Optical

Communication
Certification
Optical Communication Professional (OC-P)
OCP1
Release 1.2.1
Course outline

CTP-OCP1-000 | June 2015

Optical Communication Professional (OC-P)

A. Introduction

D. Prior Knowledge Recommendations

The OC-P Optical Communications Professional course is

Required prerequisites include the following:

a five day, Instructor lead course that focuses on analysis

>> Current certification as a optical communications

of optical communcations components, devices and

professional via successful completion of the OC-A

protocols used in optical transport networks. Using a lab-

course and passing the OC-A exam

based environment, students utilize test equipment to

measure and analyze characteristics and performance of OC
protocols and network performance.

Recommended prerequisites include the following:

>> 1 to 3 years technical experience in a networking or

telecommunications environment

B. Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students should
be able to:
>> Describe Electro-Static Discharge (ESD) and laser

safety guidelines and procedures

>> Identify and describe characteristics and applications

for various types of fiber optic cable

>> Inspect and clean fiber optic connectors
>> Measure optical attenuation with an optical power

meter
>> Explain how to use an Optical Time Domain

Reflectometer (OTDR) to identify loss-related events

on an optical link
>> Describe how optical transmitters and receivers are

implemented in optical networks

>> Explain how optical amplifiers are implemented in

optical networks
>> Describe how an OSA may be used to verify

DWDM/CWDM network operation and wavelength

functionality
>> Explain how to analyze Synchronous Optical Network

(SONET), Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH), and

Optical Transport Network (OTN) signals

C. Conditions

E. Completion And Post-Course

Examination
There is an online, post-course examination associated with
this course. The duration of the exam is 2 hours, and the
exam is administered separately from the training course.
Students taking the Optical Communications Consultant
training have two options for completion:
>> The student opts to receive a Certificate of

Completion and is, therefore, not required to

complete the examination.
>> The student completes the examination with a passing

grade and is awarded a Optical communications

Consultant certificate. (Please note: It is expected that
the student will complete the post-course examination
within 30 days of completing the course. If the time
period between course completion and post-course
examination exceeds 30 days, or should the student
need to re-take the examination, an additional cost
would apply.)

F. Time
The scheduled time for this training course is 5 days.

G. Course Outline

Class conditions include the following:

>> There is a maximum class size of 12 students.
>> Lectures take place in a classroom using projector

displays.

Module 0: INTRODUCTION
This module provides an overview of Cienas OC
certification program as well as details of the OC consultant

>> Lab exercises are conducted hands-in if taken at a

certification course.

Ciena location.
>> Remotely delivered OC-P courses may augment

hands in student exercises with addtional WBT and/or

Instructor Demos.
>> Class time balance is: (approximately) change to 60%

formal presentation and 40% lab exercises.

Copyright 2015 Ciena Corporation. All rights reserved

January 2015

Optical Communication Professional (OC-P)

Module 1: OPTICAL FIBER AND CONNECTORS

This module provides an overview of optical fiber types and
their use for optical spans

Module 3: OPTICAL TRANSMITTERS AND

RECEIVERS
This module provides an overview of optical transmitters

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

>> Explain characteristics of single-mode and multimode

and receiver technologies and advanced modulation types.

At the end of this module, students will be able to:
>> At a high level, describe basic characteristics of optical

optical fiber
>> Describe two fiber configurations and two types of

transmitters and receivers

>> Explain basic properties of optical carrier waves,

fiber cable
>> Identify and describe Non-Dispersion Shifted Fiber

(NDSF), Dispersion-Shifted Fiber (DSF), Non-Zero

including amplitude, phase, and polarization

>> Explain the following optical modulation techniques:

Dispersion-Shifted Fiber (NZ-DSF), and multimode

On-Off-Keying (OOK)

fiber products offered by three major suppliers

Phase-Shift Keying (PSK)

>> Use both a direct view and an indirect view fiber scope

to check an optical connector for contamination or

Differential PSK (DPSK)

Differential Quadrature PSK (DQPSK)
Dual Polarization QPSK (DP-QPSK)

damage
>> Properly clean an optical fiber

>> Identify the two detection techniques used in optical

transmission systems

Module 2: OPTICAL LOSS ANALYSIS

This module describes Optical loss measurement and OTDR
measurement

>> Compare and contrast Directly Modulated Lasers

(DMLs) and External Modulated Lasers (EMLs)

