Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services

WHITE PAPER Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services What does the next generation network look like? Most network planners have an IP-based answer to that question. The better question is this—what does the next generation network look like at specific points in time: one year, three years, seven years from now, and so on into the future? The answer to that question is fuzzy because migration to the next generation network is an evolutionary process. Evolution is more than change. It is constant change. Evolution implies a stepwise, iterative process of network migration. Like network transitions of the past, migration to next generation network architectures will be evolutionary for many reasons. • Take rates take precedent. “Build it and they will come” has left some carriers with little new revenue and huge debts. Instead, customer demand for voice, data, Internet, and multimedia services dictates the direction and pace of next generation network deployment. • Improve earnings. With shrinking or flat revenues and multiple service providers vying for customers, gaining operational efficiencies and reducing the cost base is driving network migrations. Next generation deployments that yield improved operational efficiencies are attractive. Given customer demand, improving the productivity of legacy TDM assets may be just as profitable as investment in an IP data overlay. • It takes time to change operations methods and practices. Without the ability of operations to handle new volume processes, new technologies create unneeded risk. No carrier can rely on newly trained technicians to manage a multitude of network elements. And no carrier can afford decreased operational efficiency. The pace at which methods and practices for next generation gear can be adopted and integrated into existing operations dictates the pace for next generation network deployment. In the loop, trunking and core portions of the network, migration to next generation architectures is taking many forms: circuit to packet, electrical to optical, SONET to mesh, and intelligent core to intelligent edge, for example. No matter the pace of network evolution or the choice of technologies, the direction is for higher bandwidth, more complex networks. With more bandwidth on each pipe and more network elements than ever to manage, new risks are introduced into the network from both a planning and operational standpoint. Circuits that used to carry a single OC-3 now carry OC- 192S. Outages are more costly. Time to repair and restoration is more critical. Unobtrusive monitoring and upgrades now carry more weight—because there are more services and more dollars at risk. These financial and operational risks carry huge implications for both the cost and the performance of the network. Page 3 Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services Connectivity Checklist for Next Generati- on Network Deployment • Complete management of cables for network elements—bend radius protection, ample storage, protection of cables on and off frame, easy-to-follow routing paths. • Quick and accurate circuit and jumper identification with visual indicators at both ends of cross-connect jumpers. Good labeling and connection designation. • Plenty of room for jumpers (cross-connect) storage and management. • High quality connectors. Low insertion loss connectors. • Non-intrusive monitoring capabilities. • Full access to Tx and Rx signals at all times at the distribution frame. • Patch cords are polarized to prevent ± wire reversals, ensuring correct patching at all times. • Reliable cable and jumper connection methodology. • Reliable and high life cycle contacts. • Platform flexibility. • Superior connector access for ease of cleaning and maintenance. • Scalable for future growth. The most overused and under delivered concept in next generation glossy brochures is “seamless.” The seamless network is like the paperless office. It sounds great. Achieving it is another issue altogether. In network architecture, seams are good. Wherever premises meets access, access meets switching, and switching meets transmission; in collocation and IOC handoffs—where the physical layer intersects with electronic equipment or portions of a network owned and managed by another entity, there are seams in the network. Seams were in the network 10 years ago. Seams are there today. And seams are part of next generation network design, too (see Appendix A). Proper management of seams in the network is the setting for connectivity solutions. From a service provider’s perspective, seams are actually desirable. Seams are where copper and fiber cables meet active elements in the network. Seams are where the work of conducting reconfigurations, performing maintenance and loop qualification, restoring and turning-up service, facilitating upgrades, and providing a fall back position