Next Gen 10x10 Module Meeting on 1/25/2011

10X10 MSA Enthusiasts,

The 10X10 MSA has seen considerable amounts of interest in the next generation module form factor meeting this Tuesday.  We will meet to discuss the next module that is between a CXP and a CFP module.  The CXP is too small to dissipate enough power for the 10X10 and the CFP is too large to give a high port density.  The 10x10 MSA is inviting interested parties to share their requirements for this next generation module.

Logistics:

When: Tuseday, January 25^th from 1:30 to 4.  Please show up by 1:15 to get a seat or you may have to sit in the overflow room.

Where: 900 Alta Ave, Mountain View, CA 94087 in the Googleplex.  You will be the guest of Bikash Koley of Google and each company needs to limit physical participants to two people per company.  There will be two rooms that seat about 25 people each and will be linked with video conferencing.  The first room will most likely be limited to only one company representative since 25 companies have already shown interest.  The second overflow room will be available for the second participant.   

For those who would like to use the teleconference, please call:

Reservationless-Plus toll-free dial-in number (U.S. and Canada): (888) 878-2699

Reservationless-Plus international dial-in number:(706) 643-7329

Conference code: 9139442205

Security Passcode: 1234

Presentations for the event will be posted at: http://10x10msa.org/documents.htm

What: The agenda for the meeting is as follows:

1:30 – Introductions and greetings – Scott Kipp of Brocade

1:45 – 100GbE for Warehouse Scale Computing - Bikash Koley of Google

2:15 – Requirements for Next Generation 10x10 Modules – Scott Kipp of Brocade

2:45 – Proposed Module Concepts – David Lewis of JDSU

3:15 – Open Discussion

3:55 – Next Steps and Adjournment

Who: The 10x10 MSA has grown to 13 members including Santur, JDSU, Google, Brocade, Enablence, Cyoptics, AFOP, MRV, Oplink, Hitachi Cable America, EXFO, Huawei and Kotura.  Other companies expected to participate in the event include Molex, Infinera, Reflex Photonics, Oclaro, Applied Micro, LightCounting, Tyco Electronis, Amphenol and Broadcom.

Please RSVP me if you are not on this list.

Why: The demand for 100G applications is growing with the Internet and other digital ventures.  Cost effective, long reach solutions are needed to deliver bandwidth to billions of users.  The 10X10 is the lowest cost solution for single-mode fiber at 100G speeds.  Read more about it here: http://10x10msa.blogspot.com/2011/01/save-over-100000-with-10x10-link.html

To join the public reflector for 10X10, go to http://groups.google.com/group/10x10g and click on the "Sign in and apply for membership" button.

See or hear you soon,

Scott Kipp

10x10 MSA Chair

PS. Please forward this to interested parties.

Save Over $100,000 with a 10x10 Link

It might interest the reader to know that the list price for a 100GBASE-LR4 CFP module is over $100,000.  If you search google on “100GBASE-LR4 Price”, you’ll find PC Microstore sells 100GBASE-LR4 CFPs for $186,566.23 (excluding shipping) - http://www.pcmicrostore.com/JUNIPER-100GBASE-LR4-CFP-PLUGGABLE-COMPLIANT-MODULE-WITH-IEEE-8023BA/cat-p/c/p3548688.html . PCI Microstore says this is half off the list price of $373,121.27, so they offer a nice savings over what some people might have to pay. 

If you really want savings, use 10x10 modules for your 100GbE link.  The 10x10 MSA has the goal of the 10x10 module being less than half the price of the 100GBASE-LR4 CFP.  Since two modules are needed to create a link, the savings for a link would be about the cost of a 100GBASE-LR4 module or $186,568.23. 

In Table 1, the cost of a 10x10 CFP is assumed to be $1 less than half the cost of a 100GBASE-LR4 CFP ($186,566.23 / 2 – $1 = $93,282.13).  The cost of the modules for a 10km link is about $370,000 for 100GBASE-LR4 and about $190,000 for the 2 km 10x10 link.  Since these are list prices and discounts are probably available, it is safe to assume that a user can still save over $100,000 if their link is only going a few hundred meters or a couple of kilometers.

Table 1: Cost Savings with a 10x10 Link

Module Type	Cost of Module	Number of Modules	Module Cost per Link
100GBASE-LR4 CFPs	$  186,566.23	2	$       373,132.46
10x10 CFPs	$    93,282.12*	2	$       186,564.23
		Savings	$       186,568.23

* This is a calculated price that is $1 less than half the advertised price of the 100GBASE-LR4 module that is referenced above.  This is not a suggested sales price for the module which is likely less.

