Remote Fiber Test System FiberVisor - CN Rood

R e m o t e F i b e r T e s t S y s t e m
FiberVisor
The next stage in quality of service

Introducing the Next Stage in Network Quality
Capacity and speed. These are the watchwords of
the networks that deliver everything from residential
Internet access to security-conscious B2B
applications. The technology is bringing staggering
gains, but the challenges to companies that run
networks are unprecedented, too. Exponential data
traffic means that restoration time has to be at an
absolute minimum. Network security is a priority.
Network engineers are eyeing proactive measures to
keep downtime low. And indeed, these same
engineers are being called upon to do more than
ever, which means that their time is more valuable
than ever.
Now, what about a way to take control and turn these
challenges into concrete, quality-based benefits?

The remote fiber test system
The answer is network monitoring through a remote fiber test system, or
RFTS. An RFTS is a permanently installed surveillance system that uses
optical switches to connect test equipment to a network. FiberVisor, EXFO's
RFTS, adds specific software, mapping data, and remote-control capabilities
to create a system that continuously watches for problems and helps to solve
them.
FiberVisor
FiberVisor is about service—ensuring network service for end-users.
FiberVisor is an integrated system that detects breaks or faults, sends out an
alarm to a restoration crew, and tells them where to go and what to look for.
And because FiberVisor is a permanent, continuous solution, it can help to
detect hackers and shut them out of the system. Plus, FiberVisor is designed
to help organizations get the best out of their network personnel.
FiberVisor is for companies that use thoughtful planning to turn service
challenges into key customer advantages.
EXFO performance and reliability
Who makes FiberVisor? EXFO. We're a company with exclusive experience
in the fiber-optic test and measurement field. We deliver test, measurement,
and monitoring solutions for optical network carriers, manufacturers, and
research and development laboratories to measure the physical
characteristics of optical fiber, optical components, and optical networks.
FiberVisor deploys both our proven OTDR technology and our advanced
design ideas.
1

The RTU
In the FiberVisor system, remote test units, or RTUs, are installed at strategic
points throughout a fiber-optic network. The goal is to cover as much as of
the network as possible. Each RTU houses an advanced OTDR and optical
switches that connect individual fibers to the OTDR.
24/7 monitoring
Each fiber connected to an optical switch is monitored by an OTDR 24 hours
a day, 7 days a week. (Or, if personnel prefer, the schedule can be varied.)
Each OTDR trace is compared to a pre-established reference trace, which
represents the normal working state of that fiber.
2 Remote Fiber Test System
How FiberVisor Works
At the heart of the FiberVisor system lies the OTDR. The basic idea is to compare on-going OTDR traces with a reference trace.
This is how transmission anomalies, faults, and degradations are detected.
Optical network
controller (ONC)
ODBC
Remote test unit
(RTU)
Customer’s OSS
(TMN compatible)
Alarm
(pager, GSM/PCS, e-mail)
Remote test unit
(RTU)
SNMP
Test system controller
(TSC)
LAN/WAN
Upper and lower thresholds
When FiberVisor is set up, each fiber gets its own upper and lower OTDR
loss thresholds. During an on-going OTDR acquisition, if a threshold is
exceeded, FiberVisor automatically generates an alarm. Then FiberVisor
routes the alarm directly to key personnel on the maintenance team. The
alarm can include additional information such as alarm date and time, optical
distance to the fault, loss value, central office, affected cable and fiber, etc.
Test system controller
Each RTU reports to a central station or server, also known as a test system
controller (TSC). The TSC stores information from RTUs in a relational
database for further processing and SQL queries. The TSC also enables
communication with RTUs and optical network controllers (ONCs) for users
anywhere in the field.
GIS database
SQL database
Remote test unit
(RTU)
Customer’s GIS
Optical network
controller (ONC)

Bottom-Line Benefits
With today's growing competition for telecommunications
customers, committing to network reliability is a sure strategy
for closing deals. In fact, resulting downtime penalties are
reaching $10 000 per channel per minute. If an 80-channel link
goes down for just an hour, loss could amount to $48 million.
This is the bad news. The good news? In most cases,
companies recoup their RFTS investment on their first cable
break. And they keep their customers happy.
Quality of service
Deregulation around the world is creating new competition—and new
opportunities. Telecommunications service providers are discovering that
quality of service (QoS) in service-level agreements can help close major
contracts—and keep them. When it comes to QoS, a continuously monitored
fiber network delivers a key strategic advantage. Besides, with FiberVisor,
higher QoS is guaranteed: preventive maintenance delivers fewer faults and
shorter mean time to repair (MTTR).
Network security
FiberVisor's permanent surveillance can help stop hackers getting into a
network. Anyone who tries to illegally tap into monitored fiber will induce loss
on that path. The loss is picked up by the FiberVisor OTDR and compared to
a reference trace and predefined loss threshold. When the loss doesn't add
up, FiberVisor immediately sends out an alarm. Which means that hackers
get shut out on the double.
Preventive maintenance
Everyday FiberVisor tracks small changes in a network's performance. Why?
Because preventive maintenance is crucial in keeping downtime to a
minimum. With the information gathered from FiberVisor, maintenance
personnel can fix small problems before they turn into big trouble.
Maximize productivity
FiberVisor frees highly skilled personnel to concentrate on what they do best.
They get to fix problems quickly. Instead of searching through miles of cable
to pinpoint them. For instance, if a sudden drop-out occurs, the route's
attenuation profile can be acquired right from the maintenance center. And
with the cable route data in the maintenance center, locating the fault doesn't
have to take all day.
3

