Architectures and technologies for high-speed optical data networks

Current optical networks are migrating to wavelength division multiplexing (WDM)-based fiber transport between traditional electronic multiplexers/dem ultiplexers, routers, and switches. Passive optical add-drop WDM networks h ave emerged but an optical data network that makes full use of the technolo gies of dynamic optical routing and switching exists only in experimental t est-beds. This paper mill discuss architecture and technology issues for th e design of high performance optical data networks with two classes of tech nologies, WDM and time division multiplexing (TDM), The WDM network archite cture presented will stress WDM aware internet protocol (IP), taking full a dvantage of optical reconfiguration, optical protection and restoration, tr affic grooming to minimize electronics costs, and optical dow-switching for large transactions. Special attention is paid to the access network where innovative approaches to architecture mag have a significant cost benefit. In the more distant future, ultrahigh-speed optical TDM networks, operating at single stream data rates of 100 Gb/s, may offer unique advantages over WDM networks. These advantages may include the ability to provide integrate d services to high-end users, multiple quality-of-service (QoS) levels, and truly flexible bandwidth-on-demand, We will give an overview of an ultrahi gh-speed TDM network architecture and describe recent key technology develo pments such as high-speed sources, switches, buffers, and rate converters.