1. technology and computing
2. networking
3. network monitoring and management

Multi-layer Network Orchestration
Benefits
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Planet Operate
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Multi-layer wide area networks have
historically been operated using separate
layer- and vendor-specific management
systems with no awareness of adjacent
layers or network resources. The resulting
complexity leads to poor overall network
utilization, configuration errors, delayed
resolution of issues, and ultimately, to
higher costs. Planet Operate is the
industry's first SDN-based network
management application providing end-toend fault, configuration, accounting,
provisioning,
and
security
(FCAPS)
capabilities, to dramatically simplify the
operation of multi-vendor, multi-layer
networks.
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Planet Operate is a carrier-grade system
with open APIs and interfaces to enable
network evolution, reduce costs, and
simplify the development and deployment
of new services.
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Multi-layer management simplifies network operations,
accelerates service delivery, and lowers costs
Advanced user interface with 3D visualization provides
more intuitive visibility and control
Multi-layer fault correlation enables faster problem resolution and improves service availability
Multi-vendor A-to-Z provisioning, alarm & topology
management for Blue Orbit partners and other 3rd party
products
Open northbound APIs and southbound interfaces
providing programmatic control of the WAN
Trail Analyzer visualization shows physical and logical
linkages between nodes for an end-to-end service
Point-and-click, multi-layer A-to-Z provisioning supports
rapid service activation
Virtualized views based on customer, service, market/region or other factors supports service providers’
operational procedures
Full support for conventional FCAPS, element and
network management functionality
DATA SHEET | PLANET OPERATE
Planet Operate: Multi-layer
Management
Planet Operate is Cyan’s revolutionary multi-layer
management application that provides conventional
FCAPS functionality in addition to more advanced
capabilities such as 3D visualization and multivendor support to simplify network configuration,
monitoring, fault resolution, restoration, and
operations.
Planet Operate is built upon the Cyan Blue Planet
platform. It integrates object-based intelligence to
deliver unique awareness of the resources that
comprise the network, as well as their interdependencies. The advanced 3D visualization
provided by Planet Operate, combined with the
ability to virtualize network views based on
customer, service type, market/region or other
factors, provide a unified and user-friendly view to
simplify network orchestration and accelerate the
introduction of new services. The robust Blue Planet
platform architecture scales to support large
networks consisting of Z-Series platforms and other
network elements supporting tens of thousands of
services.
Open Architecture
Planet Operate provides a suite of open northbound
APIs that provide programmatic control for
managing services and streamlining network
operations. The APIs are used for robust OSS/BSS
integration, building customer-facing self-service
web portals, and/or integrating the network into
applications where the network is a programmable
resource. Open Southbound interfaces and
innovative Element Adapters (EAs) enable Blue
Planet to communicate with a wide array of multivendor network elements. Using this approach,
Planet Operate controls and manages newer SDNenabled equipment and legacy network elements
using a variety of protocols and interfaces including
CLI, TL1, NETCONF/YANG, and others.
© 2014, Cyan, Inc.
Multi-layer, Multi-vendor Orchestration
Planet Operate embraces TMF and ITU G.800
modeling principles, supporting a hierarchical
object database to provide an integrated view of
network assets such as such as service and
transport layers, nodes, and connections, to enable
tracking of these objects, together with their interand intra-layer relationships.
With Planet Operate, orchestration goes far beyond
conventional fault, configuration, accounting,
performance and security (FCAPS), and element
management system (EMS) functions. Intra-layer
functions are both trail and link-connection aware,
and provide end-to-end visibility and control over
how circuits and services are groomed and routed.
In addition to orchestration across multiple layers
and technologies, Planet Operate also integrates
multiple vendors. Planet Operate provides A-to-Z
provisioning as well as alarm and topology
management for a wide variety of products from
Blue Orbit partners other companies, including
Overture Networks, Accedian Networks, RAD, Telco
Systems, Cisco, Juniper and others.
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DATA SHEET | PLANET OPERATE
Command and Control
Planet Operate simplifies and reduces the costs
associated with building and operating next
generation multi-layer networks. The increasing
complexity of networking technology, together with
the diversity of service offerings makes a more
proactive planning and operations process
attractive. This change, driven by demand for
packet transport services, and supported by next
generation packet-optical transport platforms (POTPs)
like
the
Cyan
Z-Series, demand more capable planning,
orchestration and operations support. Planet
Operate enables proactive management and
operations processes so that planning, budgeting,
and network operations are simpler to coordinate.
