Coriant, a proven supplier of innovative networking solutions to leading network operators in over 100 countries, today announced new Software Defined Networking (SDN) features designed for practical use cases and ease of implementation in multi-layer, multi-vendor networking environments. The latest release of the Coriant Transcend SDN Transport Controller enhances multi-layer optimization and standards-based service interworking, enabling network operators to simplify operations, accelerate service provisioning, and improve resource utilization in multi-vendor transport networks.

“The lack of efficient interworking in multi-vendor transport networks makes it challenging for network operators to meet dynamic, high-capacity service demands in a fast, cost-effective, and profitable way,” said Uwe Fischer, Chief Technology Officer, Coriant. “We’ve taken a highly focused approach to our SDN developments to give our customers the tools to easily apply SDN-enabled automation, programmability, and control to practical applications like rapid service creation in multi-layer IP Optical networks.”

New Feature Enhancements

The Coriant Transcend SDN Solution combines the benefits of SDN and a proven portfolio of packet optical transport and smart router products to enable dynamic, end-to-end network control in an open network environment. Currently deployed in customer trial environments, the Coriant Transcend SDN Transport Controller includes newly released features that provide network operators a range of real-world benefits, including:

• Efficient service interworking – enabled by support for the industry-standard IETF RESTCONF interface and YANG data modeling language. These enhancements provide an open API framework for efficient utilization of an abstracted and virtualized photonic layer. This enables automated synchronization between IP and optical layer SDN controllers for enhanced multi-layer traffic engineering, including optimal path computation and dynamic control based on real-time configuration data such as link status, route diversity by Shared Risk Link Groups (SRLGs), and latency.
• Simplified service provisioning – enabled by enhancements to the platform’s SLA-based service provisioning engine. With the addition of new automated and programmable service provisioning and management capabilities, including advanced SLA monitoring and user-defined SLA parameters, network operators can enhance service differentiation and translate real-time performance data into actionable end-user reports.
• Enhanced resource utilization – enabled by optical impairment-aware multi-layer Path Computation Element (PCE). This feature enhancement enables optimal allocation of network resources according to service requests and SLA parameters, assuring the best path in the network for service traffic based on optical impairments, path restrictions, equipment and fiber status, and specific service-defined constraints such as latency.
• Flexible network partitioning – enabled by network virtualization and varying levels of network abstraction. Enhanced network slicing features provide network operators the tools to virtually apportion segments of the network across multiple products and layers to satisfy the specific requirements of a particular end-user. For example, network slicing can be used to partition services for a retail carrier in a wholesale environment, a large enterprise, or an internal service provider client (e.g., IP Services business unit).