Autonomously controlled multiprotocol wavelength switching network for Internet backbones

In order that they fully support human activities, new network services and applications are overwhelming conventional ones, such as telephony, facsim ile, and telegraph. Demands for digital networks are exploding, not only in terms of quantity but also quality. Nobody can predict where these demands will lead. Traffic engineering, which is impossible in pure Internet proto col (IP)-based networks, is recognized as being indispensable for quality o f service (QoS) control. It includes guaranteed services in terms of bandwi dth, delay, delay variation (jitter), and service protection. The "engineer ed tunnel" through IP network supports virtual private networks (VPNs) and allows us to develop voice-over-IF (VoIP), teleconferencing and other secur e private network services. This paper proposes the "photonic router" which makes use of wavelength-based networks for signal routing. IP packets havi ng the same destination are bundled into a wavelength path. Interchange nod es along the path route control path routing on the basis of wavelength inf ormation, not on IP headers, which can not be read or processed with curren t optical techniques. In short, wavelength path routing offers "cut-through " in the photonic layer. This paper shows its feasibility by describing the combination of an optical cross-connect, payload assembler/disassembler, l abel controller, and IP router. Optical cross-connect systems, which are no w being intensively studied worldwide, are deemed to be key equipment for a wavelength-path network with centralized control system. This paper propos es to apply the cross-connect to an IP network with distributed autonomous control.