4 Remote Fiber Test System
FiberVisor’s Key Features
FiberVisor is designed to improve quality of service by radically reducing downtime and facilitating preventive maintenance.
There's more: a thoughtful, open design. Which means that access to external fiber, cable information, and mapping databases is
just one connection away.
Remote test unit
(RTU)
LAN/WAN
Accurate fault detection and location
Optical network controller
(ONC)
FiberVisor doesn't just detect faulty fiber. It locates the fault, too. Professional
mapping tools in FiberVisor clearly display the event on a map and translate
the optical distance (as detected by the OTDR) into a physical distance. With
this information, FiberVisor alerts the nearest crew and directs them close to
the fault—saving time in the field.
Accurate optical-to-physical correlation
Integrated graphical user interface
FiberVisor comes with its own graphical user interface (GUI), screen, and
control buttons. So there isn't any extra equipment to plug in to configure an
RTU. To operate an RTU on-site, all you need is a username and password.
The password also works for remote access to an RTU's keyboard, mouse,
and screen. This means that an RTU can be controlled directly from an
ONC—a real advantage for testing on demand, configuring one or several
RTUs, etc.
Alarm management
When an RTU generates an alarm, it is automatically sent to the test system
controller (TSC). The TSC logs the alarm into a database and routes it
appropriately to on-call crew members. In addition to the alarm, the
message includes the location of the fault mapped through an integrated
geographical information system (GIS).
Alarm routing is intelligent. Alarms can be transmitted by pager, e-mail, or
PCS/GSM, according to a specific distribution list.
GIS-oriented user interface
A professional GIS provides FiberVisor with accurate mapping information
about a fiber network. Features include GPS access and complete
infrastructure mapping. Also included with the mapping information are
overall network status, cable and fiber identification, alarm displays,
statistics, locations of RTUs, access points (manholes), central offices,
ONCs, servers, etc.

Preventive maintenance
FiberVisor generates complete optical link statistics for preventive
maintenance purposes. This means that maintenance personnel can detect
minor faults, degrading splices, and problematic connectors before they
affect the signal bit error rate (BER). What's more, all this occurs even before
signal loss reaches the minimum threshold for alarm generation.
Cable and data management
Through connection to an SQL database, FiberVisor enables extensive
cable documentation and trace storage. All kinds of additional data can be
easily accessed and queried through SQL searches or database wizards.
Scalable solution
FiberVisor's module-based design enables the system to grow with a
network. You can start with a single RTU and gradually add others as
needed. Or start with a simple optical switch configuration and replace it with
a more complex one later.
And as networking technology advances,
FiberVisor will be ready. FiberVisor is wellequipped
not just for today's networks, but
tomorrow's as well.
Open architecture
Network operation center (NOC)
Operation Support System (OSS) Integration
The interface for certain functions, such as test-on-demand as well as alarm
forwarding between the client's OSS and FiberVisor system, can be achieved
through SNMP protocols. FiberVisor can be integrated into the customer's
network management system.
Easy Geographic Information System (GIS) Integration
FiberVisor was designed with an open architecture that is compatible with
telecommunications management network (TMN) standards. State-of-the-art
technologies, such as relational database and a GIS, can be easily
integrated and synchronized with customers' existing systems.
FiberVisor
GIS database
Customer’s GIS
5

