Optical Wave Service

Overview

Ride Verizon's Optical Wave for Increasing Revenue
As demand in network capacity continues to increase to support high bandwidth services and when bandwidth requirements between two locations are very large, Optical Wave Service may be your preferred solution for interconnectivity. Optical Wave Service provides for a fully-managed, point-to-point circuit over a dedicated path across Verizons ROADM-based shared wavelength network infrastructure.

The volume of data storage and transmission throughout the world continues to increase rapidly. While a wide range of factors drive the overall increase, some particular items lead to the deployment of applications that use extremely high data rate transmission between systems. Many available services allow high data rate transmission, such as Public Internet Service, Internet Protocol Virtual Private Network (IP VPN), Private Internet Protocol (PIP), Virtual Private LAN Service (VPLS), Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM), and various Private Line options such as Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), Ethernet, Storage Transport Services, and Wavelength Services. Deciding which service is right for you depends on a variety of factors: maximum bandwidth requirements, bandwidth variability, number of destinations, concentration of data flows between locations, latency, jitter, availability, security requirements, and cost. While every service has its particular advantages and disadvantages, Optical Wave Service provides some of the most cost-effective and secure options available for high capacity, sustained throughput between two systems requiring low latency, low jitter, and high availability.

High-Bandwidth Service Drivers
Traditionally, extremely high data-rate transmissions, such as 2.5 Gigabits per second (Gbps) and 10 Gbps, were used internally by facility-based service providers, but over the past several years there has been a continued increase in demand by wholesale service providers, large Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and the Wireless segment to expand their network reach where they do not own facilities. Optical Wave Service allows them to extend their network reach with relatively low capital expense (capex) and with minimal impact in operational expense (opex) to manage and maintain that network.

Optical Wave Services provides

Transparent Point-to-Point transport
Ease of Network Scalability
Lower CAPEX and OPEX as compared to dedicated ring services
Network Management Integration
Supplier Stability

Applications that Benefit from High-Bandwidth Services
The ultimate driver for high data-rate transmission services depends on the unique needs of individual businesses. While many business needs can benefit from high data bandwidth services, the following sections provide an overview of some of the more prevalent applications for which Optical Wave Service may provide an efficient and scalable solution.

Data Storage
Several applications surrounding data storage have similar components. These applications include primary data storage, data retention/warehousing, data mirroring, and disaster recovery.

Primary Data Storage - Primary data storage typically involves data that is frequently accessed by various users on an immediate basis. As data storage requirements grow, companies continue to seek the most cost effective and reliable data storage mechanisms. Because companies frequently deploy unique servers for unique applications, local server storage is often underutilized. When companies consolidate servers and use a common source for storage, they can achieve a higher utilization level, which can result in lower equipment cost, decreased support charges, and reduced staff necessary to operate the system. Whether the storage system is operated within the company or by a third party such as a storage provider, access to the system typically requires data connectivity. In the case of very large systems, the preferred solution to access the systems may be Optical Wave Services.

Data Retention/Warehousing - Data retention, or warehousing, typically involves storing large volumes of data that can be accessed later, but typically are not needed on an immediate, recurring basis. For example, corporations often copy data to tapes and ship those tapes to off-site storage. This process can be extremely costly in terms of staffing, shipping, delivery, and tape storage. While shipping costs generally have not declined over the past several years, the cost for data communications has declined considerably. Today, electronic transmission is often more cost effective, reliable, and secure than physically shipping tapes.

Data Mirroring - Data Mirroring is the process of copying data to a secondary system in real time. This process is used for critical systems where down time or loss of data would be devastating. To protect against system failures, data mirroring traditionally has been performed within a single room or building. However, as companies have become more concerned about major power outages, natural disasters, and sabotage, they now often opt to locate the mirrored systems in geographically diverse locations. Optical Wave Service may be the best option for system inter-connectivity for high-volume mirroring processes.

