Huawei and China Mobile, on Friday announced the release of the industry's first Software-defined Clock Network solution which provides centralized control and automated management of clock synchronization networks. The new solution is a breakthrough in the field of software-defined mobile backhaul innovation, and further promotes the commercialization of Software-defined Networking (SDN) technology.
 
With the continued rapid development of mobile broadband, the density of base stations and size of mobile backhaul networks have increased. This resulted in China Mobile facing the challenge of planning and managing clock synchronization.
 
Through continuous research and investment into SDN technology, and a thorough understanding of the synchronization requirements of real networks, China Mobile and Huawei developed the industry’s first innovative solution to address this which automatically computes, plans and provisions the clock paths based on the overall physical network topology, thus can eliminate the risks associated with manual planning. The embedded algorithm can compute and plan a clock network with tens of thousands of nodes in a few minutes, with the guarantee that synchronization loops will not be introduced. When compared with traditional, manual planning, the efficiency output of the Software-defined Clock Network solution is almost a thousand times better. In addition, the solution also provides performance monitoring, fast assessment, intelligent optimization and rapid trouble-shooting when deployed. Overall, the solution greatly enhances the ability to manage a mobile backhaul clock network, simplifies the network operation to reduce future issues, and reduces operational costs for telecommunications companies.
 
"Facing the evolving needs of future services and the operation pressure from large scale mobile backhaul networks, more requirements have been placed on the ability of telecommunications companies to effectively and efficiently manage a clock network. The ability to intelligently manage the clock network through centralized control makes the Huawei Software-defined Clock Network solution highly efficient, agile and reliable. It realizes a smooth evolution from the traditional synchronization network to the Software-defined Clock Network, which is why it has proved extremely useful for China Mobile," said Yang Zhiqiang, Vice President, China Mobile Research Institute.
 
"By applying SDN technology to the mobile backhaul, the Huawei Software-defined Clock Network solution creatively resolves the difficulty operators face planning and managing clock networks. As the industry’s first solution of its kind, Huawei and China Mobile are leading clock network research and innovation, and remain invested in developing SDN commercial applications and networks," said Zha Jun, President, Fixed Network Product Line, Huawei.
 
Huawei is focused on building advanced, future-oriented SDN architectures for operators to support the transformation and innovation of networks and services. Huawei continues to lead the SDN commercialization process, supporting carriers in embracing the technology, and has, to date, collaborated with the world's leading operators on over 40 joint innovation projects around the world.