It is easy to see the capital expenditure (Capex) savings from using the 10x10 solution over the 100GBASE-LR4 solution if the user doesn’t need to go over 2 km.  This blog post only compares the cost of replacing the 100GBASE-LR4 CFP with a 10x10CFP and does not discuss the additional costs of the 100GbE blade, switch or single-mode fibers which would be the same for either implementation.

Google has shown that the cost of the 10x10 CFP is expected to be about the price of a 10GBASE-LR XFP in 2012 on a Gbps basis, while the 100GBASE-LR4 solution is still over 6 times as expensive.  This Google presentation (http://10x10msa.org/documents.htm) was given at ECOC 2010 and showed how the cost of the 10x10 solution (called LR10 in the presentation) will reach price/bandwidth parity with the 10GBASE-LR XFP in 2012.  The other solutions, specifically 100GBASE-LR4, will always be more expensive than 10x10 because of low volumes and its inherent cost structures. 

The 10x10 solution also saves with regards to operating expenses (Opex).  Since the 10x10 consumes about 14 Watts/module versus 20W/module for a 100GBASE-LR4 solution.  A link will save about 12 Watts or 105 kWh/year.  When you consider the power to cool the modules, the Opex savings add up fast.

The 10x10 CFP solution is designed to be the most cost effective single-mode solution in the market.   This post shows how the initial price lead of the 10x10 puts it so far ahead of the competition that they will never catch up.  After saving capex, the 10x10 will also save you opex.  What more could you ask for?

Why is the 10x10 Standard Needed?

The 10x10 optical standard is fulfilling the need for intermediate link distances of 100GbE within the data center.  The IEEE has defined a number of links for 40GbE and 100GbE as shown in Table 1, but the difference between 100 meter links and 10,000 meter links is too big when you consider that a 100GBASE-LR4 solution can be over 10 times more expensive than a 100GBASE-SR10 link.  The 10x10 solution typically costs less than half the price of the 100GBASE-LR4 solution and bridges the gap between cost effective 100 meter links and very expensive 10km links outside of the data center.  The 10x10 modules also consumes about 12 Watts less power on a link than 100GBASE-LR4.  The 2km distance of the 10x10 offers a cost effective and efficient solution for large data centers that need to go farther than 100 meters but less than 10km

Table 1: 40 and 100GbE Variants

	Backplane	CR	SR	FR	10x10	LR	ER
40GbE	1m	7m	100m	2km	N/A	10km	N/A
100GbE	Being defined	7m	100m	N/A	2 km	10km	40km

The 802.3ba project (http://www.ieee802.org/3/ba/index.html) that defined 40GbE and 100GbE limited the scope of the project so that the project could be completed in about 4 years.  The Higher Speed Study Group (HSSG) started in July 2006 and the 40 and 100GbE standard was finished in June 2010.  To not delay the standard, they only defined 100 meter, 10 km and 40 km fiber optic solutions.  If more distances were added between 100 meters and 10km, then the standard would have taken longer and the Ethernet community was hesitant to define other links and delay the release of the standard.

The first follow on project to 802.3ba related to 40 and 100GbE was the 802.3bg task force that defined a 2km link as 40GBASE-FR (http://www.ieee802.org/3/bg/index.html).  In November 2010 at the hotel with the IEEE meetings, the Next Gen 100GbE Optical PMD Discussions had a straw poll to start a Call For Interest (CFI) specifically for a 2 km solution that could support the 10x10 solution. The motion was voted down by a fact of 4 (5 yes to 21 no).   Members of the IEEE were not very interested in defining a 100GbE link at 2km in a separate standard, so the 10x10 MSA was created to fill that need.  It was clear to members of the 10x10 MSA that several man-years of effort and a couple calendar years of time would be needed to create the IEEE standard for 100GbE at 2 km.  Instead of going through this painful process, the 10x10 MSA was formed. 

The 10x10 solutions is designed to meet the needs of users who need to go beyond 100 meters but less than 2 km.  Many data centers have link requirements beyond 100 meters, but don’t need to go much more than a few hundred meters.  The 10km solutions for these applications is overkill because the 10x10 solution can meet the link requirements at less than half the cost of 100GBASE-LR4 and about 70% of the power (14W for 10x10 vs 20W for 100GBASE-LR4).  Since the 10x10 is CFP compatible and can fit in the same port as 100GBASE-LR4, customers will see the benefits of the 10x10 over 100GBASE-LR4 for link distances over 100 meters but under 2 km.