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Upgrading today's networks for tomorrow's data needs

Service providers and enterprises worldwide are reducing network bottlenecks by upgrading their network infrastructure beyond 100G. Those with scale may find upgrading to 400G PAM4 cost-prohibitive. At ProLabs, we’re overcoming these challenges with our QSFP28-DD 2x100G transceivers.

These QSFP28-DD 2x100G transceivers work to:

• Empower service providers and network operators to relieve bottlenecks
  
• Increase network switch density without migrating to PAM4 infrastructure
  
• Minimize growing hardware migration and training costs

ProLabs’ new transceiver contains two 100G transceivers in one housing, enabling customers to subtend two common 100G NRZ (LR4 or CWDM4) transceivers from a 2x100G one. Leveraging legacy NRZ infrastructures helps defer unnecessary costs but still acquire bandwidth and speed upgrades.

Many will move to a 400G PAM4 architecture, but some prefer to wait for a more mature solution. The ProLabs’ QSFP28-DD 2x100G transceiver provides options for customers in need of an interim step to upgraded capabilities as well as those moving to 400G directly without breaking the bank.

Contact us today for info on how our QSFP28-DD 2x100G transceivers prepare your networks for the future!

ProLabs has debuted its EON-OMP-2 optical platform, which it says offers a full portfolio of Active Solutions for the telecommunications industry. The company says these solutions enable operators to maximise their fibre optics infrastructure, thereby increasing efficiency, and enhancing existing network capabilities.

ProLab’s portfolio of solutions includes optical transport elements, including transponders, muxponders and media converters, in addition to data, optical test and verification equipment. This compressive suite of solutions provides network operators with capabilities in three key areas – network build-out and enhancement, monitoring and troubleshooting and encryption and security.

“The Active Solutions portfolio includes a range of new and innovative optical transmission and data services products. This launch advances fibre management systems, enabling the creation of powerful 5G-ready infrastructures and enhances broadband and Remote-PHY network rollouts,” comments Anthony Clarkson, Technical Director at ProLabs (pictured). “Our Active Solutions portfolio extends our suite of fibre infrastructure solutions available to support critical applications, strengthening our position as the leading end to end solutions provider in market. This portfolio gives operators the tools to truly maximise their fibre infrastructure as they move to become 5G ready.”

The first product to be launched in the portfolio is an Optical Channel Monitor (OCM), EON-OMP-2-OCM, which delivers network operators increased visibility and reduces the time to identify the root cause of network issues. This solution minimises the impact of infrastructure disruption while reducing the mean time to repair. ProLabs’ OCM not only saves time by improving visibility of remote DWDM channel signal characteristics such as to receive power, receive wavelength and Optical Signal to Noise Ratio (OSNR), it dramatically reduces truck rolls to remote locations to perform physical audits of DWDM channel and signal integrity. This device allows Network Management Centre engineers to remotely monitor and troubleshoot reported network issues before sending out any field engineers.

Building on the capabilities of the OCM platform, the EON-OMP-2 platform delivers a cost-effective, modular system, which can be configured to support a variety of different expansion cards for capabilities including optical amplification (both Erbium-doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and Raman variants), 3R OEO OCM, optical switch, muxponders, transponders, and Optical Time Domain Reflectometer (OTDR) modules to name a few.

Tustin, California, US December 3 - ProLabs, the world’s largest independent supplier of fiber optic transceivers and high-speed cabling has partnered with the University of New Hampshire Interoperability Lab (UNH-IOL) to build industry relevant programs for its Engineering and Computer Science students.

ProLabs has provided UNH-IOL with the latest testing capabilities using its Network Equipment Building System (NEBS)-certified optical network equipment. With this equipment, students from UNH-IOL who develop software and research industry-wide networking applications, conducted tests pertaining to the Open Network Systems Interoperability test plan.

“Computer science is the fastest-growing profession according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. We have enabled ProLabs component systems engineers to educate and inspire students, as well as receive their ideas and concepts for interoperability in tomorrow’s world”, said Matt McCormick, Chief Executive Officer at ProLabs. “These students are the innovators of the future, and we’re confident that the firsthand experience provided by ProLabs will inspire them in their academic pursuits and beyond.”

