IP Encyclopedia > All-Optical Ethernet Switch

What Is an All-Optical Ethernet Switch?

All-optical Ethernet switches are a type of switch that provides optical uplink and downlink ports, making them an ideal choice for building an all-optical campus network. They can function as core, aggregation, and access devices on campus networks and connect to upstream and downstream devices through optical fibers to implement fiber to the room and provide 10GE transmission rates.

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Features of All-Optical Ethernet Switches

Architecture of the traditional campus network solution

In traditional campus network solutions, access switches are typically deployed in extra low voltage (ELV) rooms on each floor and use their downlink ports to connect to terminal access points over Ethernet cables, which are electrical ports. The bandwidth supported by Ethernet cables is usually below 1000 Mbit/s. With the rapid development of the Internet and Internet of Things (IoT), more and more new types of terminals emerge, with network capacity needing to be frequently expanded to support the growing number of terminals. Meanwhile, new services and business models require higher network bandwidth. All of this is beyond the reach of traditional campus network solutions.

To meet these growing bandwidth requirements, access switches must have optical downlink ports. These ports can then use optical fibers that offer a higher transmission rate for access, achieving fiber to the room.

This is where Huawei's all-optical Ethernet switches come in. An all-optical Ethernet switch provides both optical uplink and downlink ports, and uses optical fibers that feature high transmission speed, large bandwidth, and strong anti-interference capability. Currently, Huawei campus all-optical Ethernet switches have optical ports with a wide range of rates, such as GE, 2.5GE, 10GE, 25GE, 40GE, 100GE, and 160GE. The supported port rates vary between all-optical Ethernet switch models. For details, see the S3700, S5700, and S6700 Series Switches Hardware Description.

Typical Use Cases of All-Optical Ethernet Switches

Built on all-optical Ethernet switches, Huawei launches the Intelligent Simplified Campus Network Solution, which has the following characteristics:

Simplified network architecture: The network consists of the core and access layers. Remote units (RUs) can be deployed at any required position on the network and connected through optical fibers, Ethernet cables, or hybrid cables, implementing automatic and centralized management on RUs.
Plug-and-play: RUs function as the extended ports of the central switch and require no configuration or management. They are powered through PoE++, eliminating the need for local power supply and ensuring network continuity in the case of power failures.
Efficient RU upgrade and management: RUs are upgraded and managed through the central switch. Only the central switch is required at the network management layer, greatly simplifying campus network management. In addition, hybrid cables provide ultra-high bandwidth, which significantly improves the transmission rate.
Flexible network access for terminals: Terminals can flexibly access the network through nearby RUs without intermediate nodes. This reduces the number of Ethernet cables and slashes network construction costs.

Architecture of Huawei's Intelligent Simplified Campus Network Solution

As digitalization ramps up, campus networks are entering the era of Internet of Everything (IoE), and new terminals and applications are proliferating. Against this backdrop, the network needs to be expanded more conveniently to provide higher network bandwidth. To this end, Huawei launches the Xingmai Passive Ethernet Network (PEN) Solution.

Based on mainstream Ethernet protocols, this solution uses only optical fibers to implement passive data transmission, eliminating the need for ELV rooms. The PEN architecture mainly contains central switches, passive aggregation modules, and RUs (including access switches and Wi-Fi APs). The Xingmai PEN Solution has both the advantages of Ethernet protocols and the simplified structure of optical media. It supports 160 Gbit/s bandwidth for a single module, avoids bandwidth oversubscription, and delivers 10GE optical fibers to rooms, improving network bandwidth. One device supports 96 x 10GE access points. This reduces the construction and cabling period and costs during network capacity expansion, making network capacity expansion more convenient and cost-effective. And because no ELV room is required, equipment room space is saved and fire risks are eliminated.

Architecture of the Xingmai PEN Solution

Characteristics of the Xingmai PEN Solution

The Xingmai PEN Solution takes the best of both the Ethernet protocols and passive optical framework, and has the following characteristics: ultra broadband, smart architecture, rock-solid security, and energy saving.

Ultra broadband
- A PEN central switch, deployed at the core layer of the Xingmai PEN Solution, provides 6 x 160GE ports, each supporting 16 x 10GE SFP+ channels, 16 times that of the conventional optical fiber solution. One PEN central switch supports up to 96 x 10GE access points.
- The Xingmai PEN Solution benefits from the high-bandwidth point-to-point transmission of Ethernet. Both uplink and downlink ports use optical fibers for access, bandwidth oversubscription is eliminated, and 10GE to the room is supported, enabling access terminals to exclusively enjoy 10 Gbit/s bandwidth.
Smart architecture
- The Xingmai PEN Solution uses Ethernet protocols in an end-to-end manner, requiring no protocol conversion. This solution works with RUs and APs. RUs are plug-and-play and configuration-free.
- On the entire network, only one O&M platform is required, reducing network construction costs.
- The Xingmai PEN Solution supports intelligent O&M. With the network digital map, network health, user experience, and application experience can be visualized and optimized, reducing network O&M costs.
Rock-solid security
- The Xingmai PEN Solution supports multiple security authentication modes, such as NAC authentication and terminal identification, and supports abnormal traffic detection, implementing zero spoofing and zero unauthorized access.
- The Xingmai PEN Solution can detect and locate optical module faults in seconds. It also supports multiple reliability solutions, such as stacking and Multichassis Link Aggregation Group (M-LAG), minimizing the fault impact and preventing services from being interrupted.
Energy saving
- The Xingmai PEN Solution adopts the passive design at the aggregation layer, reducing the number of ELV rooms required by the network and lowering the electricity fees of devices and air conditioners in the equipment room.
- RUs use an all-new heat dissipation architecture, with the power consumption of a single port less than 1 W. Through the AI tidal dynamic energy saving algorithm, the optimal energy saving policy is recommended, reducing network energy consumption by more than 20%.

For details about the Xingmai PEN Solution, see the High-Quality 10 Gbps CloudCampus Solution Deployment Guide for the Xingmai Passive Ethernet Network (PEN) Solution.

Huawei All-Optical Ethernet Switch Models

Currently, Huawei all-optical Ethernet switches come in two series: S5700 and S6700. For details about the models, see the S3700, S5700, and S6700 Series Switches Hardware Description.