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Re: SONET/Ethernet clock tolerance




Paul,

There are actually two issues in this thread which was why I chose to use the
word "SONET" in the subject in reference to SONET and Ethernet framing. 

The first issue is with respect to ELTE equipment clock tolerance compensation
as your first paragraph explains. It should be noted that this equipment, if
implemented as a standalone SONET Transponder, must be an Active SONET
Transponder since the clock tolerance adjustment of +/-104.6 PPM is likely to be
necessary. Such adjustment requires SONET re-framing such as the
insertion/deletion of IDLE frames which are encoded as payload of the SONET
frame. In essence, an Active SONET Transponder and SONET re-framing is required
in order to convert from the proposed WAN PHY to SONET.

It should be noted that conversion from any proposed LAN PHY to SONET requires
an Active SONET Transponder and SONET framing. Also, conversion from the UniPHY
proposed by Mr. Howard Frazier,
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/ae/public/mar00/frazier_1_0300.pdf, to
SONET requires an Active SONET Transponder to compensate for clock tolerance
differences, but does not require SONET re-framing since the UniPHY can perform
SONET framing using the SONET transmit clock as a reference. I admit to using
the terms "framing" and "re-framing" loosely. My understanding is that there is
little or no difference between the two. Furthermore, I am equating
framing/re-framing with "Idle frame deletion/insertion (is) supported by the
<Length><HEC> delimiting system we have proposed." If there is a significant
difference in how one would implement these two functions, I would like to be
educated.

The second issue is completely within the scope of the WAN PHY and completely
independent of SONET and ELTE equipment. The WAN PHY is proposed to operate in
the "IEEE domain" or on a "local clock" as illustrated in the "WAN PHY
DEFINITIONS" presentation assembled by Mr. David Law, et. al.,
http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/ae/public/mar00/law_1_0300.pdf, slide 8.
WAN PHY clock tolerance compensation may also be performed by Idle frame
deletion/insertion supported by the
proposed <Length><HEC> delimiting system. Once again, this effectively
corresponds to WAN PHY re-framing. WAN PHY re-framing would be required at any
point where clock tolerance compensation is required. This includes, the
following locations:

- Within an Ethernet switch capable of switching between WAN PHY links;
- Within a WAN PHY link at any location crossing clock domains.

I am interpreting your response as an acknowledgment that any clock tolerance
compensation associated with the WAN PHY = WAN PHY reframing = Idle frame
deletion/insertion supported by the proposed <Length><HEC> delimiting system. Is
this interpretation incorrect? 

