SYNCHRONOUS OPTICAL NETWORKING
(SONET)
Submitted by
VICKY
DR. BHIM RAO AMBEDKAR INSTITUTE OF TECHONOLOGY
PORT BLAIR, SOUTH ANDAMAN, ANDAMAN AND NICOBAR ISLANDS
SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) is a physical level standard,
proposal by Bellcore (Bell Communications Research) in the mid-80s for
transmission through an optical fibre. SONET is a technique of
transport between two nodes, which defines the interface adopted for
the NNI (Network Node Interface). Standardized by the ANSI and
recommended worldwide by the CCITT, SONET can be thought of as a
physical network for a global communication system in the same way
that a twisted pair LAN can see as the communication system of a
corporate network. It is a potentially global network, built on fibre
optic cable, with standardized data transmission speeds and
recognized worldwide. SONET eliminates limits between telephone
companies worldwide.
SONET defines the transmission of synchronous and
asynchronous information (time-sensitive data such as real-time
video). With SONET, telecommunications companies can provide their
customers with fast networks that are initially metropolitan scale
(MAN) and that at some point can become global in scope, since SONET
makes possible the connection of the equipment of
telecommunications companies worldwide. The transmission rates of
digital signals have been different according to the countries, which
has prevented the development of global transmission systems. For
example, DS-1 defines 1,544 Mbps in the United States, while E1, its
European counterpart, defines 2,048 Mbps. SONET defines its unique
digital hierarchy with OC (optical carrier) levels.
SONET defines the fibre-optic network for the transport of the signals,
and the different wide area network (WAN) technologies, such as the
Multimegabit Data Switching Service (SMDS) and the Asynchronous
Transfer Mode (ATM), work on here. These technologies are cell
transmission, not frames (frames) of variable length; therefore, they
are easily adaptable to the possible transmission speeds in SONET
networks.
SONET describes the composition of a synchronous frame transmitted
every 125 microseconds. The length of this field depends on the speed
of the interface. Its various values are listed in table depending on the
speed of the optical medium, or OC (Optical Carrier).
As illustrated in the figure, the SONET frame comprises in the first
three bytes of each row of synchronization and supervisory
information. Cells are transmitted in the frame. The start time of the
sending of a cell is not necessarily the beginning of the frame, but can
be located anywhere in the frame. Supervision bits preceding the
beginning so that one does not waste time for the emission of a cell.
When the signals arrive in the transport SONET module, they are not
copied directly as such but in a virtual container (Virtual Container).
This filling is called adaptation. SONET and SDH include several types
of virtual containers, called VC-N (Virtual Container level N). In these
containers, it is necessary to add management information located in
the byte start of each row. By adding this additional information, we
define an administrative unit, or AU-N (Administrative Unit-N).
The higher levels still have nine rows, but there is n times 90 bytes per
row for the level N. The N-level frame of the SONET hierarchy is
illustrated in figure.
The SONET standard is used for the implementation of the physical
layer of the ATM cell switched networks and the interconnection of the
operator networks. The flow rates used for the ATM access interfaces
are respectively 155 Mbit/s, 622 Mbit/s and 2.488Gbit/s for OC3, OC12
and OC48's.
A very important feature of SONET is more reliable communication in
the event of breakage or failure of one of its components. SONET
found in metropolises have a loop topology. Two paths are thus
available to go from one point to another, in particular of the user at
the operator's core network. SONET allows changing this path in 50 ms.
During a break in communication in one direction of the loop, the
reconfiguration can be done in a time resulting in a barely detectable
break for two people talking to each other. This ability of
reconfiguration is a key strength of SONET / SDH structures.
SONET layers
The current SONET standards contain the specifications for the "fibre-
to-fibre" interfaces at the physical (photonic) level. These determine
the speed of the optical line, wavelength, energy levels, pulse shapes,
and coding. The standards also define, in a complete way, the
structure of the frame, the headers, and the mapping of the payload.
The physical layer of SONET / SDH subdivided into four sub-
layers:
• The lower sublayer is called the photonic sublayer and specifies the
physical characteristics of the light and fibre used, which can be single
mode or multimode and always work in the second window.
• The section sublayer deals with point-to-point links between any
contiguous elements (repeaters, multiplexers or switches).
• The line sublayer is responsible for multiplexing and demultiplexing
tributaries between two multiplexers.
• the route sublayer deals with problems related to end-to-end
communication.
As we can see, there is a certain parallel between the four sub-layers
of SONET / SDH and the first four layers of the OSI model.
Sonet network elements
A SONET / SDH system consists of a set of switches, multiplexers and
repeaters, all interconnected by optical fibre. If, for example, you
want to interconnect two computers using an STM-1, you physically
connect to two SDH multiplexers (also called ADM, Add-Drop
Multiplexer), which in turn interconnected by two fibres (one for each
direction). Depending on the distance between the ADMs, the use of
repeaters may be necessary. Several ring-shaped multiplexers can be
connected, in which case the data always travels in the same
direction, so that full-duplex communication is achieved using a single
fibre to constitute the ring; however, it is reasonable to use two fibres
and have one of them in case of failure, with automatic switching in a
matter of milliseconds. You can also make more complex, meshed
topologies, using SDH switches.
The fibre that directly joins any two SDH devices (multiplexers,
switches or repeaters) called a section; the union between two
adjacent multiplexers (possibly through repeaters) is known as a line;
Finally, the definition of a complete communication path between two
multiplexers for the interconnection of two final equipment (which can
cross several repeaters and intermediate multiplexers) is called a
route.
Although the network elements (NEs, Network Elements) are
compatible at the OC-n level, they may differ in some characteristics
between one vendor and another. SONET does not restrict
manufacturers to provide a single type of product, nor does it require
them to provide all types.
For example, one vendor could offer an add/drop multiplexer with DS-
1 access only, while another could offer simultaneous access to DS-1
and DS-3.
Current SONET transport networks employ different topologies to meet
the objectives of network simplicity, cost containment, bandwidth
efficiency and maintenance over time. For example, an optical hub
configuration can be used to eliminate the need for expensive and
complicated configuration with back-to-back network elements.
Similarly, a self-repairing ring network can be developed to ensure
continuous service through geographically dispersed and redundant
roads.