{"id":11978,"date":"2023-08-09T11:40:46","date_gmt":"2023-08-09T18:40:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/?p=11978"},"modified":"2025-11-11T10:58:03","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T18:58:03","slug":"boosting-our-connectivity-with-our-own-next-generation-optical-network","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.microsoft.com\/insidetrack\/blog\/boosting-our-connectivity-with-our-own-next-generation-optical-network\/","title":{"rendered":"Boosting our connectivity with our own next-generation optical network"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"MicrosoftProviding users with fast and reliable connectivity is the backbone of modern work.<\/p>\n

Microsoft Digital Employee Experience, the organization that powers, protects, and transforms the company, recently deployed a robust next-generation optical network that offers the company more bandwidth on less fiber for a lower operational cost than leasing from traditional carriers.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur consumption costs and needs for employees keeps going up, especially at our company headquarters,\u201d says Ragini Singh, a principal group engineering manager for Hybrid Cloud and Connectivity Services, a division within Microsoft Digital Employee Experience that provides connectivity services for the company. \u201cWe were purchasing a lot of network connectivity from third parties and reached a point where we saw an opportunity to emulate the high-density traffic of Azure.\u201d<\/p>\n

By moving away from leasing circuits from traditional carriers, Microsoft is able to better fulfill the connectivity requirements of its employees while also lowering costs. In less than two years, nearly $2 million in annual savings gained from owning our own optical network have already covered the cost of the expenditure. The next-generation optical network also raises the ceiling as to what is possible, both in terms of speeds and automation.<\/p>\n

[<\/em>Explore transforming Microsoft\u2019s enterprise network with next-generation connectivity.<\/em><\/a> Unpack how Microsoft extends Azure Management to the private cloud with Azure Arc.<\/em><\/a> Discover how Microsoft kept its underwater datacenter connected while retrieving it from the ocean.<\/em><\/a>]<\/em><\/p>\n

When to build, when to buy<\/h2>\n

Previously, keeping Puget Sound\u2014what we call our headquarters campus in Redmond, Washington\u2014connected with high-density bandwidth meant spending millions annually with third-party carriers in the region. All of the equipment, circuits, nodes, and fiber would be provided and managed by the vendor, and our employees, labs, and datacenters would receive the connectivity required for productivity.<\/p>\n

As our appetite for fast and reliable connectivity grew, so did the cost of procuring it from carriers.<\/p>\n

\u201cIncreasing our bandwidth load used to be a process,\u201d Singh says. \u201cWe had to negotiate for 6 to 12 months and then be bound by a contract. Changing that would necessitate further negotiations.\u201d<\/p>\n

By evaluating need, especially as our labs and traffic requirements grow, compared to the cost of leasing, we can now identify opportunities to build and take ownership of next-generation optical networks.<\/p>\n

Puget Sound is one of the first campuses to experience this optical network transformation. Instead of being locked into contracts with recurring costs, including circuit fees, node fees, and management fees, we\u2019re doing it in-house.<\/p>\n

That means buying, installing, and managing all the gear; designing the framework; and creating the services to support the optical network.<\/p>\n

The decision not only addresses the challenges posed by an aging legacy system but meets our demand for fast and reliable high-speed connectivity. Savings netted by removing recurring operational costs have already paid for the initial expenditure.<\/p>\n

Controlling our own destiny<\/h2>\n

Building our own infrastructure does more than increase bandwidth and reduce costs, it also allows us to have more control and visibility over our optical networks. The Managed Control Path, deployed within Microsoft Azure, empowers us to manage, automate, and troubleshoot our optical network.<\/p>\n

These devices have a 25-year lifespan; we don\u2019t have to replace them for a long time. Our operational and troubleshooting tools are incredibly efficient. We\u2019ve never had this level of visibility before.<\/p>\n

\u2014Blaine Martin, principal engineering manager, Hybrid Core Network Services, Microsoft Digital Employee Experience<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

If a circuit goes down, we can deal with it immediately instead of waiting for outside entities to respond. Automation can identify breaks with precision, update nodes simultaneously, and perform important tasks, like password rotations.<\/p>\n

None of this was possible with vendor carriers.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese devices have a 25-year lifespan; we don\u2019t have to replace them for a long time,\u201d says Blaine Martin, a principal engineering manager with Hybrid Core Network Services, the team\u00a0within Microsoft Digital Employee Experience responsible for deploying the new optical network. \u201cOur operational and troubleshooting tools are incredibly efficient. We\u2019ve never had this level of visibility before.\u201d<\/p>\n

The team can also provision more bandwidth at an accelerated speed without having to renegotiate contracts or research performance and business metrics. What used to take months can now be completed in a day. As the architects, owners, and operators of the optical network, the team can activate new fiber lines immediately. Delivering new circuits to users can be done without engaging with finance or negotiating with carriers.<\/p>\n

This means users get the connectivity they need faster than ever.<\/p>\n

We have the ability to handle 400 Gbps of single client connections and beyond. This ensures that the optical network can meet the increasing demands for bandwidth, accommodating the evolving needs of Microsoft and its employees.<\/p>\n

\u2014Vinoth Elangovan, senior network engineer, Hybrid Core Network Services<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\"Vinoth
Vinoth Elangovan led the effort to design and implement our optical network here at Microsoft.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The future of connectivity at Microsoft<\/h2>\n

Puget Sound\u2019s new optical network offers our users fast and efficient connectivity at a significantly reduced cost, but it also makes the campus future ready. The new infrastructure can support incredibly high-speed traffic and was designed with scalability in mind.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have the ability to handle 400 Gbps of single client connections and beyond,\u201d says Vinoth Elangovan, a senior network engineer from Hybrid Core Network Services. \u201cThis ensures that the optical network can meet the increasing demands for bandwidth, accommodating the evolving needs of Microsoft and its employees.\u201d<\/p>\n

The optical network also improves our security posture. In utilizing our own circuits, Microsoft eliminates the reliance on third-party carriers, ultimately reducing the risks associated with external providers.<\/p>\n

Microsoft will continue to seek out opportunities to improve the employee experience.<\/p>\n

Optical network transformation accelerates our ability to operate efficiently. We were tied down before. Labs had bottlenecks, but we\u2019ve increased capacity tenfold. There has been lots of productivity gains because of that and teams can now focus on growing.<\/p>\n

\u2014Ragini Singh, principal group engineering manager, Hybrid Cloud and Connectivity Services<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

\u201cThere are times when high operational expenses necessitates building your own network,\u201d Martin says. \u201cWhat we spend once now comes back to us in savings. After that, it\u2019s all gains.\u201d<\/p>\n

What started in Puget Sound is now being replicated across other Microsoft campuses, including Silicon Valley and Phoenix, with plans to expand to campuses internationally.<\/p>\n

\u201cOptical network transformation accelerates our ability to operate efficiently,\u201d Singh says. \u201cWe were tied down before. Labs had bottlenecks, but we\u2019ve increased capacity tenfold. There has been lots of productivity gains because of that and teams can now focus on growing.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Key<\/p>\n