GMPLS-based optical slot switching access-distribution network with a 10 ns high-speed PLZT optical switch

Abstract

We design and implement an optical slot switching network for bulk content transfer. To realize the slot switching network, we employ the generalized multiprotocol label switching (GMPLS) extension protocol to reserve and release slots dynamically according to the application. We use optical switches as relay points in the slot switching network, and we employ a 10ns high-speed (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O<sub>3</sub> (PLZT) optical switch. We extend the resource reservation protocol-traffic engineering (RSVP-TE) and realize optical slot reservation. In the slot reservation, the proposed scheme allocates a slot in a frame for clients in order to guarantee the minimum bandwidth. The scheme considers the accelerated and tentative slot reservation. In the slot switching network, we use the PLZT optical switch. The PLZT switch can improve the bandwidth utilization by reducing the guard time between slots unlike the microelectromechanical system (MEMS) switch. To realize the slot switching network, we develop a PLZT optical switch system with a GMPLS-based controller. By experiment based on the experimental network, we confirm that we can realize the slot switching network. We consider the application of the proposed network as an access network for content distribution.