Article
Unifying legacy and modern packet-based services
TDM is a well-known method for transmitting multiple calls over a single line, in which each call is assigned a recurring timeslot on the line, and a small portion of that call is transmitted over the line each time its assigned timeslot is available. Unfortunately, TDM networks suffer from inefficiencies when the traffic pattern (the ‘calls’) are short and bursty (a characteristic of most data communications today). Hence, more recently, IP/MPLS networks have been used as data traffic has grown.

Plenty of TDM services remain in the network, however, and they can’t simply be de-activated overnight. With routing and switching infrastructures becoming almost universal, a smooth migration path to converged IP/MPLS networks is necessary to support the large installed base of these legacy TDM-based services. This converged approach enables service flexibility and service delivery cost reductions—critical requirements for network operators to enhance and differentiate service offerings.

So how can service providers deliver legacy TDM services over a performance-grade network? The answer is TDMoP.

TDMoP is an approach that enables service providers to deliver legacy TDM services over a performance-grade packet network.

TDMoP is an approach that enables service providers to deliver legacy TDM services over a performance-grade network.

TDMoP uses pseudowires that emulate legacy telecommunications technologies while utilizing the growing and technologically advanced IP/MPLS network to deliver even more services. This approach provides a seamless experience for the customer, regardless of the technology at the beginning or end of the connection.

Ciena’s routin and switching products enable service providers to extend the life of their legacy assets. The broad product line, common Service-Aware Operating System (SAOS), and the Manage, Control, and Plan (MCP) software simplify service deployment and ensure services perform as required.

Ciena’s 3926 is an advanced platform focused on high-bandwidth, multiservice applications requiring sophisticated Quality of Service (QoS) capabilities, including TDM, mobile backhaul, business services, and smart grid applications.

Data sheet
3926

The 3926 is intended for use in 2G/3G/4G mobile backhaul applications where legacy DS1s/E1s are required and pseudowire emulation is used to transport the TDM signals over the packet-switched network. Its multiservice capability, alongside multiple timing synchronization options, provides the ideal solution for evolving legacy TDM-based services to a next-generation routing and switching environment.

In addition to its industry-leading Ethernet capabilities, the 3926 allows for the creation of value-added business or mobile backhaul services that combine connectivity with in-demand Virtual Network Functions (VNF), as well as support for legacy TDM services. The 3926 provides for multiservice transport over Ethernet networks, allowing traditional TDM, Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and native Ethernet traffic to be carried over metro backhaul and core data networks.

    • Structure-Agnostic TDM access (T1/E1 - SAToP)
    • Structure-Aware TDM access - NxDS0/E0 - Circuit Emulation Service over Packet-Switched Network (CESoPSN)
    • Full support of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) Pseudowire Emulation Edge-to-Edge (PWE3) architecture over Ethernet and MPLS networks
    • Support of MEF8 Circuit Emulation

      Migrating from TDM to packet lends itself to a smarter, more agile network—and a more innovation-ready infrastructure that responds when needed. As such, a TDM-to-packet migration is a step toward Ciena’s Adaptive Network™.