All-Optical Wavelength Switching Router

May 12, 2000 -- Sorrento Networks Inc. introduced its TeraMatrix, an all-optical wavelength switching router for metro optical networks.

According to Sorrento, the TeraMatrix is a versatile optical wavelength switching router that enables carriers to build reliable, proactive metropolitan optical networks. Complete with dynamic wavelength routing and management capabilities, the TeraMatrix platform should allow network operators to provision bandwidth to customers in real-time. 

The TeraMatrix features an all-optical switching fabric that is client signal rate and protocol transparent and has built-in performance monitoring at the wavelength level. These features should allow for true multi-protocol interoperability on a common platform and infrastructure. Also, the switching fabric supports generic "any-to-any" connectivity and should support a migration from protected optical ring topologies to full mesh architectures. The TeraMatrix also features standards-based signaling control to perform automatic routing of both wavelength connections and protection paths.

The company says that the TeraMatrix is an ultra-scalable and flexible system with port densities that range between 4x4 to 512x512, and each port, when connected to a fiber, can handle up to 64 wavelengths. Each wavelength, in turn, is data-bit-rate and protocol-transparent to accommodate the wide range of traffic types common to metro optical networks. Sorrento says that these features will let carriers instantly reconfigure their networks to provision capacity where and when it is needed most. And further, the design of the TeraMatrix should let service providers dynamically scale their current network infrastructures towards true, multi-service optical networks in a cost-effective and timely manner.

Sorrento claims that the transparent switching capability of the TeraMatrix with its rapid, topology-independent provisioning capabilities allows it to effectively serve providers ranging from CLEC's to RBOC's for many metro-area applications. Specifically, the optical switching fabric can support multiple protocols in a transparent manner, thereby eliminating the need for costly electronic equipment associated with grooming and mapping multiple protocols onto a standard transmission format (SONET). This yields significantly reduced network management and operations costs. 

Furthermore, the generic switching capabilities of the TeraMatrix platform should enable it to operate as a dynamic optical add-drop multiplexer (OADM) in various ring configurations, including two and four fiber schemes with either fiber or optical channel level protection. In contrast to proposed reconfigurable OADMs, TeraMatrix may allow for a truly cost-effective and structured migration from today's infrastructure to future designs. 

"TeraMatrix is an important catalyst for evolving from today's `fixed-connection' managed transport network to a `dynamic-connection' managed network - one that can provide fast and proactive end-to-end connection management while supporting multiple network architectures," says Dr. Xin Cheng, chief executive officer, Sorrento Networks. "The TeraMatrix along with the GigaMux and EPC form the building blocks of next generation networks. Together, they provide a proactive solution that is ultra-scalable, flexible, transparent, intelligent, and simple, making the end-to-end all-optical network a reality."

"To date, optical switches have been discussed as a solution for core optical networks," says Scott Clavenna, Principal Analyst at Pioneer Consulting LLC. "An important market opportunity exists in the metro space and all-optical solutions, such as those provided by Sorrento Networks, will provide the protocol and bit-rate transparency important for this market."