LINTHICUM, Md., Jan. 21 -- Ciena Corp., the network specialist, today announced that the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) has selected the CoreDirector Multiservice Optical Switch for use in its multi-national research networking efforts. Caltech is the driving force behind the U.S. Large Hadron Collider Network (U.S. LHCNet), a network that interconnects large research facilities throughout the U.S. and Europe, and has been chartered with designing and managing implementation of the network to support distributed scientific computing and research.

The U.S. LHCNet network interconnects the CERN laboratory in Geneva, Switzerland with key access points in Amsterdam, N.Y., and Chicago (Starlight). Onward connections to research facilities throughout the United States involve the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)'s Energy Sciences Network (ESnet)’s Science Data Network, the Internet2 network and National Lambda Rail (NLR). With the help of Ciena’s CoreDirector platform, Caltech can dynamically set up and seamlessly manage the transfer of multiple terabytes of data from CERN to the Fermilab and Brookhaven DOE laboratories. Those labs host the U.S. Tier 1 Centers, which support the high energy physics research efforts of more than 1,000 physicists at more than 80 U.S. universities and labs taking part in the LHC program.

“In managing the implementation of U.S. LHCNet, we were looking for the easiest and most efficient way to optimize bandwidth utilization while connecting sites across vast distances,” said Harvey Newman, professor of physics at Caltech. “Ciena’s CoreDirector platform has a rich set of features that allow for Layer 1 and Layer 2 Ethernet lightpath switching, making complicated optical network connections easier to accomplish by automating dynamic provisioning. We are also working on integrating the CoreDirector functionality with some of our distributed monitoring and control software to further support our scientific collaborations on a global scale.”

In this multiservice environment, Ciena’s CoreDirector switching system is integral to enabling interconnection within the global research networking community and supporting distributed scientific computing and research. The platform will also contribute to the advancement of intelligent control plane-based automation for optical networks, including dynamic lightpath signaling and routing capabilities.

“The deployment by Caltech further demonstrates Ciena’s intelligent control plane capabilities, which have been proven in networks worldwide to flexibly automate the discovery, configuration, dynamic provisioning and restoration of high-bandwidth optical networks,” said Steve Alexander, chief technology officer at Ciena. “Given the support CoreDirector provides for dynamic provisioning of high-bandwidth connectivity, it is ideal for enabling research initiatives between geographically separate locations in support of high performance computing and networking applications.”

CoreDirector is an element of Ciena’s FlexSelect Architecture, a standards-based, service-oriented approach to building next-generation network infrastructures made possible by flexible hardware and intelligent software. The platform offers the ability to rapidly deliver end-to-end optical services and efficiently transport GbE and 10 GbE services over highly-reliable SONET/SDH infrastructure, utilizing Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) and Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS), with advanced Layer 2 switching functionality and MEF-based Ethernet traffic management.

For additional information on Ciena’s government solutions and support of the research and education community, visit www.ciena.com/government.

About Ciena

Ciena specializes in network transition. We provide the flexible platforms, intelligent software and professional services to build converged networks for enhanced services and applications. With a growing global presence, Ciena leverages its heritage of practical innovation to deliver maximum performance and economic value in communications networks worldwide. For more information, visit www.ciena.com.