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For communications service providers (CSPs), software-defined networking (SDN) was never really about a specific protocol (e.g., OpenFlow). Rather, it was about a specific goal to build flexible, automated, and programmable networks that deliver new services to market faster and reduce overall network costs. During the past decade, the software technology tools have morphed and evolved, but the goal remains the same—and it centers on openness and automation. Transport forms the plumbing of the network—less visible to enterprise and consumer users but essential for all the traffic and services that ride on top. Network operators understand that their automation strategies are incomplete if they do not include the transport layers, such as Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) Layers 3 (IP), 2 (Ethernet), and 1 (optical). Multiple layers, transport protocols, and vendors, combined with a historical focus on proprietary technology, all make transport automation difficult to achieve, but progress is being made. Promising new revenue opportunities enabled by 5G (e.g., network slicing) and new network architectures enabled by physical IP and optical convergence are adding urgency to open automation strategies for transport networks. |
