Network Design

Chapter 3
This chapter is designed to provide the student with an
understanding of Network Design.

OBJECTIVES:
Upon completion of this chapter, you will be able to:

Explain the Five Networks approach to network design

List the key areas of network design

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

Intentionally Blank

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

3 Network Design
Table of Contents
Topic

Page

The Five-Network Approach..........................................................

The Traffic Network.........................................................................

2.1 Network Elements.....................................................................

Datacommunications......................................................................
3.1 Control of the Network Element via a local controller:..............
3.2 Control of a Network Element via a Remote Login...................
3.3 Data communication Network (DCN).......................................

Synchronisation............................................................................
4.1 Priority Table...........................................................................
4.2 Internal Source........................................................................

Auxiliary network..........................................................................

Management..................................................................................
6.1 Why SDH Management?........................................................
6.2 Network Management Layers.................................................

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

Intentionally Blank

ii

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

1 THE FIVE-NETWORK APPROACH

The elements of the Five-Network approach to network design are
Traffic, Synchronisation, Management, Datacommunications and
Auxiliary.

Traffic

Figure 1: Five Networks model

Traffic network carries the signal or data across the network

Synchronisation network ensures that all network elements are

sending and receiving the signals at the same speed

Management of the network is done by a Network and Element

Manager.

Data Communications network allows both the management systems

to communicate with the Network Elements.

Auxiliary network provides external alarms from the equipment /

building to the management system along with Engineer Order Wire
(EOW)

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

2 THE TRAFFIC NETWORK

The main requirements of a traffic network are:

Flexibility & Expansion

Protection Systems

Adaptation to old & new Technologies

STM-16, STM-64, DWDM

STM-4, STM-16

STM-1

National

STM-4, STM-16

STM-1

STM-1

Regional

Local

= Add-Drop from ring

= Gateway between rings

Figure 2: Example of a layered network

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

2.1 NETWORK ELEMENTS

Network Elements can be configured in different ways to suit the
application required as follows:

Terminal
Multiplexer

Add-Drop
Multiplexer

Digital
Cross-connect

Intermediate
Regenerator

Figure 3: Network Element types

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Terminal Multiplexer connects tributary lines to an optical line

Add / drop Multiplexer adds or drops tributary lines to an optical
line
Cross-Connects performs switching between input ports & output
ports
Single / Double Regenerator reshapes the pulses in the
signal.

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

Point to Point

Single Ring
Bus or Line

Double Ring

Star or Hub

Figure 4: Network Topologies

A Point to Point network consists of two Terminal Multiplexers

connected together.
A Bus or Line network has one or more Add-Drop Multiplexers
between two Terminal Multiplexers
A Single Ring network consists of a number of Add-Drop Multiplexers
connected together
A Double Ring network is as Single Ring, but with two sets of fibres
A Star or Hub has a central Network Element connected to other
surrounding Network Elements.

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

2.1.1 Network Protection

Network protection provides an alternative route in case of failure.
The diagrams below are examples of the different types of
protection available.
Working route

Working line

Failure

Protecting line

Protecting route

Figure 5: Line and Ring Network Protection

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

2.1.2 Cross Connections

Ericsson Network Elements support some or all of the following
types of cross connections:

Bidirectional
Port

Unidirectional

Matrix

Port

Matrix

To/from
another
port

To
another
port

Loopback
Port

Broadcast

Matrix

Port

Matrix

To/from
another
port

To
other
ports

Split Access

Monitor
Port

Port

Matrix

Matrix
To/from
another
port

To/from
another
port
To Test port

To Test Port

Concatenated
Ports

Matrix

Ports

Any of the cross-connection

types above may be
concatenated. That is, a
number of cross-connections
are joined together, to give
increased bandwidth.

Figure 6: Cross-connection types

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

3 DATACOMMUNICATIONS
3.1 CONTROL OF THE NETWORK ELEMENT VIA A LOCAL
CONTROLLER:
A Network Engineer can connect to a Network Element via the 'F'
interface connection on the equipment. Figure 3-7 Local controller
F interface connection.

ADM

Local Controller

ADM

ADM
F

ADM
Figure 7: Local Login to a Network Element

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

3.2 CONTROL OF A NETWORK ELEMENT VIA A REMOTE LOGIN

A Network Engineer can access a Network Element using a remote
login via the Embedded Control Channel (ECC). This is a
communications channel supported by Data Communications
Channel (DCC) overheads in an STM-N frame. The engineer must
know the Network Service Access Point (NSAP) Address of the
Network Element.