The Open Network Systems Interoperability test plan outlined a series of tests performed on a variety of optical transceivers with bare-metal open switches running Network Operating Systems from multiple network manufacturers. Outcomes of this thorough testing showed that ProLabs components passed all criteria for compatibility with platforms from various manufacturers - marking ProLabs products as completely interoperable and high quality.

Press release provided by Real Wire.

Media Contact
Proactive International PR Ltd
prolabs@proactive-pr.com

Related News Empowering future innovators: ProLabs furthers involvement at University of New Hampshire Career Advancement Event

100G, Next-Gen Data Centers, and a Role for Third-Party Optics

At the recent ECOC trade show and conference, much of the talk at the conference sessions was about the replacement of 100G by 200/400G transceivers. However, when one talked to end-users walking the show floor, a different story was to be heard. Most data center managers whose job it is to oversee the smooth functioning of medium-sized data centers are not yet concerned with 400G and may not be for several years. Instead, their focus is much more on transitioning from a 10G to 100G infrastructure or (to a limited but growing extent) from 10G to 25G infrastructure.

While technology is at the core of the 400G transition, this is not the case with the 100G evolution of data centers to 100G. The development of 100G for the data center began about 15 years ago and for the most part 100G should be regarded as a mature technology. This does not mean that the standards for 100G are over and done, but the standards making for 100G that is happening now is at the margins. For example, in the past couple of years the IEEE’s P802.3 which governs the standardization of Ethernet has concerned itself with adding some physical layer specs and management parameters for the full range of higher speed Ethernets including 100G. Work has also gone on a standard defining a 100G PHY defining 100G over a single wavelength on a DWDM and with a range of 80 km or more.

This sort of thing will matter more to a service provider contemplating next-generation metro networks than it will to the average data center manager. Chances are they are less concerned with technical niceties than with the requirements for upgrading their data center architectures.

Three Routes to Data Center Upgrades

As we see it, the network manager now has two scenarios for data centers in the near future:

• Add some connections to the existing infrastructure: Some other network managers, after some reflection, may decide that their existing architecture is almost good enough and that more connections at current data rates will do the trick without buying more switches. All this means is that they can put off a real upgrade for a couple years. From a technology standpoint, this may be considered an example of hiding ones’ head in the sand. But from a financial perspective, putting off purchases for a couple of years can yield substantial rewards
• The 25G/100G option: While the “do nothing” option just discussed may make sense in the short term, most centers are going to shift to a 25G/100G option. Most obviously it is a shift from 10G driven by the need for more bandwidth, typically to support video streaming or more flexibility in the rack.
• Just a few years ago upgrading to 100G meant in practice replacing 10G links with 100G and 40G links. Today 40G connectivity is in rapid decline and is being replace by n x 25G connectivity, which is less expensive and cheaper to implement than 40G links. One 100G port can be broken up into 4x25G links, providing an option to connect two servers at 50G (2 x 25G) each. In the “old days” 40G had to be run to each server from separate switch ports. With the 25G/100G, only one switch port is used and connectivity at the server is 50G not 40G. A double plus. In the 25/100G upgrade there are 100G connections between switches and 50G (perhaps just 25G) to the servers.

Price and 100G

The bottom line is that over the next few years, what we are looking at is a wholesale deployment of many 100G and 25G transceivers. While such transceivers are not so expensive individually, in aggregate the transceiver bill is going to add up to a significant sum, making third-party sourcing of the necessary transceivers – sometimes a third the price of OEM branded transceivers – a very good deal.

In this context, one should remember that it is not just the transceivers that need to be swapped out. In many cases, older switches are not designed to support the new 25G/100G and must be replaced and even newer switches may not support enough 100G ports. So new switches and probably some re-wiring for 100G will have to be budgeted for to get the new infrastructure right. Even more reason to look at third-party sourcing for the new transceivers, which can save a lot on what is inevitably a big budget upgrade project.

