NTT Electronics contributes Goldstone - Open Source Network OS for Disaggregated Coherent Transponders to the Telecom Infra Project

NTT Electronics, a leading provider of advanced components for optical communications systems including coherent optics and digital signal processors (DSPs), contributes the Goldstone Network Operating Software (NOS^*1) for disaggregated coherent transponders to the Telecom Infra Project’s NOS Software Project hosted by the Open Optical and Packet Transport project group. Launched in February 2016, TIP was started with the goal of accelerating the pace of innovation in the telecom industry.

Goldstone utilizes many existing open source components which have been developed in Open Compute Project (OCP^*2) and Telecom Infra Project (TIP^*3) including Open Network Linux (ONL^*4), SONiC^*5, Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI^*6) and Transponder Abstraction Interface (TAI^*7) to provide a full-fledged open source solution. ONL is used as the base operating system and provides a wide range of open network device support. On top of ONL, Kubernetes^*8 is employed to enable containerized application management, which realizes flexible and modular software composition. SONiC/SAI is deployed as a fleet of containers when the target hardware comprises Ethernet switch ASIC, whereas TAI is used when the target hardware has coherent transponder components. Because of its modular architecture, Goldstone can be extended to support networking devices, which don’t have Ethernet ASIC, but may include conventional transponders, ROADMs or amplifiers in the future.

Goldstone was originally started as a prototype NOS for Edgecore’s Cassini Platform by the proposal from NTT Electronics. This has led to a production deployment by mixi in Japan.
More than five industry partners are using Goldstone for evaluation on the Cassini platform.
It is also being incorporated in Wistron’s Galileo platform.

The NOS is planned to be contributed to TIP Open Optical Packet Transport (OOPT^*9) group as an open source project. Goldstone is planned to be part of a live running demonstration at the 2019 TIP summit.

Quote from mixi, Inc.

Quote from Edgecore

Quote from Wistron

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*1Network Operating System (NOS) : Operating system for a network device such as a router, switch or firewall.

*2Open Compute Project (OCP) : The Open Compute Project (OCP) is a collaborative community focused on redesigning hardware technology to efficiently support the growing demands on compute infrastructure. In 2011, Facebook shared its designs with the public and launched the Open Compute Project and incorporated the Open Compute Project Foundation along with Intel, Rackspace, Goldman Sachs and Andy Bechtolsheim.
(Reference : OCP web site)

*3Telecom Infra Project (TIP) : The Telecom Infra Project (TIP) is a collaborative telecom community founded by Facebook and partners. Launched in February 2016, TIP was started with the goal of accelerating the pace of innovation in the telecom industry. TIP members include operators, suppliers, developers, integrators, startups, and other entities that have joined TIP to build new technologies and develop innovative approaches for deploying telecom network infrastructure.
(Reference : TIP web site)

*4Open Network Linux (ONL) : Open Network Linux(ONL) is an open-source, foundational platform software layer for next-generation, modular NOS architecture on open networking hardware. ONL is a part of the Open Compute Project and is a component in a growing number of commercial NOS stacks and open source projects like CoRD & Stratum.
(Reference : ONL web site)

*5Software for Open Networking in the Cloud (SONiC) : Open source software developed by Microsoft, etc.. It dramatically enhances operations and management of network switches.
(Reference : SONiC repository)

*6Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) : The Switch Abstraction Interface (SAI) defines the API to provide a vendor-independent way of controlling forwarding elements, such as a switching ASIC, an NPU or a software switch in a uniform manner.
(Reference : SAI repository)

*7Transponder Abstraction Interface (TAI) : The Transponder Abstraction Interface (TAI) is the open API to provide a vendor-independent way of controlling coherent optical components. TAI has been developed under TIP OOPT group and NTT is leading the development.
(Reference : NTT Press Releases)

*8Kubernetes : Kubernetes is a portable, extensible, open-source platform for managing containerized workloads and services. Google open-sourced the Kubernetes in 2014.
(Reference : Kubernetes web site)

*9Open Optical Packet Transport (OOPT) : The Open Optical & Packet Transport project group will define Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) open packet transport architecture that triggers new innovation and avoids implementation lock-ins. Open DWDM systems include open line system & control, transponder & network management and packet-switch and router technologies.
(Reference : TIP web site)