Network Design
Chapter 3
This chapter is designed to provide the student with an
understanding of Network Design.
OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:
Explain the Five Networks approach to network design
List the key areas of network design
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3 Network Design
Table of Contents
Topic
Page
The Five-Network Approach..........................................................
The Traffic Network.........................................................................
2.1 Network Elements.....................................................................
Datacommunications......................................................................
3.1 Control of the Network Element via a local controller:..............
3.2 Control of a Network Element via a Remote Login...................
3.3 Data communication Network (DCN).......................................
Synchronisation............................................................................
4.1 Priority Table...........................................................................
4.2 Internal Source........................................................................
Auxiliary network..........................................................................
Management..................................................................................
6.1 Why SDH Management?........................................................
6.2 Network Management Layers.................................................
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1 THE FIVE-NETWORK APPROACH
The elements of the Five-Network approach to network design are
Traffic, Synchronisation, Management, Datacommunications and
Auxiliary.
Traffic
Figure 1: Five Networks model
Traffic network carries the signal or data across the network
Synchronisation network ensures that all network elements are
sending and receiving the signals at the same speed
Management of the network is done by a Network and Element
Manager.
Data Communications network allows both the management systems
to communicate with the Network Elements.
Auxiliary network provides external alarms from the equipment /
building to the management system along with Engineer Order Wire
(EOW)
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2 THE TRAFFIC NETWORK
The main requirements of a traffic network are:
Flexibility & Expansion
Protection Systems
Adaptation to old & new Technologies
STM-16, STM-64, DWDM
STM-4, STM-16
STM-1
National
STM-4, STM-16
STM-1
STM-1
Regional
Local
= Add-Drop from ring
= Gateway between rings
Figure 2: Example of a layered network
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2.1 NETWORK ELEMENTS
Network Elements can be configured in different ways to suit the
application required as follows:
Terminal
Multiplexer
Add-Drop
Multiplexer
Digital
Cross-connect
Intermediate
Regenerator
Figure 3: Network Element types
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Terminal Multiplexer connects tributary lines to an optical line
Add / drop Multiplexer adds or drops tributary lines to an optical
line
Cross-Connects performs switching between input ports & output
ports
Single / Double Regenerator reshapes the pulses in the
signal.
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Point to Point
Single Ring
Bus or Line
Double Ring
Star or Hub
Figure 4: Network Topologies
A Point to Point network consists of two Terminal Multiplexers
connected together.
A Bus or Line network has one or more Add-Drop Multiplexers
between two Terminal Multiplexers
A Single Ring network consists of a number of Add-Drop Multiplexers
connected together
A Double Ring network is as Single Ring, but with two sets of fibres
A Star or Hub has a central Network Element connected to other
surrounding Network Elements.
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2.1.1 Network Protection
Network protection provides an alternative route in case of failure.
The diagrams below are examples of the different types of
protection available.
Working route
Working line
Failure
Protecting line
Protecting route
Figure 5: Line and Ring Network Protection
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2.1.2 Cross Connections
Ericsson Network Elements support some or all of the following
types of cross connections:
Bidirectional
Port
Unidirectional
Matrix
Port
Matrix
To/from
another
port
To
another
port
Loopback
Port
Broadcast
Matrix
Port
Matrix
To/from
another
port
To
other
ports
Split Access
Monitor
Port
Port
Matrix
Matrix
To/from
another
port
To/from
another
port
To Test port
To Test Port
Concatenated
Ports
Matrix
Ports
Any of the cross-connection
types above may be
concatenated. That is, a
number of cross-connections
are joined together, to give
increased bandwidth.
Figure 6: Cross-connection types
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3 DATACOMMUNICATIONS
3.1 CONTROL OF THE NETWORK ELEMENT VIA A LOCAL
CONTROLLER:
A Network Engineer can connect to a Network Element via the 'F'
interface connection on the equipment. Figure 3-7 Local controller
F interface connection.
ADM
Local Controller
ADM
ADM
F
ADM
Figure 7: Local Login to a Network Element
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3.2 CONTROL OF A NETWORK ELEMENT VIA A REMOTE LOGIN
A Network Engineer can access a Network Element using a remote
login via the Embedded Control Channel (ECC). This is a
communications channel supported by Data Communications
Channel (DCC) overheads in an STM-N frame. The engineer must
know the Network Service Access Point (NSAP) Address of the
Network Element.