Browse our transceivers catalog here.

On pricing for 25G and 100G solutions for your switch, contact our global sales team below.

info@prolabs.com

Third-party Optics and Rise of 400 Gbps: Some Speculations

Rapid growth in the 400G market has been “just a year away” for more than five years now. But it seems plausible that 2020 will be the year of 400G. The pushing of demand are the usual suspects; more video and cloud storage that need ever more bandwidth. In hyperscale data centers, core network architectures are reportedly upgraded every couple of years. It has been at least two years since the biggest data centers abandoned 10G and 40G for 100G, so now it’s time for 400G.

On the supply side, the latest 12.8 Tbps ASICs are being used to fabricate next-gen switches capable of delivering 32 ports of 400 Gbps. (Although we note that these chips are also used to power high-density 100 Gbps switches.) Meanwhile, 100G single-lambda (100G-DR or 100G-FR) transceiver products are becoming available and these are capable of directly interoperating with 400G transceivers in a breakout topology. Aggregating four 100G per wavelength lanes, the technology platform can support 400G varietals such as 400G DR4, 400G FR4 and 4x100G for breakout applications.

Given all of the above, most observers foresee millions of 400G transceivers being sold in 2020. The rise of 400G will also be good for the third-party suppliers, who sell unbranded transceivers that they code identically with OEM-sourced transceivers. Here are three reasons why third-party transceiver companies may do well in the new 400G market.

#1 Cost, of course: The number one reason why end users buy transceivers from third-party suppliers is cost. The discount on a branded OEM transceiver that third-party suppliers are able to offer can often be well over 80 percent, which is extraordinary. It is not clear yet that this level of discount will be available on 400 Gbps.

But if it is, savings to end users from third-party 400G modules could be in the order of thousands of dollars per transceivers. In such a case, the savings made from buying third party 400G modules may be enough to buy a much better switch.

#2 Availability: A third-party party optics provider can offer a wide line of transceivers that sometimes even OEMs cannot provide. If you need long reach 1G SFP ZX 160km optics for your fiber slot in Cisco switch, you won’t find original ones, but many 3rd party can meet your needs and deliver it within 1 week. Many 3rd party suppliers have a huge stock of optics and you can get most of the them with the same day shipping.

By providing you with a single contact window, third party vendors can save you valuable time by providing support for multiple manufacturers all wrapped up in a single contract. As a result, you won’t have to juggle several service contracts from OEM manufacturers. Third party vendors are capable of delivering an array of customized optics to meet your special needs.

400G offers a welcome upgrade to relieve network bottlenecks for data center and large-scale networks. Data center and network operators must understand both the practical challenges brought about by the underlying technology introduced by 400G and alternatives to minimize upgrade costs across the network.

400G data rates are enabled by applying PAM-4 modulation to combine higher signal rates and baudrates, ultimately increasing data rates by four times over current Non-Return to Zero (NRZ) signaling. The introduction of PAM-4 signaling creates new interoperability challenges between these 400G ports and legacy networking gear. Existing NRZ transceivers, switch ports, or NICs found in the network are not interoperable with PAM-4.

The most common use case where PAM-4/NRZ interoperability challenges will be experienced is in the use of network breakout connections. Widely deployed breakout connections are used to aggregate connections between multiple network elements such as servers, storage, and other appliances with a single top-of-rack or leaf switch port. In the recent 40G and 100G upgrade cycles, modulation was not a concern. Configuring breakout ports and aligning data rates were the primary complexities to consider.

Utilizing existing 100G switches and transceivers to aggregate to 400G via breakout connections will need to consider new options. 400G transceivers typically transmit and receive with four lanes of 100G or eight lanes of 50G with PAM-4 signaling on both the optical and electrical interfaces. Legacy 100G transceivers are built on four lanes of 25G NRZ formatted signaling both on the optical and electrical side. 100G-SR4, 100G-SWDM4, 100G-CWDM4 and 100G-LR4 are among the common NRZ transceivers commonly found in the data center and will not be interoperable with 400G transceivers in a 4x100 application.

