OcNOS-SP · Routed optical · 100G / 400G coherent

Routed optical on the open hardware you choose.

IP over DWDM (IPoDWDM) is a routed-optical architecture that seats a coherent pluggable optic directly in a router’s port, so a metro aggregation or edge router lights its own DWDM wavelength and the standalone transponder shelf is removed. OcNOS-SP manages 100G QSFP28 ZR and 400G OpenZR+ / OIF 400ZR coherent optics, including modulation, FEC, and optical monitoring, from the routing CLI over a third-party ROADM and EDFA line system.

Get the IPoDWDM solution brief See the complete router
Proven in production

Operators running open 400G routed optical.

Regional and Tier-1 operators moved metro and backbone transport to open 400G IPoDWDM, collapsing the IP and optical layers onto the router. OcNOS-SP runs in production across more than 600 operator networks in 60+ countries, on a routing stack with 26 years of development behind it.

eww ITandTEL Austria · 100G MPLS to open 400G IPoDWDM backbone Read the story → Adams Cable US East · OcNOS plus 400G ZR+ optics upgrade Read the story →
Tier-1 backbone Global · 36 by 400G OpenZR+ on a 14.4 Tbps IPoDWDM backbone Anonymized deployment
EXATEL Poland · software-defined optical, 100G and 400G links Read the story →

“The shift to an open, OcNOS-driven 400G IPoDWDM backbone gives us the control, visibility, and operational efficiency we need to keep our services consistently stable and ahead of demand.” Christoph Ehmayer, Team Lead Network/System Engineer, eww ITandTEL

Where it fits

The router lights its own wavelength over the metro ring.

Each router seats a coherent ZR or ZR+ optic and lights its own DWDM wavelength, which rides the existing ROADM and EDFA line system as an alien wavelength. The standalone transponder shelf comes out of the build, and one node hands service traffic up to the PE at the ring edge.

Routed-optical metro ring: OcNOS-SP routers each lighting a 100G or 400G coherent ZR wavelength in a faceplate port over a third-party ROADM and EDFA line system, with a PE handoff at the ring edge.
Routed-optical metro ring: each router lights its own 100G or 400G coherent ZR wavelength in a faceplate port over a third-party ROADM and EDFA line system, with a PE handoff at the ring edge.

Three stops define the routed-optical ring: the ring node, the line system it rides, and the PE handoff.

The box

Routed-optical ring node

The OcNOS-SP router carries a 100G QSFP28 ZR or 400G OpenZR+ / OIF 400ZR coherent optic in the faceplate, so the same box that routes the packet also lights its own DWDM wavelength.

OpenZR+ vs 400ZR →Coherent DCI →
The optical layer

Third-party ROADM and EDFA line system

The coherent wavelength rides the existing optical line system as an alien wavelength. OcNOS-SP reads the EDFA over digital diagnostic monitoring, and the line system stays a third-party choice.

The architecture →
The ring edge

PE handoff at the ring edge

At the ring edge, service traffic hands up to the provider edge and the IP core. The routed-optical ring carries the transport; the IP core spoke owns the PE role.

PE router →
Architecture

One box lights the wavelength and routes the packet.

A routed-optical router seats a coherent pluggable, a 100G QSFP28 ZR or a 400G QSFP-DD OpenZR+ or OIF 400ZR, in a faceplate port, so the same box that routes the packet also lights the DWDM wavelength. The coherent wavelength rides your existing ROADM and EDFA line system as an alien wavelength, so the optical layer stays open and vendor-neutral.

Coherent optic in the faceplate

The box carries the optic

The routed-optical router carries the coherent pluggable itself, 100G QSFP28 ZR or 400G QSFP-DD ZR/ZR+, in a faceplate port, so the same box that routes the packet lights its own DWDM wavelength. The optic is provisioned as part of the router.

How it is brought up →Coherent DCI →
Alien wavelength

Open over any line system

OcNOS-SP manages the pluggable and its tuning locally, and the wavelength runs as an alien wavelength across a third-party ROADM and EDFA line system.

OcNOS-SP reads the EDFA over digital diagnostic monitoring, so the optical layer stays open and vendor-neutral. EXATEL cites Open ZR+ interoperability that prevents optical lock-in.

The line system →

The routed-optical link carries the transport under services such as MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet, delivered on the metro Ethernet spoke, within the wider service provider networks design.

The decision

From 100G ZR to 400G OpenZR+: choosing the coherent pluggable.

