Abstract

Disaggregated networks allow operators to select components from different vendors, promoting vendor neutrality. This flexibility enables the selection of best-of-breed solutions for specific network elements. By decoupling hardware and software, disaggregated networks can potentially reduce costs. Operators can choose cost-effective devices and upgrade or replace them independently. Disaggregation also facilitates the adoption of new technologies and innovations and often adheres to open standards promoting interoperability between different equipment vendors. The Yet Another Next Generation (YANG) data modeling has been identified as the preferred language to interface the management and control system. The Network Configuration Protocol (NETCONF) is gaining prominence as a Software-Defined Networking (SDN) protocol standardized by the Internet Task Force (IETF). This paper provides an overview based on a survey of the best practices employed in designing, planning, and operating a disaggregated optical network. It presents the general system architecture including the open software tools SDN controller (based on the Open Operating Network System (ONOS)), optical line system controller (OLC), the QoT estimator based on the Gaussian Noise Simulation in Python (GNPy), and the orchestrator module.