infoTECH Feature

December 10, 2008

Ciena, Caltech Push Boundaries of 100G Technology

By Shireen Dee
Ciena Corporation reportedly announced that it has demonstrated single wavelength 100G optical transmission at a conference.
 
The live demonstration was backed by Ciena’s expertise in optical technologies and the commitment of the California Institute of Technology’s (Caltech) toward the advancement of high-performance distributed computing methods.
 
“This demonstration illustrates Ciena’s dedication to optical innovation and ensures our customers are provided a view into the next phase of transport technologies and the possibilities ahead,” said Steve Alexander, chief technology officer at Ciena. “With this technical accomplishment, we’ve set the stage for taking today’s service-driven networks to new levels of capacity with even greater potential for the advancement of next-generation applications."
 
The recent demonstration was different from the earlier 100G tests because it involved the single wavelength transmission of a 100G data stream through 80 km of fiber. For the demonstration, Ciena electrically combined a total of 10 signals at 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) from switches in the Caltech exhibit area on a single wavelength. With that combination, the wavelength was transferred over Ciena’s CN 4200 RS FlexSelect Advanced Services Platform.
 
After such transmission, it returned the separated 10 GbE signals to Caltech’s booth.
 
According to Professor Harvey Newman of Caltech, head of the high energy physics team and chair of the U.S. LHC Users Organization’s Executive Committee, the collaborative efforts of Ciena and Caltech-led high energy physics team represent a critical milestone in the industry’s roadmap for transitioning from 10G to 100G links, particularly across existing transoceanic fiber spans.
 
“Faster link transmission of this kind allows, for example, Caltech and researchers from CERN to instantly share critical data associated with the LHC (Large Hadron Collider) project by increasing the capacity and efficiency of the U.S. Large Hadron Collider Network (USLHCNet),” Newman said. “In particular, we hope developments such as these will afford physicists and students throughout the world the opportunity to participate directly in the LHC program, and potentially make important scientific discoveries.”
 
Don’t forget to check out TMCnet’s White Paper Library, which provides a selection of in-depth information on relevant topics affecting the IP Communications industry. The library offers white papers, case studies and other documents which are free to registered users.

Shireen Dee is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Shireen's articles, please visit her columnist page.

Edited by Michael Dinan
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