NEXT GENERATION SDH

1.0

INTRODUCTION

Innovation, the lifeline to survival in the telecommunication market, has spurred the
telecommunication industry to adopt NGSDH as the most economic and technologically feasible
solution for transmitting voice & data over carrier network. The new applications, mostly relying
on data packet technology, offer easy implementation and access to applications based on the
Internet, Mobile, Multimedia, DVB, SAN, Ethernet or VPN. The architectures are increasingly
demanding long haul transport that today can only be provided by SDH/SONET. These
technologies have a massive installed base, developed over recent decades. SDH/SONET has now
evolved, and is ready to adapt to the new traffic requirements.
Next Generation SDH enables operators to provide more data transport services while
increasing the efficiency of installed SDH/SONET base, by adding just the new edge nodes,
sometime known as Multi Service Provisioning Platforms (MSPP) / Multi Service Switching
Platforms (MSSP), can offer a Combination of data interfaces such as Ethernet, 8B/10B,
MPLS(Multi Protocol Label Switching) or RPR(Resilient Packet Ring), without removing those
for SDH/PDH. This means that it will not be necessary to install an overlap network or migrating
all the nodes or fiber optics. This reduces the cost per bit delivered, and will attract new customers
while keeping legacy services. In addition, in order to make data transport more efficient,
SDH/SONET has adopted a new set of protocols that are being installed on the MSPP/MSPP
nodes. These nodes can be interconnected with the old equipment that is still running.

WHAT IS NEXT GENERATION SDH?

2.0

Following major issues that exist in the legacy SDH:

Difficulty of mapping newer (Ethernet, ESCON, FICON, Fiber Channel etc) services to the
existing SDH transport network.

Inefficient use of the transport network in delivering data services.

Inability to increase or decrease available bandwidth to meet the needs of data services
without impacting traffic.
Three mature technologies

Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), ITU-T G.7041

Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS), ITU-T G.7042

Virtual Concatenation (VCAT), ITU-T G.707

-together in Next generation SDH solved the above issues and adding three main features
to traditional SDH:
1. Integrated Data Transport i.e. Ethernet tributaries in addition to 2Mb, 140 Mb, STM1,4,16 ----GFP
2. Integrated non blocking, wide-band cross connect (2Mb granularity) making the efficient
use of the transport network in delivering data services ---VCAT
3. Dynamic Bandwidth allocation,

Intelligence for topology discovery, route computation and mesh based restoration-----LCAS

migrating all the nodes or fiber optics. This reduces the cost per bit delivered,
Fig. 1 Block Diagram of NGSDH
Next Generation SDH is Packet Friendly and have IP router like capabilities. It does not
matter if the client stream has constant or variable bit rates.
VCAT provides more granularity, LCAS provides more flexibility and GFP efficiently
transports asynchronous or variable bit rate data signals over a synchronous or constant bit
rate.
Hence,
Next Generation SDH = Classic SDH + [GFP+VCAT+LCAS]

3.0

COMPONENTS OF NEXT GEN SDH

3.1

GENERIC FRAMING PROCEDURE (GFP):

Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), an all-purpose protocol for encapsulating packet over
SONET (POS), ATM, and other Layer 2 traffic on to SONET/SDH networks. GFP is defined in
ITU-T G.7041 along with virtual concatenation and link capacity adjustment scheme (LCAS)
transforms legacy SDH networks to Next generation SDH networks.
GFP adds dynamism to legacy SDH. GFP is most economical way of adopting high speed
services, constant bit rate and variable bit rate, in SDH networks and can provide basis for evolving
RPR.

Fig. 2 Functional Model of GFP

There are actually two types of GFP mechanisms ;1. PDU-oriented known as Frame mapped GFP (GFP-F)
2. Block-code-oriented known as Transparent GFP (GFP-T)
3.1

GFP-F: -

GFP-F (Framed) is a layer 2 encapsulation in variable sized frames. Optimised for data
packet protocols such as DVD, PPP and Ethernet, MPLS etc Frame mode supports rate adaptation
and multiplexing at the packet/frame level for traffic engineering. This mode maps entire client
frame into one GFP frames of constant length but gaps are discarded. The frame is stored first in
buffer prior to encapsulation to determine its length. This introduces delay and latency.
3.2

GFP-T:

GFP-T is useful for delay sensitive services. GFP-T (Transparent) is a layer 1

encapsulation in constant sized frames. Optimized f or traffic based on 8B/10B codification
such as VoIP,DVB-ASI,1000BASE-T, SAN, Fibre Channel, and ESCON.

