Infinera introduces Cloud Xpress 2
Network company Infinera has introduced Cloud Xpress 2 to address the demand for scalable 100 gigabit Ethernet (100GbE) datacentre interconnect (DCI) over multi-terabit optical links.
Cloud Xpress 2 delivers a 1.2 Tb/s super-channel in one rack unit while enabling fibre capacity with up to 27.6 Tb/s on a single fibre pair. It is the first Infinera product incorporating its Infinite Capacity Engine, which the company says has allowed it to increase DCI density by 4.8 times.
The Infinite Capacity Engine is a multi-terabit opto-electronic subsystem based on the company's fourth-generation photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology. It integrates several hundred optical functions including tunable lasers, photodiodes, nested Mach-Zehnder modulators, demodulators, splitters, combiners, attenuators and amplifiers.
The PIC is designed to support multiple parallel channels, is engineered on a monolithic InP substrate and supports the creation of up to 2.4T of capacity along with modulation, multiplexing and in-chip amplification functions.
According to Infinera, the Cloud Xpress Family can transmit 1.2 Tb/s up to 130km using a single fibre pair without an external multiplexer or external amplifier, resulting in fewer fibres and less space. This contrasts with alternative solutions available today that require at least six fibre pairs fed into an external multiplexer daisy chained into an external amplifier resulting in more complex configuration and ongoing maintenance.
"Cloud and content providers are the first to deploy any new technology that helps them better address the rapid growth of their networks," said Andrew Schmitt, Founder and Lead Analyst at Cignal AI.
"Infinera was first to market with a purpose-built DCI platform that did exactly that, and it essentially owns the market for this type of equipment today. The design of Infinera's new Cloud Xpress 2 raises the bar again with the density, capacity and operational simplicity that helps cloud and content providers meet the scaling challenge."
"Cloud Xpress 2 is an important milestone for Infinera as it raises the bar for datacentre interconnect platforms," said Stuart Elby, Infinera's senior vice president, datacentre business group. "This is the first Infinera product based on our groundbreaking Infinite Capacity Engine, which sets new standards for optical performance and efficiency. With the Infinite Capacity Engine, Cloud Xpress 2 delivers advanced levels of scalability and low power along with simplicity, automation and built-in security."