Disaster Recovery - While mirrored systems are one method of sustaining operations during a system failure, some companies opt for a more basic disaster recovery plan that does not involve mirroring. In this case, system configurations and data are stored at various locations via the methods mentioned previously, and if one location fails then all the stored data is downloaded to a disaster recovery location which temporarily becomes the primary operating site. In some cases, companies will dedicate a location and equipment as the back-up site. In other cases, a third party provides the site and equipment. In either case, the system configuration and database have to be downloaded to the back-up system immediately. While this data can be obtained via shipment of backup tapes, the data can be received faster if delivered electronically via Optical Wave Service.

Massive Transaction Processing Databases
With Optical Wave Service, multiple systems can be used to process extensive system inquiries. For example, high-end Internet-based businesses with millions of customers may use multiple systems to support massive simultaneous inquiries coming into their businesses. Whether the inquiries are to order new merchandise, obtain software downloads, or play games, they must be processed and the source data must remain synchronized to provide consistent experiences to the customers.

LAN and WAN Connectivity
While corporations may occupy multiple locations, they expect their employees and systems to be able to communicate as if they all occupy a single facility using a single Local Area Network (LAN). This has resulted in the need for high-speed interconnectivity locally, nationally, and globally. Additionally, as companies become more electronically connected to their customers and suppliers, they also want to communicate with those customers and suppliers as if they too were on the same LAN. Optical Wave Service can provide high-speed service to support these interconnectivity requirements.

Security Applications
Many customer applications require high levels of security. While encrypting data is one of the best options to enhance security, customers also consider the logical and physical separation inherent in the various network solutions. While IP VPN, PIP, VPLS, ATM, and Private Line Services each have advantages and disadvantages when it comes to security, Private Line connectivity is one of the most secure physical transmission options, especially when performed at the optical level as is the case with Optical Wave Service.

Description

Optical Wave Service provides for the transport of managed optical point to point circuits across Verizons shared wavelength network. The service provides a dedicated path for each point-to point-circuit and can be used to connect a Customer designated Premises to another Customer designated Premises, a Customer designated Premises to a Customer Point of Presence (POP) location, or to interconnect POP locations.

Non-Transparent Versus Transparent

SONET is a standard for Synchronous Optical NETwork signal transport. In the last half decade, SONET has become the foundation of high-capacity data communications. SONET contains both a synchronous payload envelope and transport overhead. Among other items, the transport overhead allocates bytes for section and line Data Communications Channels (DCCs). DCCs support the transfer of operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning (OAM&P) information and bytes for automatic protection switching (APS) signals between network elements. When Verizon offers services over a SONET-based infrastructure, Verizon needs to terminate the transport overhead in order to manage the network and service. In this situation, the customer cannot use the SONET transport overhead bits end-to-end for their own application. As such, the service is considered to be a non-transparent service. While non-transparent services have been acceptable to many customers, customers with larger, interconnecting networks require transparent wavelengths for seamless network management integration and more control over their network.

Transparent wavelengths, sometimes called protocol independent wavelengths, use a digital wrapper that allocates bytes for forward error correction (FEC), overhead, and payload. Today there are vendor-proprietary solutions, but work is well underway for standards-based digital wrapper service known as ITU-T G.709. Because Verizon can perform network monitoring of the wavelength using the digital wrapper, the carrier does not modify the payload. For example, if a customer places a SONET signal in a transparent wavelength, Verizon will manage the network and service using the digital wrapper overhead, leaving the digital wrapper payload (including the SONET transport overhead) untouched. As such, the customer can use the SONET transport overhead bytes however they wish. Some customers prefer this configuration because they want to use the SONET transport overhead to access their own OAM&P information across the DCC or to pass the APS bytes to control their own protection functions. Other customers may desire transparent wavelengths to support transport of LAN Physical Layer (LAN- PHY) which, due to its slightly higher line rate than WAN PHY, cannot be supported on non-transparent services.