for equipment and cable failures occurs. Connectivity at the seams provides flexibility that helps improve operational efficiency and reduce the risks of network evolutions. Specifically, connectivity includes these functions at all seams in the network: • Termination. Protected, modular termination for twisted pair, coax and fiber circuits that enables rerouting of traffic, non-intrusive upgrades, and test access. • Patching. Ensures that any cable can be removed and installed without degrading service or disrupting adjacent cables. Enables temporary circuit rerouting during outages or upgrades. • Access for monitoring and testing. Provides non- intrusive test points in the network—either local or remote—that allow technicians to measure the health of circuits, gather data on network performance, and catch problems and implement solutions before customers feel the impact. • Cable management. Protect bend radius of cables, provide safe storage for excess cables, enable clear circuit identification, and enforce a systematic cable routing scheme—these all avoid service affecting damage to copper and fiber cables and drive operational efficiency. Connectivity Reduces the Risk of Network Evolutions Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services Page 4 History proves that connectivity enables change and reduces risk as networks migrated from copper to fiber and from analog to digital (see Analog to Digital Migration, 1970 to 1990). Connectivity has also made carrier consolidations and collocations quicker, less costly, and more transparent to customers by managing the seams of disparate networks. For example, ILEC networks merged, and reduced the number and cost of IOC connections, by simply moving jumpers in the connectivity system. In the same way, IOCs have performed unobtrusive reconfigurations, such as bypassing ILEC local loop connections for IOC-owned local access, by moving jumpers in the CO. Connectivity translates into tangible benefits for carriers that reduce the risk of network evolutions. Connectivity ensures accurate fault isolation and problem resolution. Inherent flexibility speeds time to repair, time to turn-up, and time to revenue—all of which increases performance and availability of network assets. Most important, as an integral part of proven operations practices, connectivity allows carriers to scale network operations and increase operational efficiency by leveraging the workforce around a common set of methods and practices at the seams of the network. Evolution in the network occurs at the seams. As networks evolve to more services in higher bandwidth pipes, the function of connectivity is more critical than ever. The risks of outages, upgrades, and even routine maintenance soar. Proper connectivity at the seams of the network has allowed carriers to manage change in the network without disrupting service and without increasing operational costs. Analog to Digital Migration, 1970 to 1990 If all of the components of a network changed at once, there would truly be less need for connectivity solutions. Yet the reality is that networks change one piece at a time, and it is connectivity that enables the migration of network components. An example is the analog to digital migration that took these steps over approximately 20 years: • Replace analog carrier systems with digital channel banks and T1 spans over existing copper pairs—but keeping existing analog switches. This work occurred one office, or geographic area, at a time. • Upgrade T1 carriers to T1C carriers, doubling T1 capacity for cable exhaust relief—but keeping digital channel banks. • Replace analog switches with digital switches— still keeping existing T1 or T1C spans. • Replace T1 and T1C spans with first generation fiber optic transport systems—but keeping digital switches. • Replace M13 multiplexers with digital cross connect systems—but keeping fiber optic transport systems. • Replace first generation fiber transport with SONET transport—but keeping digital switches. Each of these network evolutions was accomplished by patch and roll at Digital Signal Cross Connects (DSX). And all of these major changes in the network were accomplished efficiently for network operations and without service interruptions for customers. Connectivity Enables Change Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services Page 5 Preserving the Function of Connectivity in the Network Occasionally, network element vendors advocate elimination of physical connectivity solutions, claiming everything you need is “in there.” For example, digital cross connect systems (DCS) were originally positioned this way. Yet it was quickly apparent that hardwiring network elements to DCS equipment made rerouting and integration of new network elements difficult and expensive. Specifically, suppose a CO has six network elements and six DCS—one DCS for each network element. Routing a circuit from network element #1 to