Best Regards,
Rich
                                      
--

Paul Bottorff wrote:
> 
> Rich:
> 
> The 10 GigE WAN-PHY is asynchronous with standard Ethernet clock
> tolerances. The WAN-PHY has no SONET clock tolerance or jitter
> considerations. It is true that ELTE equipment (which is not part of
> Ethernet) needs to make a conversion into the SONET clock domain. Since
> this function is part of SONET equipment is only of academic concern to the
> IEEE. David's previous emails indicate how the SONET ELTE equipment may work.
> 
> In the IEEE domain clock compensation may be performed by IDLE frame
> deletion/insertion. Idle frame deletion/insertion is supported by the
> <Length><HEC> delimiting system we have proposed.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Paul
> 
> At 11:21 AM 3/28/00 -0800, Rich Taborek wrote:
> >
> >Devendra,
> >
> >The question I'm asking is actually fairly simple.
> >
> >All 10 GbE proposed link architectures are a subset of 1000BASE-X in that
> >only fiber and full-duplex mode is supported. Another similarity is that
> >there is a strong desire to retain a clock tolerance spec of +/-100 PPM.
> >One of the key differences between GbE and 10 GbE is that data is moving
> >10 times as fast for 10 GbE.
> >
> >Clock tolerance compenstation for Gigabit Ethernet products is performed
> >above the Physical layer, usually within a switch and between links.
> >A link and jitter budget is specified for the Physical layer and all
> >link elements, transceiver modules, PCB traces, the fiber, the SerDes,
> >GBIC cages, etc. must all not exceed their jitter margins. This
> >architecture is fairly fragile since an element exceeding its allocated
> >margins will "break" the link if all other elements are worst case.
> >
> >My experience thus far with the 2 Gbps Fibre Channel Physical layer
> >architecture, which uses the same link architecture as 1 GbE and 1 Gbps
> >FC, is that meeting the tighter jitter budgets at twice the speed is
> >very difficult.
> >
> >As a result, for 10 GbE, we have proposals to perform clock tolerance
> >compensation (read: retiming) in intermediate link elements. For example,
> >retiming may be necessary in a WWDM or Serial 10 GbE PCS/PMA in order to meet
> >the link and jitter budget of the medium. In essence, a 10 GbE link
> >architecture may be separated into three distint jitter domains, one
> >intra-cabinet jitter domain at either link end, and an inter-cabinet
> >jitter domain primarily for the medium. Please see:
> >http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/10G_study/public/jan00/taborek_1_0100.
> >pdf, slide 4. A 10 GbE implementation may choose not to perform retiming.
> >However, link jitter at all compliance points (TBD) must be met in order
> >for the link to operate reliably.
> >
> >Whenever, retiming is performed within a link, the packet stream must be
> >adjusted. A 8B/10B PCS performs clock tolerance compensation by
> >insertion/removal of Skip (/R/) columns. This methodology may be employed
> >at the XGXS for a Serial PHY or the WWDM PCS and does not affect the
> >packet stream.
> >
> >SONET performs clock tolerance compensation via the manipulation of pointers
> >which involves significant modification of the SONET stream. My
> >observation is that wherever SONET framing is employed in link with a clock
> >tolerance of +/-100 PPM that SONET reframing must be performed at any link
> >point where clock tolerance compensation is required. After all, this is the
> >same methodology employed in a SONET ring where a regenerator is
> >periodically employed to ensure the SONET stream meets its +/-4.6 PPM
> >requirements.
> >
> >It's not a "joint" problem. It's a problem with a so-called WAN PHY employing
> >SONET framing as the sole method of performing clock tolerance
> >compensation.
> >
> >I understand how the 10 GbE link architecture works when SONET framing is
> >stripped off. I'm concerned about the implications of performing clock
> >tolerance compensation, if required, for a 10 GbE link architecture when
> >SONET framing is present.
> >
> >Best Regards,
> >Rich
> >
> >--
> >
> >Devendra Tripathi wrote:
> >>
> >> Hi Rich,
> >>
> >> After replying to Mr Osamu, earlier I noticed some inconsistency in my
> >> statement. If all overheads (including POH) is getting stripped off and
> >> re-generated at the E-S joint and if, Ethernet Frame (including preamble)
> >> is SPE payload, where is the question of pointer adjustment?
> >> This means that I have missed your original point. Could you please
> explain the
> >> picture of data flow + mapping as the Ethernet packet moves to SONET frames
