WASPNET: a wavelength switched packet network

Abstract

avelength-division multiplexing (WDM) is currently being deployed in telecommunications networks in order to satisfy the increased demand for capacity brought about by both narrowband services and new broadband services such as high-speed Internet. While it is thought that WDM will ultimately evolve to interconnected rings or perhaps a mesh network, the objective of the Wavelength Switched Packet Network (WASPNET) project is to gain a more long-term understanding of how optical networks will develop. WASPNET is a WDM transport network that uses optical packet switching, resulting in greater flexibility, functionality, and granularity than possible with the current generation of WDM networks. These optical packets may be used to carry asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) or IP, for example, and the network is also designed to support synchronous digital hierarchy/synchronous optical network (SDH/SONET) traffic, thus permitting a smooth upgrade path. Optical packet switches [1-3] have attracted considerable research interest internationally due to their potential for overcoming projected difficulties with very large electronic switching cores, such as connection, pinout, and electromagnetic interference (EMI) problems. A key problem when designing packet switches of any kind is contention resolution, since multiple packets may arrive asynchronously at the same time to go to the same output. Buffering is often employed to solve this problem, but since optical random access memory (RAM) does not exist, delay lines (usually made of optical fiber) must be used to store optical packets and implement buffering. Various solutions to optical packet switching have been proposed, dictated by the buffering strategy [1]. Implement Medium to Large Buffers-The switches implemented by this technique may be cascaded to implement very large buffers, suitable for bursty traffic. Use No Buffers in the Switch Nodes, but Employ Deflection Routing-When multiple packets arrive destined for a given output, all but one are "deflected" to other outputs, to find their way to the destination by another route through the network. This not only provides fast and flexible routing, but also allows nodes to have no buffering. However, each packet transmitted from a node may be routed across a different path to the same destination. Some packets may wander within the network and waste bandwidth. Consequently, each packet will experience different propagation delays, and the traffic may not arrive at the destination node in sequence. Compromise by Using a Small Amount of Buffering with Deflection Routing-There are various such 2 x 2 buffered switches consisting of a chain of 2 x 2 switch devices and delay lines.

Parallel desynchronized block matching: A feasible scheduling algorithm for the input-buffered wavelength-routed switch

“…The Scattered Wavelength Path (SCWP) operational mode [2] means that the packet transmission wavelength in each hop is not fixed. Therefore, when a packet arrives at a switching node, its destination fiber is given by the information stored in the packet header; but the packet output wavelength is undetermined and has to be chosen dynamically.…”

Architecture, design, and modeling of the OPSnet asynchronous optical packet switching node

“…For these reasons, the switching technology must support very rapid space and wavelength switching. The OPSnet switching technology builds upon the know-how acquired during the WASPNET project [2]. The key switching element is a tunable wavelength converter (TWC) based on a semiconductor optical amplifier and a tunable pump laser.…”

Optical Burst Transport: A Technology for the WDM Metro Ring Networks

“…With no optical-electronic conversion and high-speed electronics, these switches could theoretically accommodate a very large amount of traffic and switch data at a very small granularity. The motivation for optical burst switching (OBS) [7], [8] is to alleviate some of the optical problems of OPS as well as to do less optical processing. The objective of OBS is to assemble large bursts of data and switch them optically by looking at the burst header/label.…”