MEF validates Infinera as a global packet-optical transport leader

DALLAS, TEXAS: “100G and 10G MEF CE 2.0 certification of the Infinera PXM switching module marks a significant achievement for Infinera,” expressed Karl Thedéen, SVP, Head of Metro Business Group, Infinera at the MEF GEN 15 Conference that was held at Dallas, Texas.

NASDAQ-listed Infinera provides Intelligent Transport Networks for network operators, enabling reliable, easy to operate and high-capacity optical networks. The company has achieved the first tranche of packet-optical transport network vendors to complete the MEF 100 gigabit (100G) Carrier Ethernet 2.0 (CE 2.0) certification program. This achievement validates Infinera as a global packet-optical transport leader that can deliver differentiated services with scalability, flexibility and programmability.

Infinera leverages its unique large-scale photonic integrated circuits to deliver innovative optical networking solutions for the most demanding network environments. Intelligent Transport Networks enable carriers, cloud network operators, governments and enterprises to automate, converge and scale their datacenter, metro, long-haul and subsea optical networks.

To achieve the 100 gigabit Ethernet (GbE) MEF CE 2.0 certification, the Infinera PXM packet switching module, integrated with the DTN-X XTC platform, had to complete a rigorous and comprehensive set of test cases defined by the MEF. The Infinera PXM demonstrated its ability to enable service providers to add newly defined 100 GbE E-Line service capabilities, including Ethernet private line and Ethernet virtual private line services. These services offer Multiple Classes of Service (Multi-CoS), Ethernet Network to Network Interface (ENNI) and User Network Interface (UNI), and consistent handling of Ethernet operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) frames to ensure end-to-end service provisioning, monitoring and fault management with multiple operator segments. Additionally, standardized advanced Multi-Quality of Service (Multi-QoS) handling ensures consistent handling of various levels of service between multiple operators across geographic performance tiers and application types.

With the combined end-to-end network portfolio, enabled by the DTN-X Family and the TM-Series of products, Infinera says that it can now deliver any CE 2.0 service within any network from core to access on a global scale. Infinera now supports MEF CE 2.0 certified services of any granularity from 100 megabits per second (Mb/s) to 100 GbE, with these services supported via a common Infinera DNA network management system from the core to the customer premises. This enables Infinera to support content-rich revenue generating enterprise applications such as business Ethernet, video and content delivery, cloud services and datacenter interconnects.

“Global network customers expect dynamic Third Network connectivity services delivered over more automated, interconnected networks, and 100G is key to unlocking those services,” said Kevin Vachon, Chief Operating Officer of the MEF. “The 100G CE 2.0 certification is a rigorous testing process for equipment vendors and Infinera's achievement demonstrates its ability to deliver higher bandwidth and network capacity to meet the growing demand for dynamic services.”

“While 10 GbE is table stakes, we are excited to demonstrate our industry leadership in the first wave of 100 GbE certification. As services become more sophisticated and capacity requirements continue to grow, transport networks are becoming more packet-aware. In a competitive Carrier Ethernet market, Infinera is committed to offer its customers the ability to rapidly and easily turn up new standards-based services at scale. We offer our customers a standards-based solution that allows them to deploy differentiated services with greater speed, agility, and assurance, to help them deliver end-to-end service level assurances with service performance guarantees,” expressed Thedéen.

The company indicated that the PXM switching module is designed to enable an highly efficient packet optical transport network architecture. With the PXM, network operators benefit from a portfolio of services based on not only Carrier Ethernet but also Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) technologies, resulting in decreased network costs and statistical multiplexing with packet aggregation and transport port consolidation. It offers integrated Ethernet and MPLS functionality over WDM super-channels to deliver dynamic, flexible packet transport services. It can process Ethernet and MPLS packets with QoS up to 100 GbE speeds, map them based on configuration rules into multiple flexibly-sized ODUflex circuits, and deliver them through the transport network to their end destination. The converged Layer 2, Layer 1, Layer 0 functionality in the overall system enables a more flexible and efficient multi-layer network providing rich packet services. This apparently helps service providers reduce capital expenses and increase power and space efficiency by reducing the need for transit router ports and chassis.