Special vs Custom vs Standard? Choosing the Building Blocks-11
Continuing from last week, we will talk about what the webscale companies are doing to get a cheaper 400G optics and to eliminate the transponder layer.
The pluggable DCOs have changed the equation in favor of the packet products. By integrating the DSP on the pluggable, CFP2 DCOs have made it very feasible for the packet devices to directly host coherent optics. You can read the difference between ACO and DCO here.
Today we will talk about 400G pluggables. OIF has come up with a new MSA called 400ZR, and here is what they have to say about it.
“This project will develop an implementation agreement for 400G ZR and short-reach DWDM multi-vendor interoperability. It is relevant for router-to-router interconnect use cases and is targeted at (passive) single channel and amplified DWDM applications with distances up to 120 km. This project should ensure a cost-effective and long-term relevant implementation using single-carrier 400G, coherent detection and advanced DSP/FEC algorithms.” You can read more about it here.
IHS believes this will disrupt the coherent optics. This is what they have to say about it.
“Recent research from IHS Markit indicates that data center interconnections are the fastest growing segment for coherent transceivers. Currently, metro and long-haul DWDM equipment is used to connect data centers around the world, but metro and long-haul DWDM solutions are overkill to interconnect data centers in campus and urban metro areas. Metro-access DCI are point-to-point connections with fiber reach between 40 and 120 km, making it possible to use unamplified links at least to 100 km, well beyond the capabilities of direct detect datacom transceivers. Coherent telecom transceivers can be used, but they have higher performance than required, are more complex, and are generally offered at a higher price point. They also use proprietary SD-FEC modes that are not interoperable. In response to this, the Optical Interconnect Forum (OIF) has developed the 400G ZR MSA to define specifications for 400GbE transceivers optimized for 80–100 km unamplified links using a grey channel in the center of C band. There is also strong interest from telecom and cable service providers for a DWDM version of the 400G ZR, so the OIF developed a colored version of the 400G ZR specification.”
You can read more about it here.
But just look at the key phrases, “Metro and Long Haul DWDM is used, but they are an overkill” as well as “use proprietary SD-FEC modes that are not interoperable“. What do you think is happening? This is not new for carriers across the world, but nothing really happened till the webscale companies took a stand.
When we see these technologies being rolled out within next 12 months, a lot is likely to change and we will discuss it next week.
Stay tuned.