Operational Aspects of Mesh Networking in WDM Optical Networks

Abstract

Networks that transport optical connections using Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM) systems and route these connections using intelligent optical cross-connects (OXCs) are being established as the core constituent of next generation long-haul networks [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9]. Actual national US networks implement shared mesh restoration using intelligent optical switches that protect against single link and node failures [17]. As mesh networks are replacing ring-based networks, operators are faced with changes in the way they operate their networks. The increased efficiency and robustness of mesh networks, compared to ring-based networks, have to be managed appropriately to actually achieve those benefits. In this work, we discuss four key economic and operational benefits from mesh optical networking. They are (1) end-to-end routing and provisioning, (2) fast and capacity-efficient restoration, (3) re-provisioning, and (4) re-optimization. They contribute in various ways to network cost savings and higher network and service reliability in mesh networks compared to traditional ring-based networks.