Cisco Optical Network Controller API documentation

Cisco Optical Network Controller

The Cisco® Optical Network Controller provides an SDN-compliant domain controller for Cisco optical networks. Using an industry-standard OIF transport API (T-API) interface over RESTCONF, Cisco Optical Network Controller gives a Hierarchical Controller (HCO) or orchestrator abstracted visibility and control for Cisco optical networks.

Cisco Optical Network Controller is a hybrid optical domain controller with centralized Path Computation Engine (PCE) and distributed Automatic Power Control (APC). It has a Web UI with multiple applications providing full CRUD (create, read, update, and delete) services and Network Management System (NMS).

Cisco Optical Network Controller design is based on microservices to enable scaling and alignment with Cisco automation products and platforms.

Cisco Optical Network Controller has the following capabilities:

  • Controller, NMS, and EMS functions
  • Integration into an SDN management environment including abstraction of vendor details
  • Integration with Cisco automation software products like Crosswork Hierarchical Controller, Cisco Optical Site Manager, and Cisco Optical Network Planner
  • Support for current and future network topologies, including routed optical networking
  • Centralized software control of the Cisco optical network, including movement of distributed-PCE network functions to a centralized-PCE
  • Web UI with applications like inventory, topology, service manager, service assurance, etc.
  • Single sign-on for seamless node (site) manager cross-launch

Optical Domain Control

Cisco Optical Network Controller behaves as a domain controller for Cisco optical products. The domain controller feeds data into hierarchical controllers. Optical Network Controller has a North Bound Interface (NBI) based on the TAPI standard which enables it to connect to any hierarchical controller which has a TAPI compliant South Bound Interface and provide its functions to the controller.

Path Compute Engine

PCE service provides optical path computation to ensure optically valid paths within supplied constraints are provisioned. PCE uses the up-to-date network status.

Model Based Network Abstraction

Cisco Optical Network Controller supports a standardized TAPI model which enables it to abstract the device level details from the hierarchical controller.

Cisco Optical Network Controller provides the following API:

Here are some practical applications of the Cisco Optical Network Controller API:

  • Use of the Cisco Optical Network Controller T-API by the Cisco Crosswork Hierarchical Controller for comprehensive inventory management, network topology visualization, performance monitoring, and circuit provisioning. This integration provides seamless end-to-end visibility and control over multi-vendor and multi-layer network environments (spanning from Layer 0 to Layer 3).
  • Employment of REST APIs to streamline the inventory discovery, to enable inventory management.
  • Utilization of REST APIs for both topology discovery and circuit provisioning, using third-party or your in-house orchestration software, to support IP over Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) service provisioning.

Cisco Optical Network Controller Reference