> >> and vice-versa ?
> >>
> >> Thanks,
> >> Tripathi.
> >>
> >> At 10:36 AM 3/28/00 +0900, you wrote:
> >>
> >> >Tripathi,
> >> >
> >> >As I understand, your suggestion causes SONET Path Termination at the
> >> >edge of SONET infrastructure.  That will require 'Ethernet Path
> >> >Terminating Equipment' in addition to 'Ethernet Line Terminating
> >> >Equipment' to re-write B3 Bit-Interleaved Parity byte.
> >> >
> >> >Regards,
> >> >Osamu
> >> >
> >> >-----------------------------------------
> >> >Osamu ISHIDA
> >> >NTT Network Innovation Laboratories
> >> >TEL +81-468-59-3263  FAX +81-468-55-1282
> >> >-----------------------------------------
> >> >
> >> >At 9:20 AM -0800 00.3.27, Devendra Tripathi wrote:
> >> > > Rich,
> >> > >
> >> > > My suggestion is that clock adjustment should happen on Ethernet
> side of
> >> > > the "joint". The reason is that IPG can be used to compensate for
> >> > > adjustments. This will avoid any pointer adjustments in SONET frames.
> >> > >
> >> > > Regards,
> >> > > Tripathi.
> >> > >
> >> > > At 02:20 PM 3/25/00 -0800, you wrote:
> >> > >
> >> > >>Dave Martin, Norival Figueira,
> >> > >>
> >> > >>I've been looking at the various requirements for transporting Ethernet
> >> > >>over SONET and one of them in particular is bothering me. That
> requirement
> >> > >>is the one to bridge the clock tolerance of Ethernet (+/-100 ppm) with
> >> > >>that of SONET (+/-4.6 ppm).
> >> > >>
> >> > >>The root question I have is whether or not current SONET framing or
> that
> >> > >>proposed for the Ethernet WAN can accommodate a clock of +/- 100
> ppm? This
> >> > >>would be required to transport the proposed WAN PHY (or UniPHY) across
> >> > >>clock domains tolerance. I'm asking this question because I'm trying to
> >> > >>proposal for SONET framing for the UniPHY which is 100% compatible and
> >> > >>come up with a compliant with SONET OC/192c and I am using all the WAN
> >> > >>PHY information presented by yourself and others as a model.
> >> > >>
> >> > >>My understanding from a previous presentation by Paul Bottorff,
> >> >
> >>http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/10G_study/public/july99/bottorff_1_
> >> > >>0799.pdf, slide 9, is that the payload clock tolerance is 320 ppm.
> >> > >>Since I'm unfamiliar with the many nuances of SONET framing, can you
> >> > >>please acertain that this is true? If the proposed SONET framing for
> >> > >>Ethernet is adequate to support +/-100 ppm clock tolerance
> compensation,
> >> > >>the second question I have is as to the mechanism for performing clock
> >> > >>tolerance compensation. It seems to me that the mechanism involves at
> >> > >>least the rewriting of SPE pointers and the modification of Line
> >> > >>Overhead Bytes (H1 and H2).
> >> > >>
> >> > >>My further understanding is that the clock tolerance compensation
> >> > >>process is referred to as one of the 3 "R's" (Re-Amplify, Re-Shape,
> >> > >>Re-Time). The specific process is Re-Timing and is usually reserved
> >> > >>to SONET Regenerators and LTE's (Line Terminating Equipment). It has
> >> > >>been proposed that Transponders for coupling an Ethernet WAN PHY to
> >> > >>SONET OC-192c can be either "Passive" or "Active" according to our
> >> > >>agreed upon "WAN PHY Definitions":
> >> > >>http://grouper.ieee.org/groups/802/3/ae/public/mar00/law_1_0300.pdf.
> >> > >>My observation is that a transponder which contains both 100 ppm and
> >> > >>4.6 ppm optics MUST perform re-timing. Therefore, it must be an
> >> > >>Active Transponder. This is also the case for all WAN PHY elements
> >> > >>which cross clock domain boundaries. Please help me validate or
> >> > >>invalidate my observations.
> >> > >>
> >> > >>If my observations are correct, my suggestion is to not bridge
> Ethernet to
> >> > >>SONET until the SONET boundary is encountered. A WAN PHY, SONET Lite or
> >> > >>UniPHY which transports SONET framed Ethernet in any manner may require
> >> > >> significant re-framing at any point that retiming is required.

> Paul A. Bottorff, Director Switching Architecture
> Enterprise Solutions Technology Center
> Nortel Networks, Inc.
> 4401 Great America Parkway
> Santa Clara, CA 95052-8185
> Tel: 408 495 3365 Fax: 408 495 1299 ESN: 265 3365
> email: pbottorf@NortelNetworks.com

------------------------------------------------------- 
Richard Taborek Sr.                 Phone: 408-845-6102       
Chief Technology Officer             Cell: 408-832-3957
nSerial Corporation                   Fax: 408-845-6114
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