network element #6 often means routing the circuit through six DCS—using expensive DCS ports for a simple reconfiguration. With connectivity, the circuit is routed from DCS #1 to DCS #6 with a Digital Signal Cross Connect (DSX), opening DCS ports for more important network functions. In addition, a hardwired DCS environment makes identifying and isolating problems in real time impossible, causing unneeded service interruptions and delays in restoration. Without connectivity surrounding DCS equipment, the result was increased operational costs and lost revenue. It is important to note that DCS adds significant operational efficiencies for carriers. However, maximizing the benefits of DCS or any network element requires that the function of connectivity remain intact. These functions—including modular termination, patching, access for monitoring and testing, and end-to-end cable management—ensure that everything from routine maintenance to outages in the network are transparent to customers. Combining functionality in network elements is natural. New broadband digital loop carriers (DLC) combine aggregation of voice and data with transport. Optical switches combine add-drop multiplexers and DCS into one platform. Yet for every feature combined into a single network element, new features and services are introduced that almost always require an overlay. That means more connections and more network elements to manage. Without proper connectivity surrounding new network elements, rearrangements occur in the backplane of network elements—introducing enormous operational and financial risk. For example, adding just one card to an optical cross connect without connectivity could require a service-disrupting, time-consuming reconfiguration of 16 to 20 fiber cables. Will functions of connectivity ever be completely rolled into network elements? Maybe. Yet today connectivity typically accounts for between 1% and 10% of the upfront costs of a network deployment. This is a small price to pay as compared to the alternative—a network where performance and reliability problems seep into the system. These problems are almost always traced to poor bend radius protection, inadequate cable storage, restricted access for repair and maintenance, cable congestion, no rerouting or monitoring capabilities, and other weaknesses at the seams of the network. The cost of connectivity is small because the alternative is a high maintenance proposition that is characterized by longer service interruptions, operational inefficiency, and frustrated customers. Connectivity is the Foundation for Next Generation Networks Whether the project is leveraging the existing plant or migrating to next generation capability, the objectives are the same: minimize operational costs, drive increased reliability into the network, and maximize revenue. These are the direct benefits of networks rooted with a foundation of connectivity. Connectivity makes networks highly reliable, flexible and less expensive to maintain. With connectivity, maintenance hours and intervals are reduced. Circuit availability and bandwidth increase. Failures in electronics and facilities are often transparent to customers. Transition to new services and network upgrades are non-intrusive. Yet connectivity is more than just discrete products designed to improve the reliability and functionality of network elements. Instead, it is a methodology that is closely embedded into network operations methods and procedures. No matter where the connectivity functions reside, deep-seated methods and procedures demand the smooth integration and cost-effective maintenance of all network elements. And as traffic demand shifts to higher speed services and next generation network components, operations requirements for termination, test access, and cable management solutions remain. Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services Page 6 The Role of Connectivity in Network Evolutions Circuit to Packet Migration The introduction of new network elements (soft switches, media gateways, call servers, and voice- enabled routers) present new interfaces, port counts, and higher speed terminations. These network devices also require new interfaces, such as Ethernet, into legacy environments. Electrical to Optical Migration Introducing network elements (optical cross connects, metro optical transport platforms, long-haul DWDM systems) with all optical interfaces creates higher optical fiber cable counts and termination points at network elements. Higher baseline speed/bandwidth drives migration of low speed interfaces to network edge. Central Office to Network Edge Fiber-fed access electronics move closer to subscribers, with potential increases to truck rolls. More customer traffic over higher bandwidth optical fibers increases single circuit failure impact. Connectivity Solution Connectivity provides a flexible physical layer platform for port count matching, interface