Data center and network operators have transceiver-based solutions to avoid the unneeded request of upgrading existing 100G switches to support PAM-4. A new class of 100G transceivers has been introduced that will support 100G PAM-4 at the optical interface and 4x25G NRZ at the electrical interface. These transceivers perform the re-timing between PAM-4 and NRZ modulation within the transceiver gearbox. The QSFP28 DR and FR (also referred to as DR1 and FR1) transceivers are the first of these transceivers, are fully interoperable with not only legacy 100G network gear, but with QSFP-DD DR4 and DR4+ breakout transceivers. The QSFP-DD DR4 and DR4+ are parallel series modules, accepting a MPO-12 connector, with breakouts to LC connectors to interface with the DR or FR transceivers. DR4 to 4xDR connections are up to 500M, DR4+ to 4xFR connections are up to 2KM over single-mode fiber.

Summary

The dawn of 400G requires careful consideration and planning to avoid unwanted network gear and overhead investment. Understanding the transceiver solutions available is key to data center and network operators to minimize network hardware costs and increase port density.

COVID-19 has become a catalyst for education's digital transformation. ISPs make it possible.

The three T’s (telework, telehealth, and tele-education) are fast being expanded upon nationwide. In the process, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has exposed hard realities about the digital divide. It’s time to discuss the coronavirus disruption and how technology can help. New solutions for education could bring much needed innovation, but who’s laying the foundation?

From the standpoint of educational institutions worldwide, COVID-19 has become a catalyst for digital transformation. The slow pace of change in academic institutions with centuries-old, lecture-based approaches to teaching is now starkly challenged with innovative solutions in a relatively short period of time. Students are accessing reading material via Google Classroom, getting used to synchronous face-to-face video instruction, and using online platforms such as Zoom or Blackboard as their virtual classrooms. As such, schools and universities have been and continue to check with their internet service providers (ISPs) in lockstep to ensure enough bandwidth is provided for the millions of online and video-consuming students.

One option to mitigate the capacity problem would be to downgrade everyone to standard definition from HD. In contrast, the other option, as attested by Verizon’s CTO Kyle Malady, is to upgrade. Malady says, “most of my engineers’ time is spent these days on adding capacity and figuring out what tools they’re going to bring to the table to meet that demand.” With the sense of urgency to upgrade networks during these unprecedented events, ISPs want to drive faster towards capacity upgrades, and wireless carriers want to drive even faster towards 5G deployments. As 5G becomes more prevalent in the United States and in other countries, we will see the education sector truly embrace the ‘learning anywhere, anytime’ concept of digital education in a range of formats since the tether of wireless service will eventually vanish.

In bridging this digital divide, the FCC wants to take measures to ensure all Americans have fast internet access, whether through traditional cable or wireline carriers - or via wireless cellular infrastructure so they can work and learn from home. Without stable internet access, families with students and home workers will struggle. When classes transition online, some youth may be left behind because of the cost of digital devices and internet plans. Some of the proposed FCC actions may be:

• Expediting waivers and experimental licenses that will expand network capabilities for wireless providers
• Creating additional wireless ISP capacity by temporarily authorizing the 5.9 GHz band for rural wireless providers
• Awarding grants for capacity upgrades in underserved communities hit hard by COVID-19
• Encouraging ISPs to provide low-cost program options to extend basic internet connections

The brunt of the work falls back to ISPs, to the network operator who’s going to look for a range of fiber options that will increase bandwidth and speed for their customers, including the most critical (and expensive segment) - the access and edge of the provider's plant. With pressures stemming officially from the FCC, ISPs are rushing to scope their infrastructure projects, secure necessary hardware and components, and execute upgrades at an unprecedented pace.

