Slotted Optical Switching Research Articles

Online parameter tuning of the flow classification method in the energy-efficient data center network “HOLST”

An online parameter-tuning method for the energy-efficient data center network (DCN) named HOLST (high-speed optical layer 1 switch system for time-slot-switching-based optical data center networks) is proposed. HOLST comprises an optical circuit switching network, optical slot switching network, and electrical packet switching network for the spine layer. It requires flows to be assigned to optimal switches to achieve high power savings. In this study, first we experimentally confirm that the change in the DCN characteristics in the short term of actual data center traffic downgrades the accuracy of flow classification. Subsequently, we propose a procedure for reconfiguring a flow classification function and a method for online parameter tuning for this function. Finally, the accuracy of the flow classification method using the proposed tuning and estimated switching energy consumption in the spine layer are evaluated. The proposed online parameter-tuning function increases the accuracy of flow classification and reduces switching energy consumption relative to the conventional flow classification function.

Transport Mechanisms for Mobility Support in Optical Slot Switching-Based Next-Generation Mobile Backhaul Networks

In order to implement the next-generation (e.g., LTE-A) mobile backhaul networking segment, an optical slot switching solution called packet optical add/drop multiplexer (POADM) was previously proposed. Optical slot switching is at the same time a high capacity, energy-efficient, and low-latency optical transport network technology that relies on the direct transmission of data from base station to base station without resorting to time-consuming electronic processing and energy-hungry optoelectronic conversions. Low latency is an important requirement of mobile backhaul networks for real-time traffic such as Coordinated MultiPoint (CoMP) and POADM was shown to be compatible with the strict latency requirement of CoMP—1 ms end-to-end—even for very high network loads of 80% and above. However, user mobility was not taken into account. The traffic of users moving from one cell to another cell during handovers should also meet this strict requirement. In this paper, we propose and evaluate several transport mechanisms to support User Element mobility at the optical layer in a next-generation mobile backhaul network implemented using our previously proposed optical slot switching technology. We show with simulations that with smart introduction of additional electronic processing for handover traffic only (traffic of user elements that have moved from one cell to another), very strict latency constraints (sub-ms) can be met even for the time-sensitive mobile traffic.

Monolithic Integrated Slot-Blocker for High Datarate Coherent Optical Slot Switched Networks

Recent progresses on monolithic SOI-based integration are presented for achieving high-performance slot-blocker for cost-sensitive metropolitan and datacenter networks. We review several nodes architectures for such optical slot switching ring networks. Such devices integrate up to 65 functional elements, allowing complex operations such as polarization and wavelength (de)multiplexing with sub-wavelength switching capability. Compact footprint, fast switching time (below 10 ns) as well as high extinction ratio (more than 20 dB) are demonstrated. We demonstrate the fast add/drop operation of advanced modulation formats (56/80 Gbit/s SP-QPSK, 128 Gbit/s PDM-QPSK, 256 Gbit/s PDM-16QAM, and 320 Gbit/s PDM-32QAM) using three generations of integrated slot-blockers.

Capacity-enhanced receivers for low-latency Burst Optical Slot Switching rings

We propose a new receiver architecture for coherent detection in slotted optical packet switching rings with elastic (rate adaptive) optical transponders. Such rings are a candidate solution for future datacenter and metropolitan networks. The new receiver can detect more than a single packet per time slot and consequently has higher flexibility (translating into higher supported capacity, or, equivalently, lower end-to-end latency, or a combination or both), at the cost of a moderate increase in the transponder complexity and energy consumption (less than 10 %). We apply network planning and traffic engineering simulation tools (which we validate on small examples using theoretical models) to quantify the increase in network capacity and latency reduction that can be achieved thanks to the use of the new receivers. Finally, we identify the stability problem of the insertion process in the rings with the coherent receivers and propose a polynomial network planning algorithm, for the case of fast-tunable transmitters. We evaluate the cost of enforcing the stability, in terms of the additional transponders needed, for the mentioned case.

High data rate coherent optical slot switched networks: a practical and technological perspective

We review several node architectures for optical slot switching ring networks, which can be used in metropolitan or datacenter applications, and compare them for their networking aspects. The dimensioning, quality of service, latency, and protection issues are discussed for the different approaches. The main devices, i.e. fast wavelength-tunable laser, burst-mode coherent receiver (which is required to enable high data rate transmission at 100 Gb/s and above), and a slot blocker for improved wavelength usage efficiency are described, and available technologies for each key building block are reviewed.

Impact of the Electronic Architecture of Optical Slot Switching Nodes on Latency in Ring Networks

Optical slot switching has formerly been proposed as a flexible solution for metropolitan ring networks to carry data traffic with a subwavelength switching granularity and with good energy efficiency, which is enabled by optical transparency. In this paper, we propose for the first time, to the best of our knowledge, several architectures for the electronic side of optical slot switching nodes to increase flexibility through the addition of electronic switches, working either at client packet granularity or at slot granularity. Such electronic switches can be located at either the transmitter side or receiver side, or at both sides of a node, thereby decreasing traffic latency, at the expense of increased node cost and/or energy consumption. This paper focuses on the latency aspect. We investigate the impact of a timer that can be used to upper bound the slot insertion time on the medium. We also propose a novel client packet queuing model in an optical slot switching ring and assess and compare the latency of these node architectures analytically and with simulations.

A Comparison of Elastic and Mixed Line Rate Optical Slot Switching WDM Metro Rings

We propose optimal resource allocation techniques for two kinds of optical slot switching metro rings: 1) fixed mixed line rate (fMLR), where the rate of each transponder (TRX) is fixed and set at network planning time; and 2) elastic TRX, where the rate may adjust dynamically on a per-slot basis during network operation. We then numerically compare the cost (CAPEX or energy) of fMLR and elastic networks, and investigate the suitability of each of the two considered network technologies for several ring topologies, TRX cost models, and traffic distributions and loads.

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

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.

Performance Analysis of Slotted Optical Switching Scheme using Non-uniform Traffic Pattern

In this paper, we present the performance analysis of bufferless slotted optical packet switching using non uniform traffic pattern. The mathematical analysis has been done to evaluate the packet loss rate and also compared with the existing uniform traffic pattern. In addition to this, we have also studied the performance of the non uniform traffic pattern with the uniform traffic pattern of various packet sizes. Under non-uniform traffic pattern, packet loss rate is very much reduced compared to the uniform traffic pattern and more number of packets has been transmitted for the same period of time.

Slotted optical switching with pipelined two-way reservations

Optical burst switching is a core architecture designed to reconcile the available optical technology with the increasing burstiness of traffic. However, disappointing performance in terms of high packet loss and/or low system utilization discouraged broader experimental implementations. A method to avoid these losses by first sending over the control channel a short scout packet that simulates the events that the actual burst will experience is proposed in this paper. Once the scout message detects a drop at any intermediate node, it returns back to the source to avert the payload emission and repeat the process. The way the control works results in essential service quality features, i.e., no loss of bursts, no out-of-order emissions, increased efficiency, much reduced delay variation, and graceful throttling of the load respecting the contracted rates.