FiberVisor and the Network of Tomorrow
As a solution to the bandwidth problem, DWDM couldn't have come at a better time. DWDM lets a network send dozens of
separate data streams along a single fiber. It's the technology of the future, and companies are gearing up for it today. Part of the
process is making sure this rush of data gets from point A to B without getting lost. This is where FiberVisor can help.
Spectral monitoring
DWDM technology means that the optical layer of a network needs to be
tested and monitored. The scalability of FiberVisor means that spectral
measurement instruments, such as optical spectrum analyzers, can be
added at the RTU level as a network expands its DWDM capability.
Just as OTDR detects faulty fiber, spectral monitoring detects faulty channels
in a DWDM system. With FiberVisor's instruments, maintenance personnel
can pinpoint the causes of wavelength problems such as signal-to-noise ratio
(SNR), channel wavelength drift, and peak power. Then they can act
immediately to correct the problem.
Channel shutdown
If a faulty channel shuts down completely, FiberVisor can provide information
about potential degradation in the other DWDM channels in the fiber. Often,
faults are due to the counterbalancing nature of EDFAs, which share their
optical power with live channels.
WDM #1
Tx Rx
WDM #1 required to mux the Tx and OTDR signals
WDM #2 and 3 required to bypass the EDFA
Filter #2 required to block the OTDR signal before the Rx
6 Remote Fiber Test System
WDM #2
Legend:
Filter block #1
1625
EDFA
OTDR signal
Tx signal
WDM #3
Filter block #2
1625
Preventive maintenance
Live and dark fiber monitoring
FiberVisor's channel monitoring contributes to preventive maintenance. For
instance, the DFB sources that are used in DWDM networks, although highly
stable, can drift in wavelength over the medium term. Considering the tight
channel bandwidth (0.04 nm) in today's advanced DWDM networks, channel
drift could be a major future challenge. With FiberVisor's wavelength
monitoring instruments, companies will be well-prepared to meet this
challenge head-on.
FiberVisor can monitor both dark and live fiber. While dark fiber
testing detects about 90% of faults, active fiber testing provides
complete monitoring of all fault possibilities. In fact, if a network
doesn't have any dark fiber for monitoring channels, FiberVisor
works on a non-transmission wavelength within active fiber. And this
provides the added benefit of strategic monitoring of all crucial
fibers.

Complete installation work
Complete Engineering, Installation,
and Support
With FiberVisor, EXFO is there from start to finish. And beyond.
Application engineering
When we begin a FiberVisor project, we sit down face-to-face with a
customer to carefully define needs and system requirements. Together, in
the application engineering stage, we determine the exact specifications of
the system to be implemented. This includes network topology, the type of
fiber to be monitored (live or dark), system communication (Ethernet, PSTN,
etc.), the number of ONC workstations, and much more. Our team of
engineers, product managers, and system specialists will make sure that
FiberVisor works at its best in terms of capabilities and performance.
The FiberVisor solution includes complete system installation. EXFO works
with qualified, experienced teams to ensure that the remote fiber test system
is installed properly and according to plan. The scope of work, requirements,
and deliverables will be clearly defined for installation, communications
integration, as well as for GIS and OSS integration.
System transfer
Once the FiberVisor system has passed all tests and trials, EXFO transfers it
to the client company. But we don't stop there. EXFO provides complete
personalized training to users. After all, FiberVisor works best when users
are experts.
After-sales support
EXFO guarantees total support to every customer. We put our technical
expertise to work for customers who have specific needs, adapting our
products to custom requirements whenever possible. Our worldwide network
of sales representatives and distributors work in collaboration with our
corporate office personnel to provide unequaled customer support and
sound technical advice.
EXFO offers comprehensive support programs. These include
• extended warranty plans
• additional training
• application engineering plans for preventive maintenance
• software upgrades
• spare unit program
• year-round technical support
7

Across the board
EXFO is headquartered in Quebec City, Canada. With an extensive
distribution network, we serve clients in over 70 countries. We deliver test,
measurement, and monitoring solutions for optical network carriers,
manufacturers, and research and development laboratories to measure the
physical characteristics of optical fiber, optical components, and optical
networks.
8 Remote Fiber Test System
Working with EXFO
EXFO, founded in 1985, is a leading designer, manufacturer, and marketer of fiber-optic test, measurement, and monitoring
instruments for the world's telecommunications industry.
Now
To learn more about what FiberVisor can do for your company's network,
contact your local EXFO representative, call our corporate headquarters or
visit our Web site at www.exfo.com.
Performance
We've based our reputation on the performance and reliability of our test
instruments. These include high-end OTDRs, loss testers, optical spectrum
analyzers, multiwavelength meters, and automated test systems. We don't
stop there. We also deliver thoughtful design and intelligent ideas. Ideas like
a modular scalable approach, frequent software updates, anticipating
tomorrow's technology, and preventive maintenance. Indeed, in FiberVisor,
we've brought together our best instruments and our best practices.

1 800 663-3936
www.exfo.com
CORPORATE HEADQUARTERS
465 Godin Avenue, Vanier QC
G1M 3G7, Canada
Tel.: (418) 683-0211 Fax: (418) 683-2170
EXFO AMERICA
1201 Richardson Drive, Suite 260,
Richardson, TX, 75080, USA
Tel.: 1 800 663-3936 Fax: (972) 907-2297
POCRFTS.1AN 00/05
© 2000 EXFO Electro-Optical Engineering Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in Canada
EXFO EUROPE
Centre d’Affaires Les Metz, 100, rue Albert Calmette,
78353, Jouy-en-Josas, France
Tel.: +33 1 34 63 00 20 Fax: +33 1 34 65 90 93
EXFO ASIA
Honkomagome 6-6-20
Bunkyo-Ku T-113 0021 Tokyo-To Japan
Tel.: +81-3-5940-5410 Fax: +81-3-5940-5415