The US Federal Government continues to deploy traditional copper-based active Ethernet Local Area Networks (LAN) while evaluating the merits of unleashing Software Defined Networking (SDN) functionality inside buildings and across campus.
And here lies the problem.
They are doing this under the assumption that SDN fixes traditional LAN’s poor operational efficiency, weak security and unreliable resilience. However this is just not true, because by bolting-on SDN as an overlay to a legacy LAN design, they leave behind the inherent weakness of traditional LAN’s meager operational efficiencies, security and reliability.
And it even gets worse.
By adding the additional complexity of SDN (that marginally improve LAN operational efficiencies, security and reliability), they introduce more complexities that negatively contribute to the same attributes they intended to repair.
And now some good news!
There is an alternative means of addressing the underlying fundamental faults of traditional LAN operational efficiencies, security reliability that specifically fixes root problems, AND supports SDN functions today – moreover, in the future it will support open-source standards-based software defined LAN!
That alternative modern fiber-based LAN architecture is Tellabs Optical LAN (OLAN), and it is the better choice for the US Federal Government because:
- Optical LAN is more flexible, resilient and scalable compared to traditional LAN architecture
- OLAN offers unified management, streamlined service delivery, automated provisioning, troubleshooting and monitoring
- It minimizes malicious and negligent human errors, directly improving LAN operational efficiency, reliability and security
- The simple un-managed ONTs are best suited for SDN rather than complex, full-functioning traditional switches
- OLAN allows graceful migration with G-PON, XGS-PON, (10G) and NG-PON2 (40G) technology choices
- Finally, it integrates wireless and wired network management easily through higher level network management
Over the next couple of weeks, we will be writing a series of blogs covering why OLAN is the best choice for laying the foundation for software defined LANs. If you’d like to read ahead and get a preview, you can access our SDN resources online.
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