Pick the 100G QSFP28 ZR optic for a single-wavelength 100G span in the smaller form factor. Pick OIF 400ZR when the span is a short amplified point-to-point link and you want the simplest fixed 400G optic. Pick OpenZR+ when the wavelength has to cross a ROADM as an alien wavelength or reach further, or when you want one multirate optic that carries 100G through 400G. To the router all three are pluggables managed from the same CLI.

100G QSFP28 ZR, OIF 400ZR, and OpenZR+ coherent pluggables on OcNOS-SP. Last verified: Jul 2026.
Attribute 100G QSFP28 ZR OIF 400ZR OpenZR+
Data rate 100G 400G 100 / 200 / 300 / 400G
Form factor QSFP28 QSFP-DD QSFP-DD
Modulation Coherent DP-QPSK DP-16QAM (fixed) Selectable 16QAM / 8QAM / QPSK
FEC Coherent FEC cFEC oFEC
Client signals 100GbE, OTU4 400GbE, 100GbE 100 / 200 / 400GbE, OTU4, OTUCn / FlexO
Reach class Amplified single-span Short-reach amplified Long amplified
Line-system model Point-to-point, fixed grid Point-to-point ROADM / alien wavelength
OcNOS-SP management Same routing CLI Same routing CLI Same routing CLI

OpenZR+ and 400ZR are MSA and OIF specifications. Reach is stated as a qualitative class.

Coherent transceivers with proven interoperability from multiple vendors.

OcNOS-SP has proven interoperability with 100G QSFP28 ZR and 400G OpenZR+ / OIF 400ZR coherent optics from more than one vendor, so the pluggable stays a competitive purchase rather than a single-source part.

Furukawa Ciena SmartOptics Hisense Coherent NEC
The hardware

The routed-optical router, sized to the ring.

IP Infusion delivers the routed-optical router complete: a validated open box with a coherent faceplate that seats 100G QSFP28 and 400G QSFP-DD ZR optics, OcNOS-SP pre-loaded, supported under one contract, across 43 validated platforms.

Validated routed-optical routers by role. Last verified: Jul 2026.
Router Silicon Capacity Coherent faceplate ports Coherent optics (DCO) Role
UfiSpace S9510-28DC routed-optical aggregation router, 800 GbpsUfiSpace S9510-28DC
 Qumran 2A (BCM88483) 800 Gbps 2×400G + 2×100G + 24×25G Up to 2 Aggregation / IPoDWDM edge
Edgecore AS7535-28XB CSR440 routed-optical aggregation router, 800 GbpsEdgecore AS7535-28XB (CSR440)
 Qumran 2A (BCM88483) 800 Gbps 2×400G + 2×100G + 24×25G Up to 2 Aggregation / IPoDWDM edge
Edgecore AS7946-30XB AGR400 routed-optical router, 2.4 TbpsEdgecore AS7946-30XB (AGR400)
 Qumran 2C (BCM88820) 2.4 Tbps 4×400G + 22×100G Up to 4 Core / IPoDWDM
UfiSpace S9600-28DX routed-optical router, 2.4 TbpsUfiSpace S9600-28DX
 Qumran 2C (BCM88820) 2.4 Tbps 4×400G + 24×100G Up to 4 Core / IPoDWDM
UfiSpace S9600-56DX routed-optical metro router, 4.8 TbpsUfiSpace S9600-56DX
 Qumran 2C (BCM88820) 4.8 Tbps 8×400G + 48×100G Up to 8 Metro / IPoDWDM edge
UfiSpace S9610-46DX routed-optical core router, 7.2 TbpsUfiSpace S9610-46DX
 Qumran2c+ (BCM88840) 7.2 Tbps 6×400G + 40×100G Up to 6 Core / IPoDWDM
Edgecore AGR560 AS9947-36XKB routed-optical core router, 7.2 TbpsEdgecore AGR560 (AS9947-36XKB)
 Jericho2C+ (BCM88850) 7.2 Tbps 12×400G Up to 12 Core / IPoDWDM
UfiSpace S9610-36D routed-optical backbone router, 14.4 TbpsUfiSpace S9610-36D
 Jericho2C+ (BCM88850) 14.4 Tbps 36×400G QSFP-DD Up to 36 Core backbone

Silicon and capacity are the VM-verified platform seed. The coherent optics (DCO) figure is the number of 400G QSFP-DD ZR/ZR+ ports each router can seat; QSFP28 ports additionally take a 100G ZR coherent optic. Deep buffer is available on the backbone router. See every validated platform in the hardware compatibility list, and match features to hardware in the feature matrix.

