Pacnet’s SDN Control Dips Into the Optical Layer

With its purchase by Telstra still pending, Pacnet is not slowing down on the SDN front.  They’ve taken their SDN-powered Pacnet Enabled Network another very big step forward.  The platform now offers control over the provisioning of wavelengths starting at 10G and moving on up to 100G.

Until now, Pacnet’s PEN had been working at the Ethernet layer, provisioning pipes up to 10G.  That was plenty cool enough, putting into practice what most were just testing at the time.  By working closely with Infinera, who supplies the DTN-X gear that powers their East Asian subsea network, they implemented Infinera’s Open Transport Switch software to take the next step in control down to the wavelength layer.

Pacnet is also extending the NFV capabilities it offers, such as virtual routers and firewalls, alongside the services deployed at the optical layer.  Just where Telstra will be taking the company once the deal closes isn’t clear, but hopefully they’ll keep enabling the guys who have been putting SDN to work with PEN.  Maybe they’ll even give them some more geography to do it in.

 

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Categories: Ethernet · SDN · Undersea cables