Overview
The LoopStar SONET product family enables an
easy, cost-effective way for large multi-site
enterprise customers and campuses to
interconnect each site or building using their
own fiber or leased dark fiber. Since large
enterprise customers typically have multiple
sites in a metro area, many of these sites need
to be interconnected, and connectivity to
corporate headquarters is often required as
well. However, building a physical mesh
network can become expensive, so enterprise
customers look for a cost-effective solution
that can interconnect their sites. Similar issues
apply to large government, educational,
military, or healthcare organizations that have
multiple buildings at a common site. Using the
LoopStar product family, enterprise customers
can build private SONET rings using a single
fiber pair to create a scalable, highly reliable,
and secure network.
Scalability
LoopStar SONET products scale from an OC-3
to an OC-192, and from a single 10BT to
multiple Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. In
addition, the ring topology and support
mechanisms that are available with SONET
networks enable enterprises to add a site or a
building to an existing network without
affecting the traffic on that network. With
support for 802.1QnQ, the LoopStar SONET

most valuable asset: information. In addition, by
using the LoopStar SONET products, the hub and
spoke architecture could be virtual over a
protected fiber ring or physical requiring linear
protection.
System Protection
While the LoopStar 800, 810, and 1600 all
provide network protection, the LoopStar 800
and 1600 also provide card-level protection for
both the optics and the cross-connects. In
business class networks, this results in optimal
uptime, due to the multiple layers of protection
involved in a SONET network. With protection for
both the cross-connect and optical cards, single
failure points are eliminated in the LoopStar 800
and 1600. This is due to the ability of the system
to independently switch the active cross-connect
card from the active optical module. With both
network and system-level protection, the
LoopStar 800 and 1600 provide maximum
reliability even in cases where multiple failures
may have occurred.
Electrical Protection
In addition to providing network and system-level
protection, the LoopStar 800 and 1600 provide
electrical protection on the TDM cards and
support RSTP on the common 8-port Fast
Ethernet card. For the TDM cards (DS1 and DS3),
one card can protect up to four other cards (n:1
with n=3 for the LoopStar 800 and n=4 for the

In-Band Management
Unlike data networks, SONET networks use an in-
band channel called the Data Communications
Channel (DCC) for management purposes.
Although the management traffic is separate
from the production traffic, both types of traffic
go over the same fiber. Typically, the
management traffic from each SONET network
element is configured to go through a Gateway
Network Element (GNE), where it is handed off
via a management Ethernet port. Since the
LoopStar products implement IP over the DCC,
each node is capable of being reached internally
over the corporate network. For this reason, the
IP address of each LoopStar product is located
behind the IT management firewall for protection
from internal and external attacks.
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SONET Access and Transport Solutions
Private SONET Networks for Enterprise Customers
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Secure Access
As mentioned above, each LoopStar product has
an Ethernet management port; however,

leases dark fiber in order to provide connectivity
services for voice and data to other departments.
The LoopStar SONET platform provides cost-
effective, scalable, reliable, and secure
transmission between buildings or sites within an
enterprise or institutional organization.
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www.adc.com • +1-952-938-8080 • 1-800-366-3891
ADC Telecommunications, Inc., P.O. Box 1101, Minneapolis, Minnesota USA 55440-1101
Specifications published here are current as of the date of publication of this document. Because we are continuously
improving our products, ADC reserves the right to change specifications without prior notice. At any time, you
may verify product specifications by contacting our headquarters office in Minneapolis. ADC Telecommunications,
Inc. views its patent portfolio as an important corporate asset and vigorously enforces its patents. Products or
features contained herein may be covered by one or more U.S. or foreign patents. An Equal Opportunity Employer
1339239 9/05 Original © 2005 ADC Telecommunications, Inc. All Rights Reserved
Web Site: www.adc.com
From North America, Call Toll Free: 1-800-366-3891 • Outside of North America: +1-952-938-8080
Fax: +1-952-917-3237 • For a listing of ADC’s global sales office locations, please refer to our web site.
APPLICATION NOTE