数字化世界产生的数据量正以难以想象的速度增长. In fact, 数据存储公司希捷估计，到2025年将产生约175zb的数据. This figure is the result of technological development, in the form of cloud and artificial intelligence solutions, but also of video streaming and social media. To support these bandwidth demanding applications, the network and fibre infrastructure needs to be constantly optimised. Here, Marcin Bala, CTO at telecommunications networks specialist Salumanus Ltd, explains how muxponders can contribute to maximising bandwidth.
对于普通的电信用户来说，175zb的数据量听起来可能并不奇怪, but to put it into perspective, downloading this amount of data would take 1.8 billion users. More than half of this number, 51 per cent, is stored in data centres, while the rest is in public cloud platforms. So, 服务提供商和企业如何才能跟上不断增长的数据传输和存储需求?
Infrastructure requirements
With the increase volume of data, 运营商和企业需要寻找最优的网络基础设施升级方案, 同时使其在发生光纤故障时更加可靠和灵活，以满足各种用户的需求. At the same time, 现代基础设施也需要符合环境标准, which implies keeping the power consumption and noises as low as possible.
服务提供商在优化其基础设施时需要考虑的另一个方面是成本, 通过投资紧凑的技术，节省机架空间，降低租用服务器机房的成本. 这对于需要在有限的环境中存储大量数据的数据中心运营商来说尤为重要.
公司还应该考虑维护和管理的便利性以及解决方案的可伸缩性, 哪些对他们使用现有技术人员激活新服务的能力有重大影响. WDM technology might be the answer to all these challenges.
WDM for multiplexing
波分复用(WDM)允许提供商在同一根光纤上聚合多个业务，而无需支付额外的光纤费用. 它的工作原理是接受多个输入信号，并将它们组合或多路复用到一个信号上, common line output. At the other end of the fibre, the streams are separated into different channels again, a process referred to as demultiplexing.
这项技术使用无源模块，不需要电力，占用空间很小, 使它们成为现代网络基础设施和绿色数据中心互连的理想选择.
WDM解决方案可以是粗波分复用(CWDM)或密集波分复用(DWDM)。.
With CWDM, data is transmitted through optical fibres, each signal being sent over its own wavelength. 在一根光纤上最多可以传输18个不同业务的通道，在80公里的距离上，每个波长可以传输高达14Gbps. 因为中心波长和每个通道之间的距离很大, of 20 nanometres, CWDM cannot be amplified. For data centres, 这意味着数据不能长距离传输，在40公里以上的范围内，只能使用有限数量的信道.
另一方面，对于想要扩大规模的公司来说，DWDM是一个更容易获得的选择. 单个光纤可以传输多达96个通道，每个端口(或64个通道)的容量吞吐量高达200Gbps, each with throughput 400Gbps), thus tremendously increasing the fibre capacity. Unlike CWDM, DWDM connections can be amplified using an optical amplifier, and therefore can be used for transmitting data at a much longer distance, even a few thousand kilometres.
DWDM技术是大容量数据传输和长距离连接的更合适的解决方案，它对人口密集的数据中心很有用, especially hyperscale cloud service providers.
The role of muxponders
WDM技术使公司和服务提供商能够显著增加单个光纤的潜在容量. If they assign a dedicated wavelength to each of their services, no matter whether it is Fibre Channel, Ethernet, SDH or OTN transmission, and then multiplex it, they can send a great number of data streams over the same fibre. 然而，他们需要记住，不同的服务需要不同的光谱.
Today, the most used DWDM solutions are based on 100 GHz or 50 GHz grids. 此类系统中可用的信道数量已由ITU-T建议书规定. Thus, 怎样做才能不浪费光通道给需要10gbps的单一服务?
帮助来自于muxponder技术，该技术使您能够在单个波长中聚合大量服务. For example, Salumanus提供的packketlight Networks的PL-4000M Muxponder在1U机箱中通过单个波长提供400G容量, 使用400G可插拔的CFP2-DCO模块，用于连贯的城域和长途应用. 它可以支持高速应用与25/100/400Gb以太网和16/32G光纤通道.
利用多放大器将减少转发器和光学线路模块的数量, such as CFPs, 放大器和无源滤波器，从而降低与这些相关的成本. Since every port can be used for multiple types of services, 光传输网络的管理成本和资本支出将进一步降低.
Muxponders also come in compact sizes, thus reducing the rack space needed, and they have a low power consumption. PL-400M尺寸仅为45mm(高)× 440mm(宽)× 400mm(深)，重量仅为13公斤. On top of this, packketlight Networks公司的多路扩展器在每条上行链路上都配备了1层加密，以实现高度安全的数据传输.
While data transmission is growing at unprecedent rates, 服务提供商需要优化他们的基础设施，以改善他们向客户提供的服务. WDM technology is the key to do so in an efficient and scalable way. However, to make the most of their investment in infrastructure, providers and companies can use muxponders for added benefits. Not only will these products help cut costs significantly, but they will also provide increased security and effective management.
To learn more about WDM technology and muxponders, visit Salumanus at www.salumanus.co.uk/teams/wdm/.
