Third party SFP optics on a ONS15216 DWDM Mux solution

[leon_funnell]

We have an existing DWDM network utilising 15216-SC-4B band splitters and 15216-FLA-8 8 port Mux filters. The devices connected to the filters already are an ONS15454 with MXP_MR_10DME and some 10GE Xenpaks in 6509s.

We need to connect in some Brocade SAN Switches as these are the only ones supported for a Netapp metrocluster solution. We have two options for this:-

1. Purchase 6 x MXP_MR_10DME cards at great expense

2. Add another pair of 8 port MUXs on the next available band and use third pary SFPs that are supported in the Brocade. Smartoptics make a 4Gb FC DWDM 100Ghz SFP which is ITU-T standard. Is there any reason I cannot patch these Smartoptics SFPs through a Cisco 15216-FLA-8 mux? Will this be supported?

Thanks...

[Tom Randstrom]

You should be able to deploy option #2.

As with any optical network, just make sure the SFP reach is greater than your link loss and the SFP wavelength matches the filter's wavelengths.

[leon_funnell]

Thanks. The question is less about whether it will work or not - I have a good optical budget and EDFAs if needed, but more about supportability as far as Cisco TAC goes, etc. If I deploy these and I have an issue will they say "sorry we wont support any part of your optical network because you are using non-cisco kit". Unlikely but I know vendors who do this!

[Tom Randstrom]

I wouldn't expect that this would impact support for the Cisco product, but then again, I am not Cisco. It does get tricky for vendors to determine how to support mixed networks.

But, I believe the Cisco optical design software allows for alien wavelength modeling into their DWDM systems. This would seem to be the same here.

[viyuan700]

If I am not wrong ur network is like cisco network- Third party network.

If the problem is related to errors etc I think u can figure out where the problem is and either cisco/third party then have to take care to the problem.

Only problem I see is when optics goes bad. It can be bad of any fault in that equipment or by other equipment. Sometimes power level can go up to a level not accepted by receiver