Cyan's stackable optical rack for data centre interconnent

Demand for high-capacity links between data centres is creating a new class of stackable optical platform from equipment makers. Cyan has unveiled the N-Series, what it calls an open hyperscale transport platform. "It is a hardware and software system specifically for data centre interconnect," says Joe Cumello, Cyan's chief marketing officer. Cyan's announcement follows on from Infinera, which detailed its Cloud Xpress platform last year.

"The drivers for these [data centre] guys every day of the week is lowest cost-per-gigabit"

Joe Cumello

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Colt's network transformation

Colt's technology and architecture specialist, Mirko Voltolini, talks to Gazettabyte about how the service provider has transformed its network from one based on custom platforms to an open, modular design.

It was obvious to Colt that something had to change. Its network architecture based on proprietary platforms running custom software was not sustainable; the highly customised network was cumbersome, resistant to change and expensive to run. The network also required a platform to be replaced -  or at least a new platform added alongside an existing one - every five to seven years.

Mirko Voltolini

"The cost of this approach is enormous," says Mirko Voltolini, vice president technology and architecture at Colt Technology Services. "Not just in money but the time it takes to roll out a new platform."

Instead, the service provider has sought a modular approach to network design using standardised platforms that are separated from each other. That way, a new platform with a better feature set or improved economics can be slotted in without impacted the other platforms. Colt calls its resulting network a modular multi-service platform (MSP).

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The art of virtualised network function placement

Telefónica, along with vendors Cyan and Red Hat, are working on a network functions virtualisation (NFV) project. The project involves the careful placement of virtualised network functions in the network to improve their performance.

Cyan is delivering its Blue Planet NFV orchestrator software that will make use of enhancements being made to OpenStack developed by Red Hat in close collaboration with Telefónica.

Gazettabyte asked Nirav Modi, director of software innovations at Cyan, about the work.

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