Optical Wave Service provides for the following bandwidths and optical interfaces:

2.5 Gbps interfaced as a Transparent OC48 (2 or 4 fiber hand-off)
10 Gbps interfaced as a Transparent OC192 (2 or 4 fiber hand-off)
10 Gbps interfaced as 10G LAN-PHY (2 fiber hand-off only)
10 Gbps interfaced as 10G WAN-PHY (2 fiber hand-off only)

Channel Terminations provide the fiber local loop Facilities for the communications path between the Customer designated Premises and the Serving Wire Center of that Premises. Channel Terminations are available on a Protected or Unprotected basis depending on the protocol being transmitted and the level of redundancy required.

Basic Unprotected Channel Terminations

2 fiber interface: Unprotected 1:0 ("one for zero") provides no card or route protection. An unprotected Service provides no optical protection of the signal from the Customer. With Basic Unprotected Channels, if a card failure or a fiber cut should occur along the optical signal paths, the Channel cannot reroute and thus fails.

Premium Protected Channel Terminations

2 fiber interface: Protected 1+1 ("one plus one") provides for card protection but does not provide fiber path diversity. In 1+1 protection scheme, a working card is paired with a protect card of the same type. A copy of the signal is transmitted respectively on both the working and the paired protect card. At the receiver side, equipment will determine whether to switch to the protect card based on signal. If a working card fails or if there is a loss of signal along the working path the receiver end will switch to the protect card. When the failure on the working card is resolved, traffic can be set to automatically revert to the working card. However, since both working and protect Circuits could be routed down the same fiber path, a single fiber cut could result in both optical signal paths being interrupted, and thus a failed Circuit.

4 fiber interface: Provides for two Circuit paths via distinct cards, but does not perform any switching protection nor does it provide for fiber path diversity. This allows Customer to apply its own protection scheme within its network equipment. Although each Circuit path is provided over distinct card electronics, since both Circuits could be routed down the same fiber path, a single fiber cut could result in both optical signal paths being interrupted.

Premium Protected Channel Terminations with Fiber Path Diversity

With Fiber Path Diversity (FPD), the working and protect Circuits are sent down diverse fiber paths in the local loop from the Customer designated Premises back to the Serving Wire Center. FPD can be requested for the local loop on either end or on both ends of the OWS Circuit. The risk of a fiber cut interrupting service is greatly diminished. IOF path diversity is not guaranteed.

2 fiber interface: Provides for the greatest level of protection for the Customer in that it provides for 1+1 card protection, as stated previously under Premium Protect Channel Terminations, along with Fiber Path Diversity.

4 fiber interface: Provides for two Circuit paths via distinct cards, as well as FPD. In this case, Customer must apply its own protection scheme within its network equipment.

Availability

Optical Wave Service is offered throughout Verizon's footprint where suitable facilities exist or can be placed. Since Optical Wave Service is a high capacity customized network, it is deployed upon Customer request. Where Verizon does not have sufficient facilities and equipment available to meet a Customer's request, Verizon may provide the service subject to additional charges, if any.

Pricing

Optical Wave Service is provided only on a private carriage (contractual) basis under a Master Services Agreement arrangement between the Customer and Verizon. Pricing for new orders of this service is handled on a contractual basis. Please contact us or call your Account Manager to discuss your particular needs.

Features

Provides ultra high bandwidth point to point transport between two locations
Two bandwidth levels 2.5Gbps and 10Gbps wavelengths
Interfaces with Transparent OC48, Transparent OC192, 10G LAN-PHY or 10G WAN-PHY fiber hand offs
Available with various protection schemes
ROADM based wavelength technology
Service Level Agreements provide for protected and unprotected circuits

Applications

LAN and WAN connectivity
High-speed data transfer
Storage Area Networks
Continuous Internet access
Medical imaging transport
Financial data transactions
Off-site Data Backup
Disaster Recovery

Detailed Information

Note: The terms and conditions of certain of the services described above are set forth in full detail on a private carriage basis (Private Carriage Services). For all Private Carriage Services, the above summary is provided for your information and reference only. However, the actual terms, conditions, restrictions, limitations and the like for Private Carriage Services will be those set forth in the agreement between the customer and Verizon for such Private Carriage Service and shall govern over any inconsistent provisions set forth herein. All services are not available in all areas, and are subject to availability of facilities and equipment. Learn more about Forbearance or contact your Account Manager for details.