filters with flat tops and sharp edges delivering high-end
have changed this dynamic to enable a cascade telecom-grade
of up to 24 nodes in a system. While most prac-
performance to
tical deployments today fall short of this num-
ber, carriers are planning for a future where its masters.
multiple rings may be interconnected with all-
optical interfaces.
Flexible channel plan: First-generation
ROADMs that used PLC technology as well as
many current-generation ROADMs are specifi-
cally designed for fixed channel plans. For
example, a system builder needs to prespecify
the channel spacing, say 50 or 100 GHz. If a
100 GHz spaced system needs a future upgrade
to 50 GHz channel spacing (due to bandwidth
growth), the installed ROADM module would
need to be replaced. This burden is unaccept-
able given the multiple channels already being
carried through the common equipment of a
node. Some of the recent ROADM offerings
provide a flexible channel plan, a feature that
allows the operator to adapt the channel pass-
band to multiple different channel spacings,
generally some mix of 50 and 100 GHz. This is
not only critical for mixed traffic but also essen-
tial for future upgrades to support 40 and 100
Gb/s transport.
Drop and continue: As video becomes an
integral part of telcos’ and cable service pro-
viders’ offerings, and the move to high-definition
broadcasts becomes the norm, the ability to opti-
cally broadcast high-bandwidth channels
becomes a table stakes requirement. This
requirement translates to the ability to drop and
continue a copy of the signal on a per wave-
length basis. Several ROADM offerings provide
this feature, which enables carriers to pick and
efficiently distribute video channels.
Integrated optical channel monitor (OCM):
As wavelength services proliferate, and
ROADMs enable the seamless add/drop of
channels, carriers and system developers need
to monitor and track the various wavelengths in
the network. Optical channel monitors that feed
back critical health information such as channel
ID, optical signal-to-noise ratio, and center
wavelength are becoming increasingly deployed
in the agile network. An optimum location for
these OCMs is at the site where optical chan-
nels are being reconfigured. This collocation
requirement has translated into the need for an
integrated optical channel monitor in the
ROADM module. OCM integration into the
ROADM module provides tight closed-loop
control, in addition to cost savings and a
reduced footprint.
147
TAYLOR LAYOUT 6/18/08 2:51 PM Page 148
Due to the
onslaught of new
broadband services
and the natural
service entropy that
WiMax
occurs at the
network’s edge,
ROADMs are an Local VOD
distribution
integral enabler of
the delivery of these
services going IP-DSLAM
forward and are
1 x 2 ROADMs
unlocking the edge
of the network. MSAN
MSPP
Access Metro optical edge
VOD: Video on demand
MSPP: Multiservice provisioning platform
■ Figure 1. 1 × 2 ROADMs will dominate the metro optical edge.
TECHNOLOGIES
The right combination of features and require-
ments for various network segments has now
crystallized in the minds of system builders and
service providers. Several technologies are capa-
ble of delivering some or most of these features,
and the battle for deciding the dominating tech-
nology has just begun.
PLC-based ROADMs are expected to fade
from memory because of their high insertion
losses, imperfect filter shapes, and fixed channel
plans. The early promise, and to some the holy
grail, of a fully integrated single-chip ROADM
has not been achieved, and the market for these
devices is expected to drop precipitously in the
next two years.
Micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS)-
based ROADMs have enjoyed a significant mar-
ket share in the last two years. These devices
typically use a single mirror to reconfigure one
wavelength, and usually contain an array of
MEMS mirrors. While extremely flexible,
MEMS-based devices suffer from their inability
to provide flexible channel plans, intrinsic per-
channel drop and continue, and a small footprint
when extended to 50 GHz channel spacing.
However, this technology has been made practi-
cal for telco-grade applications and is expected
to dominate applications where full flexibility
and future-proofing of networks is not a high
priority.
Liquid crystal device (LCD)-based ROADMs
are the second largest selling technology in the
market, made popular by waveblockers (which
148
VOD Data center
Data center head-end
E
10 Gb
1 x N ROADMs
1 x 2 ROADMs
Business
service
Metro core
MSAN: Multiservice access node
IP-DSLAM: Internet protocol digital subscriber line access multiplexer
have been marketed as 1 × 1 WSS) and 1 × 4
WSS devices. LCDs claim superiority over
MEMS due to the absence of moving parts, but
suffer from the same inflexibility of channel
plans as MEMS-based ROADMs. This is anoth-
er technology that will continue to flourish, but
with limited application in fully flexible systems.
Two technologies have recently emerged in
the marketplace, providing all the key functions
desired by carriers and system developers. Digi-
tal light processing (DLP) switches and liquid
crystal on silicon (LCoS), the two leading display
technologies, are being adapted for telecom-
grade use. Both technologies offer thousands of
pixels on a miniature chip that can route wave-
lengths at will, providing full flexibility. Features
like drop and continue on a per-wavelength
basis, the ability to carve up available spectrum
as 100 GbE applications emerge and low costs
associated with high-volume industries make
these technologies the most promising ROADM
offerings in the marketplace.
Clearly, suppliers who can execute these tech-
nologies and provide attractive price points will
dominate the market over the next five years,
which will see the first phase of large ROADM
deployments.
CONCLUSION
ROADMs are successfully reducing costs and
simplifying operations throughout the telecom-
munications infrastructure. Cost and footprint
will be the new constraints as carriers look to
bring flexible and scalable channel management
IEEE Communications Magazine • July 2008
TAYLOR LAYOUT 6/18/08 2:51 PM Page 149
from the core to the edge of their networks.
Because ring topologies dominate the metro and
edge segment, successful ROADM solutions will
embrace 1 × 2 architectures whose feature set
and performance, in many cases, must be superi-
or to their brethren in the core. Due to the
onslaught of new broadband services and the
natural service entropy that occurs at the net-
work’s edge, ROADMs are an integral enabler
of the delivery of these services going forward
and are unlocking the edge of the network. DLP
and LCoS technologies that offer full flexibility
and attractive price points are expected to domi-
nate this industry in the next five years.
BIOGRAPHIES
THOMAS A. STRASSER [M] (tstrasser@nistica.com) received a
Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Cornell
University. He worked in optical fiber device research at
Bell Laboratories, Murray Hill, New Jersey, where his group
invented and developed manufacturing for enabling tech-
IEEE Communications Magazine • July 2008
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nologies in the next-generation transmission platforms of
AT&T and Lucent Technologies. He helped develop the first
WSS ROADM-based metro core DWDM system as chief
technologist at networking startup Photuris. He is currently
developing next-generation optical subsystems as chief
technology officer at Nistica, Inc., Bridgewater, New Jersey.
He has taught several short courses, and served as OFC
2004 Technical Program Co-Chair and General Co-Chair of
NFOEC/OFC 2006. He holds 37 patents, and has contribut-
ed over 100 presentations and publications in the field of
optics and communication devices.
J AY T AYLOR (jtaylor@nistica.com) is director of marketing
and business development at Nistica, where he is responsi-
ble for strategic marketing, customer and competitive
intelligence, offer management, and public relations.
Before joining Nistica, he was director of corporate strate-
gy and development at Lucent Technologies where he eval-
uated new business opportunities for Bell Labs’ emerging
technologies, and supervised corporate-wide product port-
folio planning on a quarterly and annual basis. Prior to
Lucent he was with Celight, in marketing, business devel-
opment, and product management roles, where he quanti-
fied market/product strategies for ULH DWDM networks.
He has an M.B.A. from the NYU Stern School of Business
and a B.S. in optics from the University of Rochester.
149