Network Visualization
Planet Operate’s 3D visualization capabilities at the
network and node levels help network operators
better understand line card and shelf associations
at the node level, as well as which ports or paths
are in service or on standby at the network level.
The visual display gives users a broader perspective
of the network, boosting confidence in the accuracy
of configurations, and reducing errors when making
additions or changes.
Multi-layer visualization under a common
management framework allows operations staff to
better understand inter-functional relationships,
which improves communication and coordination,
even in organizations that separate functional
teams based on network layer.
Specific services and traffic types such as MEF
service networks, wireless backhaul, low-latency
data center connections, video networks, specific
wholesale customer traffic, and more may be
operated as virtual networks — further simplifying
the orchestration of multiple converged networks
within one common network.
Configuration Management
Planet Operate provides a simple graphical
environment to provision, monitor and upgrade
Cyan Z-Series and 3rd-party devices. The highlyscalable architecture enables multi-user support for
network operations.
Planet Operate configuration management
functionality allows you to quickly and efficiently
monitor and configure Ethernet, WDM, OTN, and
SONET/SDH services on a per-network element
basis. It also provides a 3D and multi-layered view
of the entire network.
Planet Operate simplifies orchestration of networks
and improves efficiency allowing you to manage the
relationship between network layers from the
highest service layer down to the physical fiber.
The carrier-class configuration management
embraces the entire optical transport network as
well as Blue Orbit partners that are part of the
Planet Operate management umbrella. In terms of
scaling, the map illustrates Cyan’s orchestration
platform extended to a state or a national level.
Thousands of network elements and tens of
thousands of services may be configured and
provisioned rapidly while simultaneously being
enabled for real-time performance monitoring.
© 2014, Cyan, Inc.
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DATA SHEET | PLANET OPERATE
A-to-Z Provisioning
Planet Operate reduces the complexity associated
with end-to-end service provisioning through
multiple layers of network technology and across
multiple vendor’s equipment. Planet Operate was
recently enhanced with the ability to automate full
A-to-Z provisioning of MEF Carrier Ethernet 2.0
services. Multi-vendor A-to-Z Carrier Ethernet
services provisioning includes the configuration of
Y.1731 OAM for real-time performance monitoring
and SLA assurance. Planet Operate’s provisioning
model is service centric, not device or vendor
specific. Network operators see the same unified
service model regardless of underlying equipment.
This simplifies operations because as different
equipment is introduced in the network, the
provisioning process remains the same. A-to-Z
provisioning is currently supported for Cyan as well
as Accedian, RAD, and Overture.
Trail Analyzer
Planet Operate’s Trail Analyzer is a multi-layer
visualization tool that allows a full view of all layers
of a particular service or trail.
As network conditions emerge, which impact
service level agreements, Trail Analyzer’s multilayer fault correlation, combined with other Planet
Operate functions, empowers service providers to
rapidly identify the source of issues — even down
to physical fiber connections. This leads to more
rapid fault isolation and faster restoration of
services to maximize availability, throughput, and
overall SLA performance.
Trail Analyzer enables the network operator to
quickly view a selected A-Z trail on an end-to-end
basis with all of its associated inter-layer
relationships. Built-in alarm correlation to a given
layer, grounded in rapid root-cause analysis, shows
the specific alarms that affect a trail and leads to a
quick diagnosis of any problems. Pop-out
information panels highlight optical power levels or
bandwidth headroom at any given point associated
with the trail. The network operator can clearly
visualize the path of any selected trail across the
network, while traversing nodes, shelves, line cards,
and optical fibers across the different transport
layers in the optical network.
Path Computation Element
For the first time, service providers can see the
service nodes, associated service modules, physical
fiber interconnections and operational status at all
physical and logical points on an end-to-end service
path,
across
multiple
network
layers.
Planet Operate’s traffic engineering and planning
capabilities work in conjunction with Blue Planet’s
network planning and analysis software application,
Planet Design, to provide substantially greater
simplicity
and effectiveness
in planning,
implementing, and optimizing multi-layer networks.
