Sycamore Networks Inc. has unveiled new capabilities to help service providers using its SN 9000 Intelligent Multiservice Switch more efficiently provision, troubleshoot and keep tabs on bandwidth availability in their networks.
The move is part of a larger trend around giving service providers and their customers greater control of and visibility into their multiservice networks and services.
Today service providers have to deal with multiple network layers such as Ethernet and optical via different interfaces/screens when provisioning a service, says Rad Pathalam, director of product management at Sycamore Networks. However, the new Layered Services Management capability from Sycamore masks that underlying complexity and automates it, he says. For example, a new Ethernet service/flow may be coupled with new high-order SONET/SDH circuits or a new high-order SONET/SDH circuit may be coupled with new wavelength setup. Layered Services Management also allows for fault and alarm correlation and resource inventorying/management/auto discovery.
In addition to Layered Services Management, Sycamore Networks today introduced SilvxManager for Windows, which provides all the benefits of the company’s existing UNIX-based SILVX solution. Bob Travis, director of market at Sycamore Networks, says that while the Window-based solution could be used by any of its customers, it seems that some tier 2 and 3 service providers, as well as utilities and enterprise customers are particularly interested in this platform.
SILVX brings together a view of the SONET/SDH transport layer view and the service overlay network, whether that be a VT/VC, Ethernet, IP or layer one VPN connection, said Rad Pathalam, director of product management at Sycamore Networks. Pathalam says traditionally service providers have had to view and provision the SONET layer using one screen, shut down that screen and then open a new interface to view and manage Layer 2 services.
