Leveraging SDN to streamline metro network operations

The confluence of two recent technological trends - the maturation of ROADM technology and the rise of SDN - has produced the perfect opportunity to streamline carrier metro network operations through the use of automation. This article introduces readers to the carrier metro network and describes the challenges of automating carrier metro network operations. To this end, we illustrate both the inherent complexity of today's metro network and the legacy processes that have been put in place to manage this complexity. Our discussion covers the essential details regarding current practices in metro network operation, and touches on the economic and technical factors that have contributed to these processes remaining in place for so long. We explain how the application of lean methodology can streamline and automate metro network processes - enabling carriers to reduce work in progress, thereby simultaneously decreasing both operational expenditures and time to market.