and media conversion, and cable management. High performance connectorization at the seams improves reliability and ensure SLA conformance. Connectivity Solution Connectivity provides a flexible physical layer platform for port count matching, interface and media conversion, and cable management. Managing increased optical fiber cables is accomplished with high density, high performance connectorization, termination, and cable management. Multifunction panels enable migration to media converters, modular O/E inputs and outputs, and O/E repeaters. Connectivity Solution Connectivity provides technician access for troubleshooting and rearrangements with options for remote terminal, vault, and outside plant cable management solutions. Loop automation enables remote network management. Fiber distribution panels and optical components enable rapid troubleshooting and rearrangement in the event of an outage. Conclusion Migration to higher bandwidth next generation networks is an evolutionary process. A platform of connectivity enables non-disruptive, cost-effective change in the network. It provides needed flexibility for network planners to connect different network elements at different times in the migration cycle. And it is an integral part of technical methods and practices, ensuring rapid time to repair, time to turn-up, and time to revenue. In many ways, rapid adoption of new technology actually stands in the way of serving customers. Everything works fine until someone hits the escalation button. The business is about servicing customers, not building next generation networks. That’s why next generation network elements can’t exist as an island in network operations. And that’s why the function of connectivity in the physical layer remains important in next generation networks. Still, networks are growing more complex. New network elements must be turned-up. New software must be tested on existing hardware. It is at the seams of the network that service providers have an opportunity to improve operational efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve quality of service. Seams are where the critical functions of termination, patching, monitoring, and managing cable occurs. The ability to test, reroute, and reconfigure network elements—in a cost-effective, unobtrusive manner—is just as important today as it will be tomorrow in next generation networks. Networks of the future will certainly look different—higher density optical fiber terminations, more O/E conversion, and new electronic devices in the core and the edge of the network. The profitable next generation network preserves the functions of connectivity because profits require more than first-year savings. Profits derive from efficient operational processes and people managing the network. Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services Page 7 7 Edge Network Metro Networks DLC RT DLC COT Copper Analog POTS Copper DS1 DS0 DS0 DS1 DS0 10/100base-T DSL Analog POTS Copper Analog POTS Ethernet DS3 or OC3 ATM PVCs/SVCs DS0 "A" Links to SS7 Ntwk DS1 Voice Trunks to PSTN Copper Data GR-303 POTS DSLAM Analog Line Units GR-303 Line Un (IDLC) SS7 Sig Un Analog Line Units Class 5 Digital Switch 5ESS, DMS-100 Digital Trunk Units Analog Line Units ATM Switch DLC RT X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X Edge Network Metro Networks DLC or ONT Optical Line Terminal GR-303 POTS DS0 DS1 Analog POTS 10/100base-T or Fiber To IP Netwk Analog Line Units GR-303 Line Un (IDLC) Digital Trunk Units SS7 Sig Un Class 5 Digital Switch 5ESS, DMS-100 IP Router ATM Switch Media Gateway Controller Classic Copper OSP Media Gateway X X Voice Trunks to PSTN DS1 X X "A" Links to SS7 Ntwk DS0 X X X X OC-xx Fiber X X DS0 Copper X X Fiber or DS3 X X 10/100base-T Ethernet X X 10/100base-T Ethernet X X DS1 (optional) Inter-Architecture Voice Trunks 10/100base-T Ethernet X X X X X X DS3 or Fiber Either OR Both To SONET Netwk X X DS0 "A" Links to SS7 Ntwk X X Inter-architecture voice trunks may be via Core network Edge Network CLEC or IXC Networks LEC DCS CoLo SONET ADM CoLo DWDM Transport OC-48 M13 or DCS LEC Switch LEC Switch X X OC-192 X X OC-48 X X DS3 X X OC-3 X X DS3 DS1 X X X X X X DS1 STS-1 or OC-3 X X STS-1 or OC-3 X X X X DS 1 OC-3 X X DS0 X X GR303 DS1 X X DS0 X X GR303 DS1 X X Connectivity Requirements in Hybrid VOIP Connectivity Requirements in Typical Copper OSP Appendix A – Connectivity at Seams in the Network Connectivity in Typical North American Interconnect XX = typical connectivity points Web Site: www.adc.com From North America, Call Toll Free: 1-800-366-3891 • Outside of North America: +1-952-938-8080 Fax: +1-952-917-3237 • For a listing of ADC’s global sales office locations, please refer to our web site. 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Page 3 Next Generation Network Infrastructure: Preparing for Next Generation Services Connectivity Checklist for Next Generati- on Network Deployment