Open Disaggregated Transport Network - Open Networking Foundation

Open and Disaggregated Transport Network (ODTN™) project is an operator-led initiative to build data center interconnects using disaggregated optical equipment, open and common standards, and open source software. ODTN aims to drive innovation and become the optical network of choice by disaggregating the components of the network and providing open software to control a multi-vendor assembly of components.

ODTN will enable a white-box optical ‘peripherals’ ecosystem that allows multiple components to be combined and built into complete solutions. Vendors can focus on building a specific component (e.g. transponder) without having to build a complete solution leading to accelerated innovation and lower costs. Operators will have the freedom to select best-in-class components and avoid vendor lock-in, thereby gaining flexibility as their network needs grow.

ODTN Architecture

Current multi-layer Networks

Technical complexity posed by the analog nature of long distance DWDM optical communications has driven the need for the current vertically integrated solutions in the market. ODTN’s approach is designed to change this by assuming that every optical link will use a matched pair of transponders from a single vendor. However, unlike single vendor solutions, the network can use a different brand of transponder for each link, and these transponders can run over an open line system from yet another vendor.

Leveraging the ONOS SDN Controller, ODTN will automatically and transparently discover the disaggregated components and will control the entire transport network as a unified whole, thus enabling multi-vendor choice. ODTN will rely open industry standards like TAPI (Transport API) and OpenConfig to achieve a truly vendor-neutral solution.The ODTN project will start with relatively simple point-to-point open line systems to more complex network scenarios, and end with a meshed network consisting of disaggregated optical equipment.