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Breakout Capability

Breakout capability or port channelization is the ability to split a high-capacity optical link into multiple lower-capacity links. To achieve the split, use breakout cables with suitable connectors. The breakout cables split the single high-speed ports into multiple lower-speed connections. For more information, see Port Speed Channelization.

You can configure channelization speeds at the level of an individual port, a block of ports, or a quad of ports. A block of ports is a group of ports that share hardware resources within a Juniper switch or router. Hence, the configuration of breakout mostly impacts the entire set of ports in the block. For a block of port that supports breakout capability, you use the SerDes (Serializer and Deserializer) technology. See Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes).

You can configure port speeds at the chassis level or the interface level. The chassis-level configuration can be as follows:

  • Channelize individual port—Configure an individual port to operate at a specific channel speed. Specify a port number and channel speed.

  • Channelize block of ports—Channelize a block of ports. Specify a port range and channel speed.

  • Configure speed per quad—Configure port speeds only per quad (group of 4 ports) and not individually. Specify the speed for the first port of the quad ports. All ports operate at a single speed within the quad.

For information about interface-level configuration, see Configure Speed at Interfaces Level.

Breakout capability is crucial for optimizing the use of available bandwidth and physical infrastructure in various networking scenarios. For an 800GbE transceiver, breakout capability allows a single high-speed 800 Gbps port to be split into multiple lower-speed ports. Juniper supports the following breakout speed or mode options for its 800 Gbps ports:

  • 8x100GbE

  • 2x400GbE

  • 1x800GbE

Breakout capability enables a network architect to configure a single port to support standardized 100 Gbps, 400 Gbps, or 800 Gbps data, depending on the network requirement. For more information about the breakout configuration that you can use in your Juniper device, use Port Checker.

Serializer/Deserializer (SerDes)

A SerDes consists of an integrated circuit (IC or chip) transceiver. An IC can hold multiple SerDes. Each SerDes within an IC can have multiple lanes. Each of these lanes in a SerDes can handle input and output traffic. The two functional units or blocks within a SerDes are:

  • Parallel in serial out (PISO) or the Serializer—Converts parallel data into serial data. The transmitter section of the transceiver functions as a parallel-to-serial converter that converts parallel data to serial data.

  • Serial in parallel out (SIPO) or the Deserializer—Converts serial data into parallel data. The receiver section of the transceiver serves as a serial-to-parallel converter that converts the serial data back to parallel data.

SerDes devices support multiple operational modes between two points:

  • Full-duplex operations—Allows data conversion to occur in both directions simultaneously.

  • Simplex operations—Allows data conversion to occur only in one direction.

  • Half-duplex—Allows data conversion to occur in both directions, but not simultaneously.

SerDes reduces the number of data paths and connecting pins or wires needed to transmit data. It counters the common issues associated with parallel power transmission such as increased power consumption, electromagnetic interference, and clock timing errors. Using SerDes, you can efficiently transmit the data signals from a port through its multiple breakout channels into the optic network and vice versa.

Breakout Cables

Breakout cables have a single transceiver at an end and multiple transceivers at the other end. You can use the breakout cables to channelize a port and increase the number of interfaces. To channelize the network ports on your Juniper device, connect the breakout cables and configure the recommended CLI commands. For more information, see Port Settings.

The inclusion of APC connectors help to minimize reflection loss and ensure high precision. To connect two transceivers of the same type, you can use the a variety of cables with the suitable connector. Breakout cables are use-specific. Depending on port channelization and the type of connectors, some of the breakout cables are:

Table 1: 12-Ribbon Patch and Breakout Cables
Juniper Model Number Cable Type Connector Type Fiber Type Cable Length
MTP-4LC-S10M 12-ribbon breakout cable MTP to 4xLC pairs SMF 10 m
MTP-4LC-S1M 12-ribbon breakout cable MTP to 4xLC pairs SMF 1 m
MTP-4LC-S3M 12-ribbon breakout cable MTP to 4xLC pairs SMF 3 m
MTP-4LC-S5M 12-ribbon breakout cable MTP to 4xLC pairs SMF 5 m
MTP12-FF-S10M 12-ribbon patch cable MTP 12 fiber SMF 10 m
MTP12-FF-S1M 12-ribbon patch cable MTP 12 fiber SMF 1 m
MTP12-FF-S3M 12-ribbon patch cable MTP 12 fiber SMF 3 m
MTP12-FF-S5M 12-ribbon patch cable MTP 12 fiber SMF 5 m
Note:

The terms MPO and multifiber termination push-on (MTP) describe the same connector type.