Dark Fiber
Enhanced Definition
Dark Fiber, in the context of mainframe systems, refers to installed fiber optic cable infrastructure that is not currently "lit" or actively transmitting data. It represents a dedicated, unmanaged physical layer connection that an organization leases or owns, providing the potential for high-bandwidth, private network connectivity between mainframe data centers or critical facilities.
Key Characteristics
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- Unlit and Passive: The fiber optic strands are physically present but lack active optical equipment (transceivers, multiplexers) to send or receive light signals, making them "dark."
- High Bandwidth Potential: Once "lit" with appropriate optical equipment (e.g.,
DWDM,CWDM), dark fiber can support extremely high data rates, often multiple terabits per second, far exceeding typical leased lines. - Dedicated and Private: Provides a private, point-to-point connection, offering enhanced security and control over the network infrastructure compared to shared carrier services.
- Physical Layer Control: The organization has full control over the optical equipment, protocols, and network topology implemented over the dark fiber, allowing for customization to mainframe-specific requirements.
- Scalability: Capacity can be scaled by upgrading the optical equipment at the endpoints without needing to replace the physical fiber, supporting growing mainframe data volumes and
z/OSworkload demands.
Use Cases
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- Disaster Recovery (DR) and Business Continuity: Establishing ultra-high-speed, low-latency links between primary and secondary mainframe data centers for synchronous data replication (e.
Related Vendors
ASE
3 products