computer science

Open Transport Network

Open Transport Network is a computer science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Open Transport Network rather than just read about it. In short: Open Transport Network (OTN) is a flexible private communication network based on fiber optic technology, manufactured by OTN Systems. It is a networking technology used in vast, private networks with a great diversity of communication requirements, such as subway systems, pipelines, the mining industry, tunnels and the like (ref).

Key takeaways

Open Transport Network belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Open Transport Network to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Open Transport Network from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Open Transport Network (OTN) is a flexible private communication network based on fiber optic technology, manufactured by OTN Systems. It is a networking technology used in vast, private networks with a great diversity of communication requirements, such as subway systems, pipelines, the mining industry, tunnels and the like (ref). It permits all kinds of applications such as video images, different forms of speech and data traffic, information for process management and the like to be sent flawlessly and transparent over a practically unlimited distance. The system is a mix of Transmission and Access NE, communicating over an optical fiber. The communication protocols include serial protocols (e.g. RS232) as well as telephony (POTS/ISDN), audio, Ethernet, video and video-over-IP (via M-JPEG, MPEG2/4, H.264 or DVB) (ref). Open Transport Network is a brand name and not to be mistaken with Optical Transport Network.

Concept The basic building block of OTN is called a node. It is a 19" frame that houses and interconnects the building blocks that produce the OTN functionality. Core building blocks are the power supply and the optical ring adapter (called BORA : Broadband Optical Ring Adapter) (ref). The remaining node space can be configured with up to 8 (different) layer 1 interfaces as required. OTN nodes are interconnected using pluggable optical fibers in a dual counterrotating ring topology. The primary ring consists of fibers carrying data from node to node in one direction, the secondary ring runs parallel with the primary ring but carries data in the opposite direction. Under normal circumstances, only one ring carries active data. If a failure is detected in this data path, the secondary ring is activated. This hot standby topology results in a 1 + 1 path redundancy. The switchover mechanism is hardware based and results in ultrafast (50ms) switchover without service loss. Virtual bidirectional point-to-point or point-to-multipoint connections (services) between identical interfaces in different nodes are programmed via a configuration software called OMS (OTN management system). By doing this, OTN mimics a physical wire harness interconnecting electronic data equipment but with the added advantages typical for fiber transmission and with high reliability due to the intrinsic redundant concept. This concept makes the Open Transport Network the de facto transmission backbone standard for industrial high reliability communication sites that require errorfree communication for a large spectrum of protocols over long distances like pipelines, metros, rail, motorways and industrial sites. The optical rings transport frames with a bitrate of (approximately) 150 Mbit/s (STM-1/OC-3), 622 Mbit/s (STM-4/OC-12), 2.5 Gbit/s (STM-16/OC-48) or 10 Gbit/s (STM-64/OC-192). The frames are divided into 32 kb payload cells that carry the service data from source to destination. Via the OTN management system (OMS), as many cells as required by the service are allocated to connections. This bandwidth allocation is transferred to the non-volatile memory of the control boards of the nodes. As a result, the network is able to start up and work without the OMS connected or on line.

References

External links OTN Product information on company website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Open Transport Network

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Open Transport Network claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Open Transport Network before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Open Transport Network ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Open Transport Network

In research: Open Transport Network appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Open Transport Network in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Open Transport Network is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Metropolitan area networks, Network architecture, Networking hardware, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Open Transport Network outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Open Transport Network in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Open Transport Network means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Open Transport Network out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Open Transport Network in simple terms?

Why does Open Transport Network matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Open Transport Network?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Open Transport Network.