Calient Advances Key Photonic Switching Standards and Implementation; Company Stakes Prominent Position in Multi-Protocol Lambda Switching.

Business Editors

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 6, 2000

Calient Networks, a new developer of intelligent, all-photonic switching systems, has taken a lead role in developing the emerging IETF Multi-Protocol Lambda Switching (MPLambdaS) standards suite. This set of protocol extensions is deemed by many as essential for enabling streamlined networks, dynamic service layer requests for bandwidth services, and dynamic management of wavelengths in the photonic layer.

In the first quarter of 2000, Calient engineers, in concert with prominent network architects from UUNet, Level 3, Cisco Systems, Nortel, and Juniper Networks, authored and presented to the IETF a set of MPLambdaS-related drafts. THE MPLambdaS specifications are being refined within the IETF and approval is expected during the second half of 2000.

The significance of MPLambdaS is wide-ranging and substantial, as it will be used to distribute optical transport network topology state information and to set up optical channel trails. MPLambdaS will also support a number of key traffic engineering functions and enable protection and restoration capabilities, while simplifying the integreation of photonic switches and label switching routers. Specifically, MPLambdaS offers the following advantages:

-   Faster service deployment with end-to-end provisioning utilizing a
    single set of semantics

-   Elimination of unnecessary network layers by enabling two-layer
    networking

-   Cost savings in network operations by using widely available IP
    management tools

-   Cost savings in training by using a common control plane for
    optical and service management layers

-   Service creation enabled by common network knowledge of data and
    optical elements

-   Open foundation protocol promotes innovation at the more important
    services layer

-   Promotes best-of-breed product selection for service providers

-   Accepted protocol enables independent innovation curve within each
    product class

-   Eliminates proprietary vendor "islands of deployment."

"The unique combination of photonic switching and Multi-Protocol Lambda Switching effectively removes the 'glass ceiling' limitations of OEO switches," stated John Drake, Chief Architect at Calient Networks, who co-authored the MPLambdaS drafts. "The extensions we've proposed to the now-proven Multi-Protocol Label Switching core standard will enable photonic switches to provide high-bandwidth, reliable, transparent networking."

John Drake co-authored the original document with Daniel Awduche, distinguished technical member at UUNET, Yakov Rekhter, fellow at Cisco Systems, and Rob Coltun, software development engineer at Redback Networks. The team developed the first MPLambaS draft a year ago, titled "Multi-Protocol Lambda Switching: Combining MPLS Traffic Engineering Control with Optical Crossconnects," in an effort to take label switching into the photonic realm. Drake said, "The initial goal was to increase the versatility of the optical transport network and seamlessly bridge packet and wavelength communications."

Best-of-breed optical solutions will require the integration of photonic switches into a heterogeneous optical network consisting of next generation equipment (e.g. photonic switches, terabit routers, ultra-long-haul DWDM) as well as legacy equipment (e.g. wideband DCS, OXCs, SONET/SDH ADMs, traditional DWDM). MPLambdaS provides a common standardized control plane, needed to communicate between the various generations of elements.

In summary, the major components of the MPLambdaS standard suite include:

-   A new link management protocol, LMP, designed to support link
    management in optical networks using photonic switches

-   Adaptations to OSPF/IS-IS routing protocol to advertise optical
    resource availability in the network

-   Adaptations to the Resource ReSerVation Protocol (RSVP) to allow
    Label-Switched Paths to be specified end-to-end across the optical
    core of the network.

About Calient Networks

Calient Networks is a new developer of intelligent, all-photonic switching systems and software that help service providers scale their networks for explosive bandwidth demands and deliver a new generation of wavelength services. Calient's architecture will provide a seamless 'opto-electronic-to-photonic' migration path that is non-disruptive to legacy operations, and near-term opportunity for carriers to offer revenue-generating optical services from their photonic infrastructure. Founded in March 1999, the company is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California. For additional information about Calient, visit www.calient.net.