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130 Chapter 6

One of the main concerns is the sizing of these switching systems.
Each vendor has a specific configuration geared to the local
providers in a metropolitan network, such as Sorrento Networks.
Sorrento Networks announced its TeraMatrix photonic switch,
which can be configured in a 4 4 to 512 512 configuration using
two different types of switching matrices.
Network Photonics is a new company in this marketplace target-
ing the metropolitan market with an all-optical switch. More suppli-
ers are soon to appear as the market heats up, and industry
expectations of $4 billion make this more feasible. Newer players
also may lend more credibility to the demands of the network rather
than the assumption that the carriers and providers are trying to
force the bandwidth on the enterprise user. One can safely assume
that the bandwidth is desired; the delivery is the holdup today.
The services we are trying to satisfy include the following:

Enterprise access
Dynamic optical add-drop multiplexing
Reconfiguration “on the fly”

Ring interconnection
“Designer” functions
Enabling optical internetworking
Reduced capital and operations costs
Dynamic growth requirements

Delivery of 99.999 percent availability
Simplified network deployment and management
Nonblocking, multipath switching

Compelling metropolitan switching needs
It may be accepted that the metropolitan market is radically
different from the long-haul market, so the need for optical cross-
connects and switches also will differ radically. Whereas matrix size
and line speeds are the important equipment attributes for long-
haul networks, protocol transparency is the most important
attribute in a metropolitan network.