Next Challenges in Optical Networking Research:
Contribution from the CaON clusterDimitra Simeonidou: [email protected], Sergi Figuerola: [email protected]
The CaON Vision of Future Optical Networks Application driven and technology enabled
High-speed data 400G, 1Tb/s Residential Media
Flexible Network
MULTI-BANDSSS
Technology Enabled
Application Driven
Intelligent Adaptive Optical Networks
MULTI-BANDAMPLIFIER
FAST OPTICALSWITCH
SDM(DE)MUX
MULTI-BANDSSS
BROADBANDλ-CONVERSION
Elastic use of resources
Flexible use of technology
Cloud
The CaON Reference model I
CaON reference model presents a layered architecture linking optical networks with future services and applications
The model promotes the convergence of the optical infrastructure layers with upper layers and aims to strategically position optical networks as key enabler of Future Internet and cloud networking service deployment
Man
agem
ent L
ayer
(s)
SLA
Laye
rPhysical Infrastructure(s*)
Virtualisation Layer
Network Control Plane Layer(i.e. network provisioning layer)
Cloud/Service Layer(e.g. app middleware layer)
Application Layer(i.e. final consumers)
* = (s) to reflect network & IT and multiplicity of infrastructures
The CaON Reference model II
A bottom-up reference model, where the infrastructure and provisioning layers, together with cross-layer SLA and the management, are identified the key focus for future research trends within the CaON cluster community.
The physical infrastructure layer covers from the core to the access optical network technologies.
Man
agem
ent L
ayer
(s)
SLA
Laye
rPhysical Infrastructure(s*)
Virtualisation Layer
Network Control Plane Layer(i.e. network provisioning layer)
Cloud/Service Layer(e.g. app middleware layer)
Application Layer(i.e. final consumers)
* = (s) to reflect network & IT and multiplicity of infrastructures
Key Research Challenges for Realizing the CaON Reference Model
– Support for Multi-gigabit Access Rates (FP7 ALPHA, OASIS)– Spectrum management: Flexible, Elastic Optical Layer (FP7
STRONGEST, FP7 call 8 IDEALIST)• Architectures on Demand
– Control Plane (FP7 MAINS and STRONGEST)• Targeted extensions for dynamic and data plane-aware network services
– Software/Hardware Defined Network Programmability (FIRE OFELIA and FIRE call 8 ALIEN)• For infrastructure and service adaptation
– Optical Network and IT Convergence (FP7 GEYSERS)• Infrastructure Virtualisation, Slicing and Isolation
– Optical Network Cognition (FP7 CHRON, UK EPSRC Photonics HyperHighway)
– Energy Efficient Optical Networks (FP7 STRONGEST and TRENT)
Flexible allocation of resources in time and frequency in order to:– Accommodate applications with arbitrary requirements
Spectrum Management: Elastic Resource Allocation
Video conference/Virtual Presence
Education/Remote Learning
High-speed data transmission 400G, 1TGaming
Elastic Time and Frequency plus Space Allocation Elastic frequency allocation to enable:
– Support for high-speed channels with arbitrary bandwidth requirements – Better spectral efficiency for lower bit rates
Elastic time allocation for:– Efficient all-optical switching of sub-wavelength traffic– Finer all-optical bandwidth granularities
Continuous channels at various bit-rates
User traffic at various bit-rates and modulation formats
Space
Novel Fibres and Fibre-based components
Optical Networks on Demand
Adapt to traffic profile Support arbitrary switching-granularity Dynamic Infrastructure Composition (including VI) Dynamic architecture reconfiguration Modular infrastructure planning Seamless integration with other technology domains (network + IT) Hitless upgrade with new functionality
– Wavelength conversion– Regeneration– Optical signal processing– Space division multiplexing (multi-core, multimode)– Quantum technologies– Other?
Support of Multi-Gbps Access Rates:
Acceleration of access deployment through – Reduced total cost of ownership– Converged solutions supporting transport of mobile and fixed traffic in both
front- and backhaul scenarios Seamless integration of access and metro/aggregation
– Unified control and management planes – Virtualization and context-aware networking
New solutions for simultaneous:– More users per feeder (>1000) – Higher speeds (up to 10 Gb/s peak) – longer reach (100 km)
Green and fast (1 Gb/s and beyond) home networking
Optical network control plane:Main research challenges include– True multi-vendor and multi-carrier control plane solutions, including
extensions for elastic technologies – Split architectures that decouple the control plane from the optical
transport • OpenFlow as an open/vendor-independent interface to network data plane• Multi-technology and multi-domain path computation services coupled with
traffic optimization• Software Defined Networking at large
– Control plane interfaces to external end-user “systems” (e.g. clouds) for any type of bandwidth-on-demand service and seamless integration with the service layer workflows.
Optical Network and IT Convergence: for High Performance, Global Reach Clouds
Provisioning over hybrid infrastructures composed of both IT resources (i.e. compute, storage, data centres) and optical networks
It will require :– Virtualise the physical optical network infrastructure (analogue or
digital) – Federate heterogeneous resources from different providers– Unified management and provisioning procedures for the whole
integration with the IT network infrastructures
Specific Issues in Optical Network Virtualization
Optical networks are analogue in nature– More complexity than L2/L3 (digital domain) virtualization as a result of physical layer impairments
and constraints– Slice isolation is a big challenge in optical networks
Physical layer impairments– Affect the isolation between VIs– Newly composed VIs will affect the existing ones– Affect the ultimate feasibility of VIs
Wavelength continuity constraint– Affect the network resource utilization
Can we use new infrastructure capabilities such as Space Division Multiplexing (multi-core?)
Cognitive, self managed optical networks:
Dynamically re-purpose, evolve, self-adapt and self-optimize functions/devices/systems of the optical network.– Optical/opto-electronic technologies that would allow for environment-aware
systems that can change any parameter based on interaction with the environment with or without user assistance
– Cognitive control and management plane for dynamic infrastructure self-adaptation across heterogeneous systems.
Energy efficient optical networking:
Improve the design, planning and operations for energy aware management capable of 100 times energy consumption reduction– Introduction of new simpler protocols– Definition of energy friendly resilience– Support of planning and routing algorithms
Focus on energy efficient optical network services for applications such as P2P, grid or cloud services