Huawei Unveils Metro Fabric Solution to Enable Carriers towards DC-Centric Metro Networks

During the MPLS+SDN+NFV World Congress 2018, Huawei launched its Metro Fabric solution and the CX6600, a programmable, new generation, Metro Fabric-oriented router.

Following Huawei's Intent-Driven Network philosophy, Huawei's Metro Fabric solution can help operators build data center (DC)-centric metro networks characterized by network transport layer and service layer decoupling, elastic scale out, and service provisioning in minutes. In addition, this solution uses artificial intelligence (AI) and Big Data analytics for proactive prediction and optimization of network-wide traffic.

Emerging services such as 4K video, B2B private line, and 5G have caused an exponential growth of traffic on the metro network, especially after mass services are moved to the cloud. DC to metro network has become a mainstream trend in the industry. Only DC-centric metro networks can effectively meet the bearer requirements of various emerging services. Traditional metro networks are device-centric, facing problems such as redundant network layers, fixed traffic directions, difficult network expansion, and complex Operation and Maintenance (O&M) procedures. It is imperative for DC and metro networks to effectively work together for automated service provisioning. With this in mind, Huawei has proposed the Metro Fabric solution, which applies the Fabric mindset of DC to metro network scenarios to help operators build metro networks driven by intent.

A simplified architecture is used to decouple the network transport layer from the service layer, allowing the network to be flexibly expanded without affecting services. Segment Routing (SR) and Ethernet Virtual Private Network (EVPN) unifies complex IP protocol sets. SR/EVPN also supports IPv6 evolution, enabling the construction of seamless networks. The simplified architecture allows automated service provisioning, shortening the service provisioning time from weeks to a matter of minutes.

Ultra-broadband achieves the optimal per-bit cost while ensuring service experience. Huawei's CX6600 series, a core part of the Metro Fabric solution, provides the industry's largest-capacity 4T line card and high-density 100GE ports. This series of router also includes the industry's most compact 1T CO router (300 mm deep), which can improve the bandwidth capability of a CO site by five times.

Intelligent O&M supports network status visualization. This solution uses telemetry to provide network resource visualization in real time and proactive alarm reporting and correlative alarm analysis to rapidly demarcate troubleshooting responsibilities. With technologies such as AI, Big Data analytics, and machine learning, this solution can accurately predict traffic trends and optimize traffic in minutes, improving resource utilization by 30%.

Jeffrey Gao, President of Router & Carrier Ethernet Product Line, Huawei, said: "The explosive growth of emerging services brings uncertainty to metro network connections and the quantity and direction of traffic. Huawei's Metro Fabric solution uses a brand-new simplified architecture and an IT mindset to construct metro networks and decouple network architecture. While ensuring the agility and flexibility of the service layer, this solution also guarantees the stability and reliability of the transport layer to meet current and future metro service requirements."

IT and CT clouds drive the continuous evolution of metro networks, accelerating the development of an intelligent era for video and clouds. Huawei's Metro Fabric solution will continue to follow the intent-driven model, quickly provide differentiated bearer services, improve network predictability and analysis capabilities, and provide automated service management to maximize network value.