This presentation from OFC general co-chair Jörg-Peter Elbers examined the latest optical transmission technologies for the data center interconnect, comparing direct detection solutions to coherent transmission.

1. Jörg-Peter Elbers
OFC panel: Line side 100Gbit/s DWDM network solutions – debating the options
for the data center interconnect?
Coherent or direct detect

2. © 2019 ADVA. All rights reserved.22
Data centers require high-capacity interconnects
DC
spine
switch
DWDM
transponder
DC
edge
router
Core OLS
Customer
traffic
DCI OLS
It's good to have a choice – open line system and best-of-breed terminal optics
Ring or mesh
100s-1000s of km
Fiber scarce
Point-to-point
<80km distance
Can be fiber rich
Core connectivity
DCI connectivity

3. © 2019 ADVA. All rights reserved.33
• High performance and spectral efficiency
• On-board and CFP(2) form factors
• 100Gbit/s to 600Gbit/s available today
• DSP-based dispersion compensation
• “Good enough” for P2P DCI applications
• The only solution in QSFP28 form factor
• 100Gbit/s available today
• Needs optical dispersion compensation
Direct detectCoherent
How should dispersion be managed for direct detect?
DWDM line-side options for DCI applications
DWDM
QSFP28CFP2-DCO
DWDM terminal with
on-board optics

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Smart amplifier offers coherent-like automation for direct detect optics
Operational simplicity for direct detect
• Automatic dispersion measurement
• Automatic dispersion compensation
• Automatic gain, tilt, and power setting
• Optional integrated OTDR
• Optional optical channel monitor
Smart features
+ =
Configuration
provisioning
Monitoring
alarms
TACACS+
Radius
CLI
REST
NETCONF
WebGUI
Zero touch prov
SNMPv2c
REST
NETCONF
Streaming telemetry
FCAPS Control
REST

5. © 2019 ADVA. All rights reserved.55
Highest capacity, functionality and flexibility with DWDM terminal –
Lowest rack space with DWDM QSFP28 in switch/router
Which line side option to pick? It depends …
38.4
19.2
9.6
4.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
600G Coh. 200G Coh. 100G Coh. 100G PAM4
C-bandcapacity(Tbit/s)
Modulation format
CFP2-DCO
DWDM
QSFP28
DWDM terminal with
on-board optics

6. © 2019 ADVA. All rights reserved.66
The good news? An open DCI line system supports all!
Open APIs
Pre-amp
Pre-ampBooster
Booster
WDM filter
Open APIs
WDM filter
Switch/router
with PAM4 QSFP28
Coherent interfaces
Switch/router
with PAM4 QSFP28
Coherent interfaces
Disaggregated
terminal equipment
Disaggregated
terminal equipment

7. Thank you
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jelbers@advaoptical.com