Planet Operate’s traffic engineering supports Path
Computation Element (PCE) technology, enabling
Cyan Z-Series platforms to act as Path Computation
Clients, and the Blue Planet platform to act as the
PCE. As Z-Series platforms report their real-time link
status, traffic engineering database, and more, the
traffic engineering and planning PCE (or PCEs)
maintain a repository of planned, deployed,
reserved and provisioned resources. Routes are
computed within the bounds of traffic and network
engineering plans and budgets.
© 2014, Cyan, Inc.
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DATA SHEET | PLANET OPERATE
Performance Management
Planet Operate offers a rich set of monitoring
capabilities. Binned statistics on each node are
logged and fed to a companion reporting engine,
Cyan’s Planet View software application, to support
pro-active service provider SLA verification
requirements. Polling can be configured for a wide
range of parameters, allowing customized reporting
on service-level information. The system tracks
service availability, simplifying SLA performance
measurements.
Enhanced Packet Features
The PSW and PME families of modules for Cyan’s ZSeries P-OTPs support MEF Carrier Ethernet 2.0. (CE
2.0) E-Line and E-LAN Ethernet services and traffic
management with connection-oriented Ethernet
(COE) transport. In addition, the PME-216i supports
Y.1731 Ethernet service OAM which, when
combined with Planet Operate, provides multi-layer
orchestration, visibility and control for scalable,
high-performance Ethernet services with capital
and operational efficiency.
Planet Operate enhances the usability of MEF CE
2.0 services across the multi-vendor network,
including, for example, the management of multiple
EVPLs on a single GbE, monitoring QoS capabilities,
and supporting the popping and pushing of tags.
Furthermore, Ethernet statistics may be easily
displayed, and specific plots to support SLA metrics
can be produced (as shown in the graphic below).
© 2014, Cyan, Inc.
Cyan supports link layer OAM, in accordance with
IEEE 802.3ah. Three key operational issues when
deploying Ethernet across geographically disparate
locations are supported as follows: link monitoring,
fault signaling, and remote loopback. Link
monitoring ensures detection of failed and/or
degraded Layer 2 connections. Fault signaling
provides mechanisms for one location to signal
another that it has detected an error, and remote
loopback, which is often used to troubleshoot
networks, allows one station to put the other
station into a state whereby all inbound traffic is
immediately reflected back onto the link. Planet
Operate represents these operational conditions
with a user-friendly display set.
Planet Operate supports a number of other features
on the Cyan Z-Series:
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Display of LAG statistics
information feature
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User-initiated flushing of MAC tables
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Display of statistics and historical PM data
for DCN interfaces
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Per-Ethernet service (E-Line or E-LAN)
historical PM data including a historical
trending of Ethernet service PM data
and
state
Event generation for the management port
cable being plugged and unplugged
Page 5
DATA SHEET | PLANET OPERATE
Managing Administrators
Technical Specifications
Planet
Operate
supports
a
role-based
administrative environment. Administrative roles
establish the tasks that a given administrator can
perform. Administrative scope permits access based
on jurisdiction or job function. Planet Operate is
pre-configured for common roles — Master admin,
read-only, etc. Planet Operate user accounts can be
customized to fit precisely into existing provisioning
organizations. All administrator actions are logged
to a persistent database, facilitating detailed
reporting of operator actions.
System Requirements
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Planet Operate software version 14.07 or higher
Multi-vendor Management Support
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Features
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Alarms and topology management
3D visualization at the Ethernet layer
A-to-Z Ethernet service provisioning
Summary
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Planet Operate incorporates the administrative
management tools familiar to the industry, and
offers multi-layer extensions path computation, and
integration with external network operations and
planning tools. Three-dimensional graphics speed
workflow, improve clarity, and reduce error.
Planet Operate APIs
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For a detailed list of supported vendors and
third-party products, including equipment from
Accedian, Overture, and RAD, see the "Cyan
Blue Planet Third Party Support" datasheet in
CyLibrary or contact your Cyan sales
representative
Carrier Ethernet Services API
Optical Services API
Client Specifications
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www.cyaninc.com
Blue Planet Data Sheet
Version 3G
© 2014, Cyan, Inc.
Microsoft Windows XP SP2 or greater
1 GHz CPU
512 MB RAM
25 MB free disk space
Cyan, Inc.
1383 North McDowell Blvd., Suite 300
Petaluma, CA, USA, 94954
+1 707 735 2300
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