Tutorial by SSSA

Disaggregation in optical networks will be introduced as a way to open networks, e.g. to devices from different manufacturers and (open)software for the control and network optimization. Indeed, typically, networks are vendor-locked-in, both with respect to data plane devices (e.g., transceivers) and control&management plane (thus, the software managing the network). Recently, network operators and service providers have increasingly pushed vendors to disaggregate networks and ensure multi-vendor interoperability. A key example is the separation of software from hardware. The distinction between control, forwarding, and management planes has become critical, as the deployment of data plane hardware that supports multi-vendor interoperability. This trend would enable the use of equipment from different vendors, opening the market and allowing cost savings, avoiding the dependency on a single vendor’s hardware. It also provides the flexibility to adopt the latest and most advanced technologies for network deployment.