Control Plane

The boom of Internet and Virtual Private Networks has dramatically increased the data traffic, requiring a boost of optical networks capacity. At the same time, Telecom carriers and service providers are looking for more cost efficient solutions for their core optical networks. This trend has led equipment manufacturers and operators to identify new requirements for these networks, including traffic engineering, reliable resource inventory and fast, scheduled and on demand optical path provisioning.

ITU-T built the Automatic Switched Transport Networks (ASTN) architecture defined as a control plane and its interfaces (UNI, I-NNI, E-NNI).
IETF proposed GMPLS (Generalized Multi Label switching Path protocol) as a way to implement this control plane, by specifying enhancements to Routing protocols (IS-IS or OSPF) and Signaling Protocols (CR-LDP or RSVP-TE).
OIF has defined GMPLS extensions to provide the O-UNI and E-NNI.
IETF has promoted also a complementary architecture based on a Path Computation Element in charge of the sole path computation remotely from the NE.

Marben Products and GMPLS

The control plane product line is the leading networking solution available in portable C source form. It provides the ultimate off-the-shelf control plane solutions: it extends from Legacy SONET/SDH control planes to new Packet optical and WDM control planes.

GMPLS is on the field but still evolving in its standard to cover more and more services. With MARBEN GMPLS Solution, Marben is the leading supplier of networking protocols for control plane that preserves customer investment and make its products evolves with current states of standards.

Marben developed its solution within these past five years with inputs and support of its customers among major optical manufacturers.

Marben has also been active in the standardization process in OSPF, ISIS, MPLS and CCAMP working group. Marben is closely and actively following IETF PCE working group to maintain its MARBEN PCE implementation up-to-date with latest extensions required by its customers.