AWS boosts its long-distance cloud connections with custom DWDM transponder

Amazon Web Services has developed a new Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) transponder to significantly boost its long-distance, high-capacity, data center networking capabilities.

DWDM technology lets many optical channels, or wavelengths, multiplex over the same fiber backbone, increasing bandwidth immensely. AWS’ massive network infrastructure will take advantage of the increased fiber capacity to deliver global services such as cloud-based apps, online purchases and movie streaming much more efficiently, the company said. The custom-built DWDM also gives AWS tight control over routing, redundancy, and failover.

The AWS network operates on two hierarchies: Metro connections link data centers within a single region for distances up to 400 kilometers, and long-haul connections span thousands of kilometers to connect different regions together, according to AWS.

The custom-built AWS DWDM transponder delivers 73% more bandwidth than the previous version, which the company rolled out in 2020, while reducing power consumption by nearly 35%, wrote Matt Rehder, vice president of core networking at AWS, in a blog about the upgrade.

According to Rehder, the latest version of the AWS DWDM transponder builds on the success of the first version with enhancements in several key areas, including:

• Advanced fabrication for better performance: “Transitioning to smaller, more efficient manufacturing technology has at least doubled channel capacity while reducing power consumption, demonstrating significant performance improvements. This was achieved by utilizing recent advancements in electrical and photonics chip manufacturing technology. It also allowed us to maintain the same total bandwidth with half the number of channels (32 vs. 64) across the fiber spectrum,” Rehder wrote.
• Flexible data transmission: “The new AWS DWDM transponder delivers flexible data transmission rates with the ability to adjust in 100-gigabit increments. Think of it like adjusting water pressure in a hose. While traditional systems only offer ‘high’ or ‘low’ settings, our system can fine-tune the flow of data in small adjustments. This flexibility allows us to optimize performance for each network’s unique characteristics and achieve capacity improvement,” Rehder wrote.
• Unified system architecture: “The latest iteration creates a unified operating environment across data centers, metro connections, and long-haul networks, using the same hardware, operating system, and tools. This integration enhances reliability and enables granular security controls, real-time threat detection, and rapid updates without third-party risks,” Rehder wrote.

“While environmental efficiency represents one major advantage of our custom approach, control over the entire hardware stack delivers equally important security benefits. A significant advantage of AWS investing in its own network hardware for over a decade is the enhanced security posture it enables across our infrastructure. All traffic that passes outside of AWS control between regions has encryption applied at the network level, adding an additional layer of protection for customer data across our global network,” Rehder stated.

By controlling the entire hardware stack, AWS can implement comprehensive security measures that would be challenging with third-party solutions, Rehder stated.

“This initial long-haul deployment represents just the first implementation of the in-house technology across our extensive long-haul network. We have already extended deployment to Europe, with plans to use the AWS DWDM transponder for all new long-haul connections throughout our global infrastructure,” Rehder wrote.

Cloud vendors are some of the largest optical users in the world, though not all develop their own DWDM or other optical systems, according to a variety of papers on the subject. Google develops its own DWDM, for example, but others like Microsoft Azure develop only parts and buy optical gear from third parties. Others such as IBM, Oracle and Alibaba have optical backbones but also utilize third-party equipment.

“We are anticipating that the time has come to interconnect all those new AI data centers being built,” wrote Jimmy Yu, vice president at Dell’Oro Group, in a recent optical report. “We are forecasting data center interconnect to grow at twice the rate of the overall market, driven by increased spending from cloud providers. The direct purchases of equipment for DCI will encompass ZR/ZR+ optics for IPoDWDM, optical line systems for transport, and DWDM systems for high-performance, long-distance terrestrial and subsea transmission.”