Carrier-grade performance evaluation in reliable metro networks based on optical packet switching

摘要

In this paper we assess the performance delivered in a metro network by two optical packet switching architectures, enabling sub-wavelength switching granularity. We compare POADM (Packet Optical Add/Drop Multiplexer) with TWIN (Time-domain Wavelength Interleaved Network). These technologies are envisaged to be deployed in the metropolitan area in order to improve bandwidth utilization and minimize energy consumption, thanks to their excellent switching granularity. In order to perform a realistic performance assessment, the study was carried out over a large set of traffic demands, for which the candidate architectures were first dimensioned taking into account network reliability. Then, the delivered data plane performance was assessed by simulation in terms of electronic packet loss, jitter and insertion delay. Two routing scenarios (any-to-any and hub-and-spoke) are mapped on a physical topology inspired from a European operator network. Simulation results show that both architectures easily achieve performance targets set by the Metro Ethernet Forum, as long as the network is properly dimensioned.