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In our current blog series addressing the “must-haves” for a true enterprise Passive Optical LAN, I have covered:

• Bridging, Port Isolation and Port Security
• LLDP, E911 and Source Multicast Streams
• IEEE 802.1x and NAC Integration, OLT protection, and Public Available Test Results

In this final edition of this blog series we need to address how to automate the connectivity of thousands of ONTs, both inside buildings and across extended campuses. Further, we need to show how to connect the thousands of sub-tended Internet of Things (IoT) and powered devices. To do so, your POL management software must support centrally managed global profiles and automated provisioning tools for both the ONTs and their many different converged IoT sub-tended devices.

• Auto-Detect ONTs – Your POL management software should bring ONTs online via auto-detect and profile-based centralized provisioning. This allows you to auto-flow port characteristics automatically via existing templates. The appropriate security postures and traffic management (e.g. Port Isolation, LLDP, 802.1x, NAC, QoS, bandwidth) are applied to the ONT ports with no human interaction – just connect the ONT to the PON fiber. For example, you can create a profile for certain ONTs on certain PON ports in your network. When the ONT is connected, it is enabled and auto-configured with port 1 for a VoIP line, port 2 for a set top box, and ports 3 and 4 for WAPs – true plug-n-play! Global profiles can even be created, saved and shared across regional locations to ensure consistent and repeatable policies and procedures that eliminate human error.
• Plug-and-Play Subtended Devices – As part of this true profile-based provisioning, your POL management software should also support automated turn-up determined by Media Access Control (MAC) address Organizationally Unique Identifier (OUI) or simply MAC-based profiles. The MAC-based profiles dynamically configure ONT ports decided by the type of IoT device connected to any ONT port. When the ONT detects a new device on one of its ports, it then applies the appropriate device profiles. For example, when a VoIP phone is connected to a port, �Ӱ�Pro OLAN automatically applies VoIP phone profile enabling QoS, bandwidth, security and VLAN to provide the correct parameters to support voice traffic. This secure, centralized, and process-driven provisioning significantly reduces security risks and potential network downtime.
• Converged Audio and Visual Support – Your enterprise network is going to need to converge voice, video, data, wireless access, access control, security, surveillance, building environmental and building automation inside buildings and across extended campus. That means connect IP voice and analog POTS voice, as well as IP video (all types of enterprise video) and RF overlay video option. And, if you use audio over IP/Ethernet network, then you will need Dante (Digital Audio Network Through Ethernet) support. Dante is uncompressed, multi-channel, low-latency digital audio over Ethernet via Layer-3 IP packets. Dante is the leading audio networking solution that has been accepted pro-audio AV users for their digital audio technology for live sound, broadcast, recording and public address.

To learn all about True Enterprise Optical LAN Must-Have features, you can read our comprehensive white paper on the topic.