Which routed-optical router

  • Aggregation edge. The UfiSpace S9510-28DC and the Edgecore AS7535-28XB (CSR440) carry a 400G coherent port at the aggregation edge on an 800 Gbps, 1RU box.
  • Metro and core. The Edgecore AS7946-30XB (AGR400) and the UfiSpace S9600-28DX run 400G coherent at 2.4 Tbps, and the S9600-56DX carries 8 by 400G at the metro edge on a 4.8 Tbps box.
  • Higher-capacity coherent. The S9610-46DX and the Edgecore AGR560 (AS9947-36XKB) add 400G coherent capacity at 7.2 Tbps for the core and larger rings.
  • Backbone. The S9610-36D carries 36 by 400G on a 14.4 Tbps backbone with deep buffering.
  • Complete router. IP Infusion validates, pre-loads, and supports each router as one system across 43 validated platforms, and the hardware and software refresh on independent cycles.
Operate

Bringing up and monitoring a coherent wavelength.

The coherent pluggable seats in a faceplate port and appears as a router interface. On that interface OcNOS-SP sets the wavelength, the modulation format, and the FEC, joins the routed underlay, and reads optical monitoring, so the same routing CLI provisions the optic and the packet forwarding together.

coherent bring-up (conceptual) 
# 1. the coherent pluggable seats in a
#    faceplate port and appears as an interface
interface <coherent-optic>

# 2. set the wavelength, modulation, and FEC to
#    match the 100G ZR, OpenZR+, or OIF 400ZR plan
  tx-laser-freq <value>
  modulation-format <value>
  fec-mode <value>

# 3. the interface joins the SR-MPLS underlay
#    like any other routed link

# 4. read optical PM and stream it via gNMI
show interface transceiver details <coherent-optic>

The optic is an interface on the router

  1. The coherent pluggable seats in a faceplate port, a QSFP28 for 100G ZR or a QSFP-DD for 400G ZR/ZR+, and appears as a router interface, so it is provisioned as part of the router.
  2. OcNOS-SP sets the tx-laser-freq (the transmit wavelength), the modulation format, and the FEC mode to match the 100G ZR, OpenZR+, or OIF 400ZR plan.
  3. The interface joins the SR-MPLS routed underlay like any other link. SR-MPLS is the routed underlay today; SRv6 availability depends on the platform and release.
  4. OcNOS-SP reads Pre-FEC and Post-FEC monitoring and transmit and receive optical power from the optic, and streams them as OpenConfig telemetry via gNMI. Available parameters depend on the coherent optic.

The coherent-interface bring-up above is conceptual and uses real OcNOS keywords with placeholder values. Exact command syntax follows the OcNOS coherent-optics command reference (System Management) at documentation.ipinfusion.com and is release and platform specific.

Scaling to 800G DCI

800G coherent data center interconnect runs on OcNOS-DC, on data center hardware. See the data center interconnect solution for the 800G design.

Data center interconnect →
Migration

Moving a wavelength from a transponder to the router.

The routed-optical router interoperates with the installed multi-vendor optical line system, so you add a coherent wavelength, cut a circuit over on your timeline, and retire the transponder shelf segment by segment.

01 / Run alongside

Run alongside the installed transport

The routed-optical router interoperates with the existing multi-vendor optical line system, and the coherent wavelength is added as an alien wavelength. eww ITandTEL ran 400G ZR+ circuits across a multi-vendor environment this way.

02 / Cut the circuit over

Move a circuit to a 400G wavelength

Move a 100G or legacy circuit to a 400G OpenZR+ wavelength on the router, on your own timeline. eww moved a 100G MPLS backbone to 400G IPoDWDM, and Adams Cable upgraded to a 400G network.

03 / Retire the shelf

Retire the transponder shelf

Once circuits ride the router’s coherent optics, the standalone shelf is removed from that segment. Cisco IOS-XR to OcNOS CLI translation assistance is available to speed configuration conversion.

The comparison

Open routed optical versus a proprietary chassis.

The routed-optical decision comes down to the coherent link, and an open router matches a proprietary IP-optical chassis on every part of it. What changes is sourcing: the operator buys the coherent optic from more than one vendor, refreshes hardware and software on separate timelines, and keeps one support contract.

