How to ensure the security of transmission in urban fiber networks? Part 1.
When planning network infrastructure, the topic of the threats that fibers may encounter is one of the priorities. While server rooms and data centers are secure, closed facilities, fiber optic fibers themselves can be vulnerable to a variety of failures. In this article, we discuss three ways to secure redundancy and ensure that networks will perform even in the harshest of environments. Learn how to keep your organization's network fully functional.
The risks of fiber optic transmission can be divided into two main categories.
Mechanical damage to the fibers
Physical damage to the fiber is usually caused by earthworks. For one of our customers during road works, the drilling rig drilled a fiber optic cable, which contained 96 fibers. It also happened that during the construction of a new infrastructure, the link was kneaded or dirty. The microcracks formed in this way led to a complete loss of joints.
The consequences of such events are easy to imagine. Interrupted transmission is only the beginning of all the confusion An interruption in access to the network can put a brake on the current activity of the company. And repairing the damaged cable and restoring the normal functionality of the network is expensive and time consuming.
Deterioration of fiber parameters
The second category of events is related to fiber degradation, which can affect transmission parameters over time. Contamination of connectors, mechanical damage or natural wear can lead to a deterioration in signal quality. This deterioration affects the speed and reliability of communication, which is important in applications requiring high bandwidth and low latency, such as cloud services or video streaming.
Three ways of redundancy in the optical path
In order to minimise the risks, redundancy mechanisms must be introduced in the optical path. We have three options at our disposal. First, we can use muksponders, which have two uplink ports, that is, they use two independent transmission routes. In this case, one port acts as primary and the other in protection mode. Thanks to this, simultaneous transmission of services is possible, which introduces an additional layer of protection not only for the fibers, but also for the optical modules and the power supply system.
The second, advanced solution in the field of fiber optic protection is Optical Line Protection Switch (OPL). It is an independent device, installed along the fiber path, between the multiplexer and possible amplifiers. It divides the route into the so-called “main path” and “backup path”. In this model, data protection is not realized by muksponders, but by a dedicated optical switch.
OPL monitors the signal on the main route and in the event of failure or damage, intelligently switches all services to the backup path. This dynamic solution works at the level of the entire system, regardless of the services running.
The third, highest level of security, is the complete replication of the transmission system. This is the most reliable way to ensure redundancy, as we duplicate not only the fibers and modules, but also the entire transmission architecture along with the power supply.
Moreover, these three methods can be combined with each other, obtaining multi-layer protection. For example, we can have two independent transmission systems, each with additional protection at the muksponder level. As a result, we have four independent routes, which guarantees double protection in the context of optical tracts.
summary
In short, when it comes to fiber optic protection, we have a whole range of advanced solutions at our disposal. By choosing the right ones, we ensure the highest quality and reliability of our transmission connections. If you are wondering which option to choose for a public institution or your company, we will be happy to help. Write: sales@salumanus.com
Read more: Cryptography in optical networks. Is your data safe? https://www.salumanus.com/aktualnosci/kryptografia-w-sieciach-optycznych