Module 4: OPTICAL AMPLIFIERS

At the end of this module, students will be able to:

>> List and describe causes of optical attenuation
>> Explain how attenuation is measured in optical systems
>> Use an Optical Power Meter (OPM) to measure power

This module describes the types of optical amplifier used in

optical networks, their operation and function.
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
>> Explain basic Erbium Doped Fiber Amplifier (EDFA)

levels in optical systems

>> Describe how an Optical Time Domain Reflectometer

(OTDR) can be used to measure loss in optical systems

>> Identify loss-related events on OTDR traces.

characteristics and functions and how EDFAs are used

in optical networks
>> Describe three examples of functional features that

may be implemented with EDFAs

>> Using the block diagram of an EDFA example, explain

how the EDFA functions

>> Explain how Raman amplifiers function and how they

are used in optical networks

>> Identify and describe three applications for Raman

amplifiers
>> Using an Optical Power Meter (OPM), measure the

input and output power level of an EDFA

>> Interpret optical amplifier parameters presented in

craft interface displays

Copyright 2015 Ciena Corporation. All rights reserved

January 2015

Optical Communication Professional (OC-P)

Module 5: OPTICAL NETWORKS

This module provides specific focus on emrging optical
network technologies and applications.
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
>> Provide a high level description of Wavelength

Division Multiplexing (WDM) technology and

This module explores the use of OTN OH, Tandom

connection monitoring (TCM) and FEC for the support of an
OTN based optical network
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
>> Describe how OH bytes convey errors

associated equipment
>> Describe the following concepts and their functions

with respect to optical networks:

>> Control planes

>> Explain how TCM supports service providers on the

OTN network
>> Understand the value that FEC conveys to an OTN

>> 40 and 100 Gbps technology

network

>> Mesh topology

>> Explain the relationship between PM data, alarms, and

>> Describe optical network applications in areas such as

submarine transmission, coherent technology, cloud

computing, and converged optical Ethernet networks

Module 6: SONET SDH OVERHEAD

This module explores SONET/SDH overhead bytes.
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
>> Explain the functions of Section Overhead (SOH) /

Regenerator Section Overhead (RSOH), Line Overhead

(LOH) / Multiplex Section OH (MSOH), and Path OH
(POH)
>> Describe how overhead bytes convey errors

Module 7: SONET SDH PERFORMANCE

MONITORING AND ALARMS
This module explores the use SONET/SDH perfomance
monitoring to monitor the health of a SONET/SDH network
At the end of this module, students will be able to:
>> Describe Performance Monitoring (PM) statistics

reported for SONET / SDH

OH bytes

H. STUDENT EXERCISES
The following exercise use real-world scenarios to prepare the
students to complete the student end of class case study:
>> Exercise 1 Fiber inspection and analysis
Students will inspect and clean fiber optic cables

and bulkhead adaptors.

>> Exercise 2 Measuring loss with an optical power

meter
Student will use an optical plant simulator, an optical

test set and power meter to measure loss across an

optical span
>> Exercise 3 Basic concepts of OTDR testing
Students will perform OTDR testing across an

optical span
>> Exercise 4 Optical Spectrum Analysis
Student will perform optical spectra analysis over a

DWDM enabled optical span

>> Exercise 5 SONET/SDH Provisioning
Students will Provision SONET/SDH Network

Elements in order to transport client signals over a

>> Locate and interpret PM data

SONET/SDH Network.

>> Locate and interpret alarm data

>> Explain the relationship between PM data, alarms, and

Overhead (OH) bytes

>> Describe the protection schemes used on SONET /

SDH networks

Module 8: OTN PERFORMANCE MONITORING

AND ALARMS

>> Exercise 6 SONET/SDH PM Analysis

Students will collect and interpret PM information

obtain from the SONET/SDH overhead bytes.

>> Exercise 7 OTN PM Analysis
Students will configure OTN transport modules to

analyze the OTN signals.

Copyright 2015 Ciena Corporation. All rights reserved

January 2015