The OIF Defines 100G Project for Module Management Interface

Latest Project Builds on Framework Document

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--A new 100G project has been launched by the Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) to define a Module Management Interface. The project, started in the Physical and Link Layer Working Group, has set a goal to develop a Management Data Input/Output Interface (MDIO) for the 100G Long Haul DWDM Transmission Module. The MDIO project will specify the logical architecture and frame structure, module control and host-module signaling theory, and MDIO register set. Work on the 100G Long Haul DWDM Transmission Module Multisource Agreement (MSA) began a year ago and the MDIO interface is an important component to completing the project, enabling multi-vendor interoperability.

“The OIF Framework Document brings many different pieces together for 100G Long Haul DWDM networks”

The OIF has a number of projects in various states of progression addressing 100G for Long Haul DWDM transport networks. The OIF’s Framework Document outlines the issues for the various projects and can be viewed at http://oiforum.com/public/documents/OIF-FD-100G-DWDM-01.0.pdf

“The OIF Framework Document brings many different pieces together for 100G Long Haul DWDM networks,” says Karl Gass of Sandia National Labs and the OIF Physical and Link Layer Working Group Vice Chair. “As we identify the boundaries for each issue, we work to fill in that piece of the technological puzzle. The MDIO is another key piece of that puzzle.”

Forum Leader Elections

Newly elected to the OIF board of directors are Ghani Abbas of Ericsson and Martha Fratt of AT&T. Fratt will serve as Secretary/Treasurer and both will serve one-year terms. Klaus-Holger Otto of Alcatel-Lucent is newly elected as Technical Committee Vice Chair and Jim Jones of Alcatel-Lucent is newly elected as Interoperability Working Group Chair.

The OIF membership reelected Jeff Hutchins of CoreOptics and Jim Jones of Alcatel-Lucent for two-year terms. Jim Jones will continue as Vice President of Marketing. Hans-Martin Foisel of Deutsche Telekom remains the OIF President while Stephen Shew now holds the position of Vice President.

Additionally, Lyndon Ong of Ciena was reelected Technical Committee Chair while Rod Smith of Tyco Electronics and Dave Brown of Alcatel-Lucent were reelected Market Awareness & Education Co-Chairs.

About the OIF

Launched in April of 1998, the OIF is the only industry group uniting representatives from data and optical networking disciplines, including many of the world's leading carriers, component manufacturers and system vendors. The OIF promotes the development and deployment of interoperable networking solutions and services through the creation of Implementation Agreements (IAs) for optical, interconnect, network processing and component technologies, and optical networking systems. The OIF actively supports and extends the work of standards bodies with the goal of promoting worldwide compatibility of optical internetworking products. Working relationships or formal liaisons have been established with the Ethernet Alliance, IEEE 802.3, IETF, ITU-T Study Group 13, ITU-T Study Group 15, IPv6 Forum, MEF, ATIS OPTXS, ATIS TMOC, Rapid I/O, TMF, UXPi and the XFP MSA Group. Information on the OIF can be found at www.oiforum.com.