5 essentials for building a robust network
More traffic, critical latency-sensitive applications, and higher capacity requirements are required at the network edge. The question is, how can you seamlessly and cost-effectively transform your network, from access to metro, to intercept constantly evolving customer demands? And, how can you ensure that your network can support the next generation of ultra-low-latency services–close to where your end-users are, both humans and machines?
The answer is, to choose the right partner. One that provides all the technology, skills, and professional services you need to support existing services while building a network that will last. Jürgen Hatheier, CTO for the EMEA region at Ciena shares 5 essentials to look out for.
- Adaptive IPTM that delivers standards-based IP differently, from access to metro at the scale, velocity, and performance customers expect
To help you break the vicious cycle of constantly adding more, bigger, and increasingly complex IP routers across your network – Ciena’s Adaptive IP simplifies your network, from access to metro, by adopting a network design that embraces automation, openness, and lean IP protocol support. This allows you to best address today’s past (TDM), present (IP/Ethernet/MPLS), and future (Segment Routing) customer network requirements on a simpler, common network infrastructure.
As an IP-centric use-case of Ciena’s Adaptive NetworkTM, Adaptive IP leverages the right mix of automation, intelligence, streaming telemetry, analytics, and intent-based policies over highly programmable infrastructure. This force multiplier unleashes increased efficiency, lower costs, and – ultimately – a healthier bottom line. - IP/Ethernet edge services supporting 4G/5G, Fiber Deep, and Edge Compute applications
Adaptive IP supports both Ciena and 3rd party hardware platforms to help you deliver a broad mix of connectivity (IP/Ethernet/MPLS) and network (VNFs) services efficiently and scalably. Adaptive IP supports a wide range of residential, business, and mobile services by embracing openness to seamlessly integrate into a multivendor environment to maximise resources and new revenue opportunities.
Network operators can boost network capacity at the edge with temperature-hardened devices that can be deployed in street cabinets, on buildings, and in other edge locations to bring bandwidth closer to end-users, both humans and machines. This environmentally-hardened capability allows you to support the need to reduce latency for new applications like Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), mobile gaming, and the growing of IoT space for the next-generation of ultra-reliable Low-Latency Communication (urLLC), high-bandwidth services and use-cases. - Intelligent automation to make your network smarter, more efficient, and more reliable
With Ciena Blue Planet Intelligent Automation Software, you can orchestrate multi-vendor, multi-layer environments to speed up activation of new, revenue-generating services. You can also use Blue Planet Route Optimization and Analysis software to optimise traffic routing and resources across your network and identify congestion and other issues before they impact customer SLAs. What’s more, you can dramatically increase management efficiency with Ciena’s Manage, Control and Plan domain controller software. - Zero-Touch Provisioning (ZTP) capabilities to support network upgrades, at scale
To prepare for massive 5G rollouts, you’ll need to both upgrade and deploy tens to hundreds of thousands of cell sites, both macro and small, quickly and cost effectively. Ciena makes this possible by automating service creation and provisioning with ZTP capabilities, which are built into our routing and switching solutions. ZTP minimizes onsite engineering requirements and truck rolls, with provisioning profiles pushed out centrally from a Network Operations Centre (NOC). Built-in test generation and reflection capabilities allow you to retire specialist test equipment from your network, delivering major savings in both cost and time. With Ciena ZTP, leading Tier-1 networks operators have successfully upgraded thousands of cell sites per week. - Optical leadership that delivers scalability on demand for your packet-based services
Ciena is a recognised leader in optical networking, and our switching and routing capabilities provide best-in-class performance and reliability. Our footprint-optimised coherent 100G-800G optics enable a wide range of applications, from short, single-span 800G data center interconnect (DCI) to transoceanic reaches of several thousand kilometers to terminate your traffic directly onto our next-generation converged Packet Networking solutions for higher network throughput and transport efficiency.
Ciena can deliver all 5 of these essential requirements. Step-by-step, we will guide your journey to a simpler network environment, providing all the technology, skills, and services you need to scale and optimise your network, so you can reliably deliver next-generation, cost-effective services at scale.
Bring it all together with Lifecycle Management (LCM)
With Ciena Professional Services, we can help you get the most value from every one of our hardware and software solutions. Based on a full Lifecycle Management approach, we support every stage of your network upgrade agenda, from solution design and planning, to deployment, optimisation, and ongoing support. Combined with our collaborative, partnering approach, our services ensure success for your network transformation projects.
This is the third post in a series looking at how to take a new approach to simplify the network and increase service velocity. In case you missed it you can find the first two posts 5 tips to scale your network, not your complexity in 2020 and beyond and How to simplify today’s network for tomorrow’s demand, or read on with 7 key attributes for the new network edge.