The good news is that ProLabs has the experience and the full suite of certified optical network solutions to support ISPs in this endeavor. Here are the top project upgrades undertaken:

• Access Network Upgrades – Despite years of investment, many access network elements are connected by 1G or lower connections. Simple 1G to 10G upgrades are fast and efficient with our wide range of SFP+ transceivers to CWDM and DWDM fixed and tunable wavelengths, including a full suite of GPON and XGSPON 1G and 10G PON transceivers.
• Maximizing Fiber Infrastructure – 10G tunable SFP+ transceivers are a smart choice that enable ISP subscribers to enjoy higher bandwidth and more efficient use of fiber resources, while simplifying on-site setup. And when the - DWDM transceivers can self-tune, this further reduces costs – as the need for tuning equipment is eliminated as well as the operational complexity and training requirements. ProLabs’ auto-tunable transceivers work at 10G with plug and play deployment, covering all your wavelength needs with no host intervention required. Simply plug into the host device and passive mux, the transceiver does the rest.
• Upgrades from the Edge to the Core – Video conferencing and other synchronous applications are driving upgrades at both the network core and edge. Our wide broad portfolio of 25G SFP28 and 100G transceivers are popular upgrades to keep up with rapidly increasing demands while limiting cost exposure.
• Fiber Connectivity Solutions including WDM mux/demux and fiber patch cables, to connect it all together - ProLabs' test certified fiber patch cables are robustly constructed, ensuring circuit integrity and seamless connectivity. A wide assortment of single mode, multi-mode, and MPO cables are available. View all fiber patch cable options.

Whether supplying ISPs or schools with campus network upgrades, ProLabs is ready to fulfill and offer expert advice and solutions to meet these new bandwidth challenges.

Moreover, ProLabs is Trade Agreements Act (TAA) compliant which means that our products originate from the United States. ProLabs is fully able to supply the government for any General Service Administration (GSA) needs. Learn more about our TAA compliance.

Contact us for more recommendations specific to your network. Our solution experts can help you no matter the project complexity. ProLabs’ offers products that are proudly United States TAA compliant and come with a lifetime warranty.

ISPs are ready to upgrade as the world's internet bandwidth is pushed to the brink

Internet Service Providers (ISPs) of all sizes are re-evaluating their IT infrastructure capabilities as the world's internet bandwidth struggles under the weight of millions of extra users unaccustomed to being confined to their homes. Regulators are even urging major streaming services, including YouTube, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video, to reduce their bandwidth usage as to minimize stress on the network. Although it may seem trivial to lose HD streaming, the unprecedented circumstance exposes a very real infrastructure challenge.

The current situation is taxing the internet with large populations working from home, schooling from home, and consuming media all at the same time. Network operators are scrambling to identify a variety of solutions to support scale at unprecedented levels.

The good news is that ProLabs' solutions are built for scale. Whether you need to migrate from 1G to 10G and beyond, here are top options to consider:

• Moving from 1G to 10G – Enhance your edge and access networks with our wide range of SFP+ transceivers to CWDM and DWDM fixed and tunable wavelengths.

• If you need more efficient use of fiber resources –10G tunable SFP+ transceivers are a smart choice that enable ISP subscribers to enjoy higher bandwidth, while simplifying on-site setup. And when the DWDM transceivers can self-tune, this further reduces costs – as the need for tuning equipment is eliminated. Clarity™ auto-tunable transceivers work at both 1G and 10G with plug and play deployment, covering all your wavelength needs with no host intervention required. Simply plug into host device and passive mux, the transceiver does the rest.

• Migrating from 10G to a 25G or 100G infrastructure – Our wide range of SFP28 transceivers is a popular upgrade to keep up with rapidly increasing demands whilst limiting cost exposure. The transition from 10G is most often driven by more bandwidth for video streaming or to offer flexibility in the server rack. 25G is the interim option before stepping up to 100G.

• Fiber patch cables, the popular choice to connect it all together - ProLabs’ test certified fiber patch cables are robustly constructed, ensuring circuit integrity and seamless connectivity. A wide assortment of single mode, multi-mode, and MPO cables are available. View all fiber patch cable options.

Contact us for more recommendations specific to your network. Our solution experts can help you no matter the project complexity.