ADM
ECC

ECC

Local Controller

ADM

ADM

ECC

ECC

ADM
Figure 8: Remote login to a Network Element

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

3.3 DATA COMMUNICATION NETWORK (DCN)

A data communication network is necessary to enable management
of the network elements via an Ethernet connection. To facilitate
this, the following is needed:

The connection to Network Elements and Management Systems

Open and Standardised Communication Technologies
Redundancy for Link and Equipment failure
Redundancy solution via Rings, Routers and Leased Lines
GNE - Gateway Network Element
ECC - Embedded Communication Channel
OSS - Operation Support System

Management
System

Management
System
Ethernet

Ethernet
Router

Router
Leased Line
Router
Ethernet

Ethernet

Router
GNE

ECC

GNE

NE

ECC

NE

NE

GNE

GNE

NE

NE

NE

NE

Ethernet

Figure 9: Example of a Data Communications Network

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

4 SYNCHRONISATION
The objectives of synchronisation are as follows:

No timing loops.

Traceability, even in case of link faults.

Each node should have a backup synchronisation source.

Short synchronisation trails.

Synchronous
Equipment
Clocks

External timing
source (PRC)
(Master)

~
~

~
~

~
~

STM-N links can be used to

distribute synchronisation

Figure 10: Synchronisation Network

When the equipment has different synchronisation sources, in case

of failure of the active one, another source will automatically be
selected. The method for selecting the different sources can be
based on the priority table or SSM algorithm.

10

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

4.1 PRIORITY TABLE

The selection of synchronisation source is made according to a

priority table defined via a software procedure by the operator.

This table includes all possible synchronisation sources and

assigns each of them a priority value.

The system will use, by default, the source with the highest
priority. If this fails, the system automatically selects the source
with the next priority.

4.2 INTERNAL SOURCE

Free Running - the switch unit makes available an internal

clock signal specified by ITU-T recommendation G.813

Holdover - the switch unit samples the in use source frequency

and stores the average value in its memory for approximately
24 hours.

If the selected source is no longer available, the unit will

synchronise its own oscillator using the stored average value.

Clock
Type

Description

PRC

Primary reference Clock

Caesium Atomic Clock.
G.811.
Timing from source incapable of supplying
synchronisation status via S1.

Synchronisation Supply Unit

Transit Rubidium Atomic Clock.
G.812T
Synchronisation Supply Unit
Local Rubidium Atomic Clock.
G.812.
Synchronisation Equipment Clock
Network Element built -in clock.
G.813.
Do not use for Synchronisation
to avoid timing loops

Unknown
SSU-T

SSU-L

SEC

DNU

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

Figure 11: Clock types

12

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

5 AUXILIARY NETWORK
Spare capacity in the overhead sections of the SDH frame is used
for the Engineer Order Wire; this allows engineers to communicate
over the network between network elements. The auxiliary
network also provides ground contacts for alarm reporting to the
network and element manager.

Engineer Order
Wire

External Alarm
Collection

Figure 12: Auxiliary Network

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

6 MANAGEMENT
6.1 WHY SDH MANAGEMENT?
Management systems simplify and automate the management of
telecommunications networks. They provide overall control and
monitoring of an entire network, often from a single Network
Management Centre. Due to standardisation, all vendors follow a
common approach in the design of management networks.
The following types of management are possible:

14

Fault Management: Includes monitoring and reporting of

equipment alarms.

Performance Management: Collects data about how well the

network is operating. This data may be used for diagnostic
purposes; also for Quality of Service measurements, upon
which Service Level Agreements may be based.

Configuration Management: Enables remote configuration of

the network.

Service Network: Allows connections to higher-order

management systems. For example, Network Operators may
use company-wide management systems covering activities
such as alarm management and circuit provisioning.

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

6.2 NETWORK MANAGEMENT LAYERS

Representation of
network in Network
Manager

Representation of
network in Element
Manager

Physical
Equipment

Figure 13: Layers in management network

6.2.1 Network Manager

The Network Manager is located above the Element Manager, and
is used to monitor the physical aspects of the network. Below are
some of the responsibilities of the Network Manager:

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

Management of links between Network Elements

Automatic, semi-automatic or manual routing of circuits across links
Generating link and circuit alarms based on equipment alarms received
via the Element Manager
Collection and display of link and circuit performance data

Ericsson Transport Network Architecture - 2

6.2.2 Element Manager

The Element Manager resides between the Network Manager and
the Local Controller level, it controls access to the network at local
level and shares the database information with the Network
Manager. Below are some of the responsibilities of the element
manager:

Communications to Network Elements

Communications to Network Manager
Alarm Reporting
Performance Reporting
Configuration of Network Elements

The Q interface is the connection point to the Network Element,

usually from an Ethernet. The Network and Element Manager can
then monitor all Network Elements via the 'Q' interface connection
and using the DCC / ECC channels.
Main
Operations
Centre

Backup
Operations
Centre

Data
Communications
Network
Regional
Operations
Centre

Regional
Operations
Centre
Network
Elements

Network
Elements

Regional
Operations
Centre

Figure 14: Management Network

16

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A

3 Network Design

Intentionally Blank

3/038 02-108 738/2 R1A