Fig. 3 GFP-F & GFP-T

Transparent mode accepts native block mode data signals and uses SDH frame merely as a
lightweight digital wrapper. GFP-T is very good for isocronic or delay sensitive protocols &SAN
(ESCON). GFP-T is used for FC, Gigabit Ethernet etc.
3.2

CONCATENATION (V-CAT & C-CAT) :

SDH concatenation consists of linking more than one VCs to each other to obtain a rate that
does not form part of standard rates. Concatenation is used to transport pay loads that do not fit
efficiently into standard set of VCs.
Two concatenation schemes are:
1. Contiguous concatenation
2. Virtual concatenation

Fig. 4: VCAT Efficiency

3.2.1

Contiguous concatenation:

The traditional method of concatenation is termed as contiguous. This means that adjacent
containers are combined and transported across the SDH network as one container. Contiguous
concatenation is a pointer based concatenation. It consists of linking N number of VCs to each
other in a logical manner within the higher order entity i.e. VC4 and above. The concatenated VCs
remain in phase at any point of network. The disadvantage is that it requires functionality at every
N/E adding cost and complexity. Lower order VCs (VC-12, VC3) concatenation is not possible in
contiguous concatenation as shown in Fig.
3.2.2

Virtual Concatenation:

Virtual concatenation maps individual containers in to a virtually concatenated link. Any

number of containers can be grouped together, which provides better bandwidth granularity than
using a contiguous method. It combines a number of lower/higher order VCs (VC-12, VC3 & VC4
payload) that form a larger concatenation Group, and each VC is treated as a member. 10 Mb
Ethernet would be made up of five VC-12s, creating these finely tuned SDH pipes of variable
capacities improve both, scalability and data handling/controlling ability as per SLA (service level
agreement).
The transport capacity with or without VC is shown in Fig. 4
VCs are routed individually and may follow different paths, within the network, only the
path originating and path terminating equipment need to recognize and process the virtually
concatenated signal structure as shown in Fig. 5
Transporting Concatenated Signals

Contiguous Concatenation

C-4

C-4

C-4

C-4

C-4

C-4

C-4

C-4

One Path
NE

C-4

C-4

C-4

C-4

NE

VC-4-4c

Core Network

Virtual Concatenation
Path 1

Differential Delay
VC-4
#1
VC-4
#2

VC-4
#1
VC-4
#1

VC-4
#1

VC-4
#2

VC-4
#2

Path 2

VC-4
#2

Fig. 5 Virtual & Contiguous Concatenation

VC-4-2v

Virtual concatenation Benefits:

1. Use the same core NEs, modify only edge NEs.
2. Low investment and fast ROI (return on investment).
3. Efficient & scalable i.e. fine granularity and multi-path capability.
4. SDH gives best QoS, well engineered and reliable.
3.3

Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme(LCAS):

Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) is an emerging SONET/SDH standard and is

defined in ITU-T G.7042 having capability to dynamically change the amount of bandwidth used
in a virtually concatenated channel i.e. bandwidth management flexibility. LCAS is bi-directional
signaling protocol exchanged over the overhead bytes, between Network Elements that continually
monitors the link. LCAS can dynamically change VCAT path sizes, as well as automatically
recover from path failures. LCAS is the key to provide bandwidth on demand.
LCAS enables the payload size of VCG (group of VCs) to be adjusted in real time by adding
or subtracting individual VCs, from VCG dynamically, without incurring hits to active traffic. In
LCAS, signalling messages are exchanged between the two VCs end points to determine the
number of concatenated payloads and synchronize the addition/removal of SDH channels using
LCAS control packets.
Benefits of LCAS :A . Call by call bandwidth (Bandwidth on demand)
Customer
rents a 6Mb Internet connection (VC-12-3v)
calls to get additional 2Mb
Operator
will provision additional VC-12 path
.and will hitless add it to existing connection via LCAS!

Fig. 6 Bandwidth call by call

B. Bandwidth on Schedule

A customer is offered a fixed bandwidth of 100 Mb (VLAN) Ethernet, allotting 46 VC-12 (

0ne VC12 = 2.176 Mb x 46 = 100.1 Mb). Every night for one hour additional 900 M ESCON
service is provisioned by LCAS. New revenue opportunity at low traffic hours.

Fig. 7 Bandwidth on scheduled Time

LCAS is not only used for dynamic bandwidth adjustment but also for survivability options
for next generation SDH. LCAS is a tool to provide operators with greater flexibility in
provisioning of VCAT groups, adjusting their bandwidth in service and provide flexible end-to-end
protection options. LCAS is defined for all high and low order payloads of SDH.