Photuris and White Rock Networks Complete Interoperability Testing of Fully-Automated Optical Layer.

Business Editors & Technology Writers

NFOEC 2002

DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 17, 2002

Photuris, a developer of metro regional optical transport systems, and White Rock Networks, a provider of next-generation optical transport systems for metro environments, announced today that they have successfully completed interoperability testing between Photuris' V32000 Optical Distribution System and White Rock Networks' VLX2010(TM) OC-48 SONET Add/Drop Multiplexer.

At NFOEC 2002 this week in Dallas, Texas, the companies are demonstrating their implementation of an end-to-end metro-access and metro regional DWDM ring network with a fully automated optical layer. The demonstration highlights the simplicity of remotely provisioning both lightpaths and SONET circuits using the Photuris VersiNET(TM) Manager and the White Rock Networks VLXpert(TM) EMS systems. Point-and-click provisioning simplicity is accomplished using the GMPLS signaling protocols built into each solution.

The specific functionalities in the interoperability program and show floor demo include:

-- Three-node metro regional DWDM ring, using Photuris' V32000 Optical Distribution System

-- Two metro access subtending rings, using White Rock Networks' VLX2010 OC-48 SONET ADM

-- One Link and Node Disjoint (LND) unprotected lightpath pair, providing diverse connectivity for both directions of a VLX2010 OC-48 SONET Unidirectional Path Switched Ring (UPSR)

-- DS-3 and OC-12 traffic aggregation and end-to-end transport

-- TCP/IP Data Communications Network (DCN) interoperability, providing full remote management access to both companies' equipment without the need for external NMS

-- Single-seat operation of the Photuris VersiNET Manager and White Rock Networks VLXpert EMS, providing remote end-to-end point-and-click provisioning via GMPLS-based control planes

-- Reconfigurable, single-wavelength optical add/drop and per-wavelength selectable protection.

One of the most unique accomplishments of this effort is the flexible protection capability. When a fiber cut occurs on an LND unprotected lightpath, the Photuris V32000 appears entirely transparent to White Rock Networks' VLX2010 metro access nodes, which use standard SONET UPSR switching features to protect the traffic traversing that lightpath.

For other wavelengths in the ring which use either dedicated or shared optical channel protection, the V32000 ring executes the appropriate protection scheme via Photuris' innovative Mix and Match Optical Layer Protection(TM). This per-wavelength selectable capability allows carriers to freely blend protection schemes on the same physical ring at a very granular level, thereby optimizing their service delivery quality and reducing overall network cost. In contrast, conventional WDM systems prohibit the mixing of dedicated protection, shared protection, and unprotected services on the same ring.

Carriers have expressed their need for this flexibility, for single-seat operations, and for proven inter-working between SONET-based systems and WDM-based reconfigurable OADM (ROADM) systems. The interoperability effort demonstrates the deployment readiness of both systems, and their ability to meet customer demands.

About Photuris

Photuris develops metro core and regional optical transport systems that deliver disruptive cost savings and new services over existing transport networks. Photuris' innovative Versicolor(TM), Optical Amplifier and ADM-on-a-Wavelength(TM) line cards enable its V32000 Optical Distribution System to satisfy the unique requirements of interoffice networks, with a carrier-preferred SONET operational approach.

Photuris was founded in January 2000 with a mission to merge WDM and TDM networking infrastructures. The founders have recruited a strong management and technical team with deep carrier implementation expertise from Alcatel, Cisco, Corning, Ericsson, Lucent, Fujitsu and Zhone Technologies. The company's Optical Distribution System is fully developed, has passed NEBS Level 3, ETSI and UL certification, as well as nine months of lab trials with incumbent and non-traditional carriers. For more information, go to www.photuris.com.

About White Rock Networks

In response to carriers' needs, White Rock Networks has developed a "building-block" product family of optical networking products for the metro infrastructure. The company's building-block products benefit carriers by allowing them to deploy equipment that matches their capacity plans. In addition, White Rock's products allow carriers to rapidly introduce new features and capabilities without interrupting network operations. White Rock's low-cost, low-power, easy-to-implement, best-of-breed products will increase profitability for carriers, while transmitting information quickly and efficiently in a metropolitan area. White Rock Networks, founded in November 1999, is dedicated to providing a more reliable, lower-cost, more flexible optical transport system to enable the delivery of high-speed services in metro areas. White Rock Networks targets service providers that utilize fiber-based networks and need to deliver the bandwidth that the Internet-centric economy demands.