Summary

Recommendation ITU-T G.7712/Y.1703 defines the architecture requirements for a data communication network (DCN) which may support distributed management communications related to the telecommunication management network (TMN), distributed control plane communications (e.g., signalling and routing) related to the automatically switched optical network (ASON), distributed control plane communications (e.g., signalling and routing) related to multiprotocol label switching – transport profile (MPLS-TP), and other distributed communications (e.g., orderwire or voice communications, software download). The DCN architecture considers networks that are IP‑only, OSI-only, and mixed (i.e., support both IP and OSI). The interworking between parts of the DCN supporting IP-only, parts supporting OSI‑only, and parts supporting both IP and OSI are also specified – other protocols (other than IP or OSI) are outside the current scope of this Recommendation.

Various applications (e.g., TMN, ASON, etc.) require a packet-based communications network to transport information between various components. For example, the TMN requires a communications network, which is referred to as the management communication network (MCN) to transport management messages between TMN components (e.g., network element function (NEF) component and operations system function (OSF) component). ASON and MPLS-TP require communication networks, which are referred to as the signalling communication networks (SCNs) to transport signalling and routing messages between functional control plane components (e.g., connection controller (CC) components and routing controller (RC) components). This Recommendation specifies data communication functions that can be used to support one or more application's communication network.

The data communication functions provided in the 11/2001 version of this Recommendation support connectionless network services. The 03/2003 revision of this Recommendation adds the support of connection-oriented network SCN services by including a specific MPLS-based mechanism.

This 2010 revision of this Recommendation provides the requirements for the MPLS transport profile (MPLS-TP) signalling communication channel (SCC) and management communication channel (MCC) data communication functions. The part of this Recommendation that addresses MPLS for transport networks complies with the transport profile of MPLS architecture as defined by IETF. In the event of a difference between this ITU-T Recommendation and any of the normatively referenced RFCs for MPLS-TP, the RFCs will take precedence.

This Recommendation forms part of a family of Recommendations covering transport networks.