The Approved IEEE 802.3ba Standard for 40/100GbE Transmission
The virtualization and cloud computing, combined with the increasing low-latency services, drive data rates to even much higher points. Just like that 1GbE lines are being aggregated into 10GbE lines, the 10GbE lines are also being amounted to higher rates, say 40/100Gbit/s. With the upward climb in traffic among all sectors, carriers are thirsty for a high-rate connectivity solution. In 2010, the IEEE 802.3ba Task Force has ratified the 802.3ba Ethernet standard. IEEE 802.3ba governs 40/100Gb/s operations across backplanes, copper cabling, multi-mode fiber (MMF), and single-mode fiber (SMF), moving networking speeds forward by another order of magnitude. This standard addresses the needs of computing, network aggregation and core networking applications. And the following passages will discusses this approved IEEE 802.3ba standard in great details.
Back to history, each Ethernet standard has incremented the data speed by about 10 years. What make 802.3ba unique is a 40-Gbit/s option that fits many existing applications. It’s a welcome addition to Ethernet, as it continues to scale with the need. Originally a local-area networking (LAN) technology, Ethernet has gone far beyond its roots thanks to a continuous standards effort. The new standard paves the way for the next generation of high-rate server connectivity and core switching. 802.3ba standard was designed to maintain the widely supported Ethernet frame format and the media access controller (MAC), as well as to create new physical layers (PHYs) for 40/100Gbits/s. It supports full-duplex communication, and works with the International Telecommunication Union’s (ITU’s) Optical Transport Network (OTN) for long haul networks.
- 40/100Gbits/s New PHYs
IEEE 802.3ba standard for 40G/100G offers a wide range of different, mostly optical versions. Backplanes, copper, and PHY media are covered, each usually featuring multiple lanes of 10 or 25Gbits/s. When it comes to 40Gbits/s, its PHYs include the SMF for 10km distance, MMF for 100m link length, copper cable and backplane for 1m. For 100Gbits/s, the PHY goals consist of 40km on SMF, 10km on SMF, 100m on OM3 MMF, and 10m on a copper cable.
- 40/100Gbits/s Form-factors
The quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP) module with four optical ports, is used for 40G over MMF and SMF. And, the CXP module handles 100G over MMF, and offers two sets of 12 optical I/O ports. The CFP module is a 148-pin electrical connector that has 12 optical I/O ports, able to deal with both 40G and 100G transmission. (CFP2, CFP4, and QSFP28 are also for 100G). Based on 802.3ba standard, various related products have been developed to target at 40/100GbE, like Cisco QSFP-40G-SR-BD (image below), a Cisco 40GBASE-SR BD QSFP module for 40Gbps infrastructure over MMF with duplex LC.
- 40/100Gbits/s Multiple Wavelengths
40Gbits/s links use 1270, 1290, 1310, and 1330nm multiple wavelengths. With 64B/66B coding, the signaling rate is 10.3125Gbits/s. And for 100Gbits/s, data is transmitted at 28.78125Gbits/s over 1295, 1300, 1305, and 1310nm wavelengths. All these wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) formats match up with what the ITU specifies for its long-haul OTN fiber networks.
IEEE 802.3ba helps to eliminate the pressing bandwidth bottlenecks faced by network providers and end users alike, paving the way for future Ethernet speed increase.
IEEE 802.3ba addresses critical challenges facing technology providers today, such as the growing number of applications with demonstrated bandwidth needs far exceeding existing Ethernet capabilities, by providing a larger, more durable bandwidth pipeline. Furthermore, collaboration between the IEEE P802.3ba 40/100GbETask Force and the ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T) Study Group 15 ensures these new Ethernet rates are transportable over OTNs.
IEEE 802.3ba functions as the catalyst that speed up the unlocking innovation across the greater Ethernet ecosystem. It’s expected to trigger further expansion of the 40/100GbE family of technologies by driving new development efforts. It also will provide new aggregation speeds that will drive new 10GbEnetwork deployments.
In addition to providing an increased bandwidth pipeline, IEEE 802.3ba remains compatible with existing IEEE 802.3 installations, preserving significant industry investment in the technology. The standard is also expected to generate concrete benefits, such as lowered operating expense costs and improved energy efficiency, by simplifying complex link aggregation scheme commonly used in today’s network architectures.
With traffic on IP backbone network continuing to grow at a rapid pace, the approved EEE 802.3ba standard reliefs the traffic on it. It’s timing to deploy 40/100GbE to scale the interconnection within and between the ubiquitous warehouse-scale computing infrastructures. Fiebrstore supplies 40/100GbE solutions, including QSFP+ module, 100G optics, 40/100G cables, and so on. You can visit Fiberstorer for more information about 40/100GbE solutions.