Open routed-optical router vs a proprietary IP-optical chassis. Last verified: Jul 2026.
Capability Open routed-optical router (OcNOS-SP) Proprietary chassis (Cisco / Juniper / Nokia)
Coherent optic sourcing Multiple vendors, proven interoperability Typically single-vendor optic
Hardware and software economics Bought and refreshed on independent cycles Bundled to the chassis lifecycle
Support model One contract for validated hardware, OcNOS-SP, and RMA Single-vendor support
Coherent pluggable in the faceplate ✓ 100G QSFP28 ZR / 400G QSFP-DD OpenZR+ / OIF 400ZR Vendor-integrated
Alien wavelength over a third-party ROADM ✓ Open coherent standard Vendor-dependent
Wavelength managed from the routing CLI ✓ ✓
Optical PM via gNMI / OpenConfig ✓ details → Vendor telemetry
SR-MPLS routed underlay ✓ SR-MPLS today; SRv6 per platform and release ✓

Cisco, Juniper, and Nokia are trademarks of their respective owners. IP Infusion is not affiliated with and does not endorse these vendors; the comparison reflects OcNOS-SP capabilities verifiable in the feature matrix. Last verified: Jul 2026.

Resources

Datasheet and solution brief.

The IPoDWDM 400G OpenZR+ solution brief and the OcNOS-SP datasheet to share with your team. Quick form, and the PDF downloads immediately.

Solution Brief

IPoDWDM with 400G OpenZR+

The routed-optical design on open hardware: coherent pluggables, alien wavelengths, and the metro build, in one PDF.

Get the brief
Datasheet

OcNOS-SP Datasheet

The full OcNOS-SP overview: roles, protocols, coherent optics, and the validated hardware, in one PDF.

Get the datasheet
Before you trial

Questions an optical architect asks.

For an SP metro build it removes a chassis, its power, and its rack space: the aggregation or edge router lights its own DWDM wavelength instead of feeding a separate transponder shelf, and OcNOS-SP runs the wavelength from the same CLI as the routing. The optical layer stays open because the wavelength rides your existing ROADM as an alien wavelength.
OcNOS-SP drives three coherent pluggable classes from the same routing CLI. A 100G QSFP28 coherent optic (coherent DP-QPSK, tunable) lights a single 100G wavelength for lighter metro and access spans. A 400G QSFP-DD OIF 400ZR optic is the fixed 400G point-to-point optic. A 400G QSFP-DD OpenZR+ optic is multirate, carrying 100G, 200G, 300G, or 400G with 100/200/400GbE, OTU4, and OTUCn/FlexO clients, and runs over a ROADM as an alien wavelength.
OIF 400ZR is a fixed 400G optic using DP-16QAM modulation and cFEC, built for short-reach amplified links, typically point to point. OpenZR+ is a superset: it selects among 16QAM, 8QAM, and QPSK, runs open FEC (oFEC) for longer amplified reach, carries 100G through 400G, and operates over a ROADM as an alien wavelength. Below both, a 100G QSFP28 ZR optic covers single-wavelength 100G spans. OcNOS-SP manages all of them from the same routing CLI.
IP Infusion delivers the routed-optical router complete on validated open hardware with a coherent faceplate that seats 100G QSFP28 and 400G QSFP-DD ZR optics. Eight platforms carry the coherent optic today, from the 800 Gbps aggregation edge on the UfiSpace S9510-28DC and Edgecore AS7535-28XB, through 2.4 to 7.2 Tbps metro and core boxes such as the S9600-56DX, S9610-46DX, and Edgecore AGR560, up to the S9610-36D carrying 36 by 400G on a 14.4 Tbps backbone. See the platforms on the hardware compatibility list.
Yes. OpenZR+ is an open coherent standard, so the router's wavelength runs as an alien wavelength across an existing third-party ROADM and EDFA line system. OcNOS-SP manages the pluggable and its tuning locally and reads the EDFA over digital diagnostic monitoring, so the optical layer stays open and vendor-neutral.
OcNOS-SP reads Pre-FEC and Post-FEC monitoring and transmit and receive optical power from the coherent optic, along with the transceiver's digital diagnostic monitoring. The parameters are streamed as OpenConfig telemetry via gNMI, so an optical architect watches link health from the same telemetry pipeline as the rest of the router. Available parameters depend on the coherent optic.
OcNOS-SP has proven interoperability with 100G QSFP28 ZR and 400G OpenZR+ / OIF 400ZR coherent optics from multiple vendors, including Furukawa, Ciena, SmartOptics, Hisense, Coherent, and NEC. Sourcing the optic from more than one vendor keeps the coherent pluggable a competitive purchase rather than a single-source part.
Service provider metro routed optical runs at 400G on OcNOS-SP. For 800G coherent data center interconnect, OcNOS-DC drives the higher-rate optics on data center hardware. See the data center interconnect solution for the 800G design.
Evaluate OcNOS-SP

Size routed optical for your metro.

See how IP Infusion delivers the routed-optical router complete, or contact us to map your metro ring to the right validated platforms, coherent optics, and licensing.

See the complete router Contact us Hardware compatibility list
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