ADM
ECC
ECC
Local Controller
ADM
ADM
ECC
ECC
ADM
Figure 8: Remote login to a Network Element
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3.3 DATA COMMUNICATION NETWORK (DCN)
A data communication network is necessary to enable management
of the network elements via an Ethernet connection. To facilitate
this, the following is needed:
The connection to Network Elements and Management Systems
Open and Standardised Communication Technologies
Redundancy for Link and Equipment failure
Redundancy solution via Rings, Routers and Leased Lines
GNE - Gateway Network Element
ECC - Embedded Communication Channel
OSS - Operation Support System
Management
System
Management
System
Ethernet
Ethernet
Router
Router
Leased Line
Router
Ethernet
Ethernet
Router
GNE
ECC
GNE
NE
ECC
NE
NE
GNE
GNE
NE
NE
NE
NE
Ethernet
Figure 9: Example of a Data Communications Network
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4 SYNCHRONISATION
The objectives of synchronisation are as follows:
No timing loops.
Traceability, even in case of link faults.
Each node should have a backup synchronisation source.
Short synchronisation trails.
Synchronous
Equipment
Clocks
External timing
source (PRC)
(Master)
~
~
~
~
~
~
STM-N links can be used to
distribute synchronisation
Figure 10: Synchronisation Network
When the equipment has different synchronisation sources, in case
of failure of the active one, another source will automatically be
selected. The method for selecting the different sources can be
based on the priority table or SSM algorithm.
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4.1 PRIORITY TABLE
The selection of synchronisation source is made according to a
priority table defined via a software procedure by the operator.
This table includes all possible synchronisation sources and
assigns each of them a priority value.
The system will use, by default, the source with the highest
priority. If this fails, the system automatically selects the source
with the next priority.
4.2 INTERNAL SOURCE
Free Running - the switch unit makes available an internal
clock signal specified by ITU-T recommendation G.813
Holdover - the switch unit samples the in use source frequency
and stores the average value in its memory for approximately
24 hours.
If the selected source is no longer available, the unit will
synchronise its own oscillator using the stored average value.
Clock
Type
Description
PRC
Primary reference Clock
Caesium Atomic Clock.
G.811.
Timing from source incapable of supplying
synchronisation status via S1.
Synchronisation Supply Unit
Transit Rubidium Atomic Clock.
G.812T
Synchronisation Supply Unit
Local Rubidium Atomic Clock.
G.812.
Synchronisation Equipment Clock
Network Element built -in clock.
G.813.
Do not use for Synchronisation
to avoid timing loops
Unknown
SSU-T
SSU-L
SEC
DNU
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Figure 11: Clock types
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5 AUXILIARY NETWORK
Spare capacity in the overhead sections of the SDH frame is used
for the Engineer Order Wire; this allows engineers to communicate
over the network between network elements. The auxiliary
network also provides ground contacts for alarm reporting to the
network and element manager.
Engineer Order
Wire
External Alarm
Collection
Figure 12: Auxiliary Network
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6 MANAGEMENT
6.1 WHY SDH MANAGEMENT?
Management systems simplify and automate the management of
telecommunications networks. They provide overall control and
monitoring of an entire network, often from a single Network
Management Centre. Due to standardisation, all vendors follow a
common approach in the design of management networks.
The following types of management are possible:
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Fault Management: Includes monitoring and reporting of
equipment alarms.
Performance Management: Collects data about how well the
network is operating. This data may be used for diagnostic
purposes; also for Quality of Service measurements, upon
which Service Level Agreements may be based.
Configuration Management: Enables remote configuration of
the network.
Service Network: Allows connections to higher-order
management systems. For example, Network Operators may
use company-wide management systems covering activities
such as alarm management and circuit provisioning.
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6.2 NETWORK MANAGEMENT LAYERS
Representation of
network in Network
Manager
Representation of
network in Element
Manager
Physical
Equipment
Figure 13: Layers in management network
6.2.1 Network Manager
The Network Manager is located above the Element Manager, and
is used to monitor the physical aspects of the network. Below are
some of the responsibilities of the Network Manager:
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Management of links between Network Elements
Automatic, semi-automatic or manual routing of circuits across links
Generating link and circuit alarms based on equipment alarms received
via the Element Manager
Collection and display of link and circuit performance data
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6.2.2 Element Manager
The Element Manager resides between the Network Manager and
the Local Controller level, it controls access to the network at local
level and shares the database information with the Network
Manager. Below are some of the responsibilities of the element
manager:
Communications to Network Elements
Communications to Network Manager
Alarm Reporting
Performance Reporting
Configuration of Network Elements
The Q interface is the connection point to the Network Element,
usually from an Ethernet. The Network and Element Manager can
then monitor all Network Elements via the 'Q' interface connection
and using the DCC / ECC channels.
Main
Operations
Centre
Backup
Operations
Centre
Data
Communications
Network
Regional
Operations
Centre
Regional
Operations
Centre
Network
Elements
Network
Elements
Regional
Operations
Centre
Figure 14: Management Network
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