Pacnet deployed Infinera's OTS within its award-winning software-defined networking (SDN) platform, Pacnet Enabled Network (PEN), across its largest, proprietary, 100-gigabit-per-second (Gb/s) submarine-enabled network spanning the Asia-Pacific region. Pacnet's existing Intelligent Transport Network is based on the Infinera DTN-X packet optical transport network platform.
PEN provides scalable bandwidth and software-enabled intelligence, allowing customers to dynamically provision bandwidth in minutes through a customized portal based on their business needs. PEN is an SDN-based service delivery platform that has successfully delivered Layer 2 on-demand Ethernet services from 1 Mbps to 10 Gbps. Today, the combined power of the OTS software and the DTN-X platform enables PEN to offer on-demand Layer 1 bandwidth transport services in N x 10 Gbps increments, and is designed to support N x 100 Gbps increments for high-capacity customers in the future.
Leveraging a DevOps model, Pacnet was able to integrate Infinera's OTS with the PEN platform and deploy the new service in just a few months—in an industry where building and introducing new services typically takes 12 to 24 months. In addition, Pacnet has deployed Infinera's OTS on its existing DTN-X production network running in hybrid control mode, with new services leveraging bandwidth under SDN control, while existing production services continue to operate using its Infinera DNA network management system.
Infinera's OTS was designed from the ground up with an IT mindset, built on a lightweight, open Web 2.0 architecture, and can quickly integrate new features that support service providers transforming to a DevOps model. Infinera's OTS software summarizes and virtualizes the underlying multi-layered intelligent transport network, leveraging the highly scalable, software-controllable DTN-X platform. OTS then features open application programming interfaces (APIs) to enable easy programming of the transport network by any SDN controller or orchestration system. Alternative solutions on the market often require the deployment of heavyweight network management software (NMS) and a vendor-supplied controller to support SDN deployments, potentially leading to feature slowdowns and vendor lock-in.
"This new service offers the advantages of how Pacnet continues to lead the way in innovation, especially in the area of software-defined networking services," said Michael Howard, principal carrier network analyst at IHS-Infonetics Research. "While many vendors have been conducting lab SDN assessments or performing SDN proof-of-concept tests, Pacnet today offers the first commercially available, large-scale SDN-enabled transport service based on Infinera's Open Transport switch."
“In November 2013, we launched the first fully automated, SDN-enabled service delivery platform, Pacnet Enabled Network, at Layer 2 Ethernet. Today, we are very pleased to continue leading the way through innovation by bringing this capability to our optical layer,” said Jim Fagan, president of managed services at Pacnet. “With this deployment, Pacnet can offer our customers a true cloud experience to better utilize our unparalleled network assets.”.
“The production rollout of Infinera’s Open Transport Switch to support Pacnet’s innovative new service demonstrates how an open network approach, combined with a DevOps model, reduces time to market for new services,” said Stu Elby, senior vice president of cloud network strategy and technology at Infinera. “We believe the availability of Infinera’s Open Transport Switch makes Infinera’s Intelligent Transport Network the most programmable optical networking solution available, enabling our customers to rapidly develop new services with the SDN controller of their choice.”
