Variable-Size Packets in Slotted WDM Ring Networks

Abstract

Slotted WDM rings are considered to implement high-speed all-optical metro networks. The usual approach to transfer variable-size data units, such as IP datagrams, is to segment them into cells, and transfer each cell independently in the WDM ring. This approach entails complexity due to segmentation/reassembly procedures. We investigate in this paper architectures and control strategies to guarantee that all segments of a variable-size packet are sent contiguously on the ring, thereby drastically reducing reassembly complexity. Our proposal is based on register insertion techniques exploiting optical delay lines. A number of schemes are proposed, and compared by means of simulation, showing how performance impairments can be traded with hardware complexity.

A rate-adaptive segmentation algorithm for integrated hybrid optical networks

“…Segmentation and reassembly (SAR) mechanisms are well-known in the literature. Research has focused on the segmentation of variable sized packets into slots of fixed size, as in ATM networks [6] or slotted optical packet switched (OPS) networks [7]. In optical burst switching (OBS) the segmentation of the data also relies on fixed size segments as in [8], but the result is still variable size bursts that minimize losses.…”

Routing equal-size messages on a slotted ring

“…The topology of the DAVID network is a Wide Area Network consisting of several optical Metropolitan Area Networks (MAN). Each MAN contains several optical slotted ring networks, see Bianco et al (2002Bianco et al ( , 2004. The new French slotted ring ECOFRAME is described in Chiaroni (2008).…”