Huawei and Telefónica finish T-SDN tests
Spain-based telecom provider Telefónica and Chinese smartphone maker Huawei announced they have successfully finished laboratory tests on the T-SDN (Transport Software-Defined Network) solution. The aim of the test was to demonstrate that the controller can incorporate improvements for the planning, management, monitoring and diagnosis of Telefónica’s photonic mesh.
Telefonica originally started launching its biggest photonic mesh in 2009, spanning over 200 locations across Spain. While the technology was able to improve the reliability and agility of the service, it also created hurdles for operations and management (O&M). Consequently, Telefonica and Huawei set out to test the advantages of the T-SDN solution.
T-SDN serves as a centralized controller that gathers real-time data to identify transmission hiccups within a network. The purpose of the software solution is to improve network operations in the photonic mesh, which demands an optimal route to move large volumes of data, by helping O&M recognize network disturbances that could potentially impair traffic ahead of time.
Additionally, the T-SDN central algorithm is able to optimize the spectrum, and improve the reliability and performance of the Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) networks, according to the companies in a joint press release.
“We were interested in seeing how T-SDN technology can help Telefónica in many different areas,” said Director of IP Connectivity and Transport at Telefónica España María Antonia Crespo.
“Firstly, we’d like to improve the performance of the WDM control plane, helping to reduce restoration times. We also hope that it will enable Telefónica to manage its resources more efficiently and improve its network diagnoses. Finally, it will be very useful for us if we can move towards the automation of the network, as this is one of the key goals in Telefónica’s strategy for the coming years.”
This isn’t the first time Telefónica has been involved in T-SDN testing. Last year, for example, the company participated in the Optical Interworking Forum (OIF)/Open Networking Foundation (ONF) Transport API project along with NEC/Netcracker, Infinera and Juniper Networks. The test required participants to execute a multi-domain path selection and recovery test plan with intra-lab and inter-lab testing across multiple global carrier labs, including Telefónica’s.
“Huawei continues to lead the global deployment and use cases of T-SDN,” said President of Transmission at Huawei Richard Jin. “This solution has been implemented in more than ten networks for customers in different countries and has supported diverse business scenarios, including finance, governments, leased company lines, the media industry and data center interconnect (DCI). This solution has been highly praised by customers. Huawei will continue its close cooperation with Telefónica to reinforce its transport network and to provide the best service experience in Spain.”
