Nortel Networks 3500, NTRN10AN manual Overview, Network element overview

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Overview

Network element overview

The Nortel Networks OPTera Metro 3500 network element is a multiservice platform offering dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) with a wide variety of services: DS1, DS3, Channelized DS3, EC-1, OC-3, OC-12, OC-48, OC-192, 10/100BASE-T Ethernet, 100BASE-FX Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet and Fibre Channel.

OPTera Metro 3500 is a next generation SONET multiservice platform. It provides full OC-192 connectivity to customer premise locations.

On the physical layer (layer 1), an OPTera Metro 3500 network can be configured as a unidirectional path-switched ring (UPSR), a 1+1 linear configuration, a 2-fiber bidirectional line-switched ring (BLSR), or as an unprotected fiber optic run.

On the data link layer (layer 2), an OPTera Metro 3500 network can be configured as an OPTera Packet Edge ring with layer 2 protection, in accordance with Resilient Packet Rings (RPR) currently being defined by the IEEE 802.17 working group.

OPTera Metro Release 12.0 introduced a new STX-192 switch matrix circuit pack. The STX-192 circuit pack is a fully non-blocking STS switch matrix and clocking module providing switching capability for 40 Gbit/s. The STX-192 provides support for 10 Gbit/s links to the line slots 11 and 12 and up to 2.5 Gbit/s links to slots 3 through 10.

For STX based configurations, the OPTera Metro 3500 is optimized for broadband services, namely Gigabit Ethernet, Storage Area Networking, and switched Ethernet services using Resilient Packet Ring. When configured for STX based configurations, the platform supports full TDM services as well, with full fill OC12 and OC48 densities. Furthermore, DS1 services are still possible via the DS1 Service Module (DSM). For STX based configurations where VT1.5 level management is required, a dual node configuration can be used where by a VTX based OPTera Metro 3500 is subtended from a STX based OPTera Metro 3500. Both nodes are managed via Site Manager, which provides end-to-end connection management capability.

Planning and Ordering Guide—Part 1 of 2 NTRN10AN Rel 12.1 Standard Iss 1 Apr 2004