Managed Dark Fiber Experiences

Terena TF-MSP: Non-technical issues of Managed Dark Fiber, 9-11-2010 Amsterdam

SURFnet - We make innovation work2

Introduction

- Paul Noomen- Service Level Manager Network Services- Managing outsourced NOC, Installation Partner,

Fiber suppliers

- SURFnet – Dutch NREN- 160 connected institutions- 11.000 km Leased Dark Fiber

SURFnet - We make innovation work3

Dark Fiber structure

- Ring structure- Redundant/protected

connections

Dordrecht1

Breda1

Tilburg1

DenHaag

NLR

BT

BT NLR

BT

Zutphen1

Lelystad1

Subnetwork 4: Purple

Subnetwork 3: Red

Subnetwork 1: Green

Subnetwork 2: Dark blue

Subnetwork 5: Grey

Emmeloord

Zwolle1

Venlo1

Enschede1

Groningen1

LeeuwardenHarlingen

Den Helder

Alkmaar1

Haarlem1

Leiden1

Assen1

Beilen1

Meppel1

Emmen1

Arnhem

Apeldoorn1

Bergen-op-ZoomZierikzee

Middelburg

Vlissingen Krabbendijke

Breukelen1

Ede

Heerlen2Geleen1

DLO

Schiphol-Rijk

Wageningen1 Nijmegen1

Hilversum1

Hoogeveen1

Lelystad2

Amsterdam1

Dwingeloo1

Amsterdam2

Den Bosch1

Utrecht1

Beilen1

Nieuwegein1Rotterdam1

Delft1

Heerlen1

Heerlen1

Maastricht1

Eindhoven1

Maasbracht1

Rotterdam4

3XLSOP

IBG1 & IBG2Middenmeer1

SURFnet - We make innovation work4

Acquiring Dark Fiber

- 10+ different suppliers- National & regional

- Cost - Multiple offers – European Law- Cost versus length- TCO = initial cost + maintenance cost- Lease, 15 year IRU

SURFnet - We make innovation work5

Dark fiber database with geographical interface

5

SURFnet - We make innovation work6

Service Management of Dark Fiber

- Availability- Fibercuts- Maintenance

SURFnet - We make innovation work7

Dark Fiber availability

- Availability parameter in many contracts- Always exclude

- Maintenance- Fiber cuts

- Not useful to us- No guarantees to end-customer- Availability fiber is not availability of connection

- Never seen it happen

SURFnet - We make innovation work8

Fiber cuts

- Frequent- Once every year for 400 km fiber

SURFnet - We make innovation work9

Repair time

- Contractual repair time- 8 to 17 hours depending on nr of fibers- Interim solution possible

- Rarely seen

- Actual: multiple factors- Location/access- Complexity- Number of fibers- Skill

- Ca 80% repaired within SLA- Almost always other companies affected

SURFnet - We make innovation work10

Subcontracting

- Fiber suppliers use subcontractors

- Limited number of subcontractors

- Fiber supplies SHARE subcontractors

- In case of multiple fiber cuts: delays

SURFnet - We make innovation work11

Access to locations

- Measurements to locate fault- Outside office hours often a problem

- Especially on city-rings- Move to professional locations (also better facilities)

- Good arrangements with suppliers and locations are necessary

- Administration is essential- Procedures- Phone numbers- Escalation

SURFnet - We make innovation work12

Penalties

- Sounds nice- Little effect

- Multiple companies have fibers in same cable- Suppliers want to minimise financial risk

Escalation

- NOC monitors maintenance and incidents- Maintenance not ready => incident

- Escalation => SURFnet (me )

- P1 reports to be provided by NOC- And suppliers

- If things really go wrong- We invite them for a visit

SURFnet - We make innovation work13

SURFnet - We make innovation work14

Maintenance

- Sometimes fibers are at risk - For example when cutting nearby fiber- Suppliers do not always tell

SURFnet - We make innovation work15

Maintenance planning

- Regular activity- New connections- New fibers/building activities

- When planning: Outages in Maintenance Window- Plan own changes + suppliers maintenance

- May influence each other- Weekly meeting to check planning with NOC and IP- Inform customers in time (5 days)

- Procedure for emergency maintenance

SURFnet - We make innovation work16

Three lessons

1 - many housing locations have limitations- facilities- access

2 - fiber cuts will happen (a lot)- be prepared- be realistic- manage expectations

3 – plan plan plan- new fibers- maintenance- changes

SURFnet - We make innovation work17

Questions?

SURFnet - We make innovation work18

Paul NoomenPaul.Noomen at surfnet.nl

www.surfnet.nl

Presentation released under Creative Commonshttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/