Operating experience with the Sandia terminal switching network and fiber optic loop

At Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, secure data communications are provided by a system whose major elements include a fiber loop, technical control centers, and a terminal switching network. The optical fiber loop supplies the advantages of high bandwidth, negligible cross talk, and immunity to interference. The technical control centers, as elements on the fiber-optic loop, focus regional communications and simplify distribution. The terminal switching network utilizes the optical fiber loop and the technical control centers´ distribution and control capabilities to layer management and security onto the Sandia network. Other functions, such as Ethernet interconnections, also utilize the fiber loop and technical control centers. By designing data communications around this set of trusted elements, Sandia has implemented a robust, secure system without sacrificing performance or responsiveness