Cognitive optical networks enabled by coherent technologies and filterless concepts

相干调制解调器性能和数字信号处理(DSP)技术的最新发展刺激了对新型敏捷网络体系结构的探索。申请人小组提出了一种称为无滤波光网络的无源广域网(广域网)解决方案，作为有源光交换网络解决方案的经济高效和可靠的替代方案。所提出的光网络体系结构基于这样的前提，即可以通过发射机的波长调谐和相干接收机的波长识别来满足对敏捷性的需求，这与在无线电网络中实现敏捷性的方式大致相同。无滤波相干网络本质上提供了一种无源广播介质，其中在一些节点使用无源非滤光分路器和组合器来互连光纤链路。拟议的研究计划建立在无滤波光网络的理论研究和申请组开发的先进光层试验台的基础上。该计划旨在提出基于无滤波和认知概念的相干光网络设计和控制的新方法，并从理论和实验上证明这些概念在现实世界应用中的适用性以及对成本、性能和能源消耗的影响。在第一阶段，该项目将探索用于无过滤器网络的设计和控制平面的认知光网络概念，作为通过传输质量、网络状态和能源消耗感知来更好地路由流量和分配资源的潜在手段。分支树无滤光器架构中特定于相干传输的损害将被测量并集成到我们的无滤光器设计和控制平面工具中。在第二阶段，该项目将专注于候选认知灵活光网络体系结构的设计。一个小规模的无过滤器网络将被组装起来。该研究项目的创新之处在于无滤波光网络概念本身，它看起来越来越像是未来大容量光网络的一种非常重要的候选架构，还因为将从理论和实验两个角度探索基于相干技术和节能设计实践的新型认知网络架构，从而允许以新的方式使用可用带宽，最大化网络灵活性。其他一些创新包括：基于灵活和认知的光网络概念的新设计方法和控制平面；适用于相干网络的新设计工具和模拟器；用于内容交付网络的经济高效的组播体系结构；以及新的应用，特别是考虑到无滤波网络可能表现出比基于传统的有源光子交换和光色散补偿元件的光交换网络更低的线路成本和延迟、更高的可靠性、更小的占地面积和更低的节点设备复杂性。拟议的研究方案将在预计5年的时间内实现。共有3名博士生和4名硕士生将参与该研究项目。

Recent developments in coherent modem performance and digital signal processing (DSP) technologies have stimulated the exploration of novel agile network architectures. The applicant's group has proposed a passive wide area network (WAN) solution, called the filterless optical network, as a cost-effective and reliable alternative to active optical switching network solutions. The proposed optical network architecture is based on the premise that the need for agility can be provided by wavelength tuning at the transmitter and wavelength discrimination by the coherent receiver, in much the same way as agility is achieved in radio networks. Filterless coherent networks essentially offer a passive broadcast medium in which passive non-filtered optical splitters and combiners are used at some nodes for interconnecting the fiber links. The proposed research program builds on both the theoretical research on filterless optical networking and the advanced optical layer test bed developed by the applicant’s group. The program is aimed at proposing novel approaches for coherent optical network design and control, based on filterless and cognitive concepts, and at demonstrating, both theoretically and experimentally, the applicability of these concepts in real-world applications and the impact on cost, performance and energy consumption. In the first phase, the project will explore cognitive optical networking concepts for the design and for the control plane of filterless networks as a potential means to better route traffic and assign resources through quality of transmission, network status and energy consumption awareness. The impairments that are specific to coherent transmission in a branch-tree filterless architecture will be measured and integrated in our filterless design and control plane tools. In the second phase, the project will concentrate on the design of candidate cognitive flexible optical network architectures. A small scale filterless network will be assembled. Specific experiments will be designed for validating these novel networking concepts and evaluating the dynamic performance and benefits of using cognition, in terms of resource utilization, impairment awareness and signal quality evaluation.The originality of the proposed research project lies in the filterless optical networking concept itself, which is looking increasingly like a very serious candidate architecture for future high capacity optical networks, and also because novel cognitive network architectures, enabled by coherent technologies and energy efficient design practices, will be explored from both the theoretical and experimental perspectives, thereby allowing the use of the available bandwidth in new ways, maximizing network flexibility. Some additional innovations are: new design methods and a control plane based on flexible and cognitive optical networking concepts; new design tools and a simulator adapted to coherent networks; cost-effective multicast architectures for content-delivery networks; and new applications, particularly given that filterless networks are likely to exhibit lower line cost and latency, higher reliability, smaller footprint and less node equipment complexity than optical switching networks based on conventional active photonic switching and optical dispersion compensation elements. The proposed research program will be realized in an expected time frame of 5 years. In total, 3 Ph.D. students and 4 Master's students will be involved in the research program.