Hardware-programmable Optical Networks

For future multi-dimensional optical networks, vast network resources provided by space division multiplexing and wavelength division multiplexing technologies, require new network architectures to scale up current network functions. The huge switch-granularity range requires a more dynamic way to deploy network resources. In this paper, we proposed a hardware-programmable optical network which deploys network resources according to incoming trac requests. The proposed network supports node function programmability and node architecture adaptability, which are critical for dynamic function and resources deployments. Architecture-on-Demand based node architecture adapts node architectures and also enables network function programmability by incorporating with several exible node functions. Other enabling technologies, such as ubiquitous power monitoring and dynamic optical power management, assures the programmable optical node work properly. Based on all these technologies, we established a hardware-programmable optical network testbed. Several use cases were demonstrated successfully, such as dynamic power equalization and optical debugging. These
works veried the feasibility of hardware-programmable optical network, which dynamically allocate network resources for service provision. The proposed hardware programmable optical network will lead to a better
hardware utilization and provide a possible solution for the future multi-dimensional optical network.