Bijan Rahimzadeh Rofoee

Software defined networking (SDN) over space division multiplexing (SDM) optical networks: features, benefits and experimental demonstration

We present results from the first demonstration of a fully integrated SDN-controlled bandwidth-flexible and programmable SDM optical network utilizing sliceable self-homodyne spatial superchannels to support dynamic bandwidth and QoT provisioning, infrastructure slicing and isolation. Results show that SDN is a suitable control plane solution for the high-capacity flexible SDM network. It is able to provision end-to-end bandwidth and QoT requests according to user requirements, considering the unique characteristics of the underlying SDM infrastructure.

Archon: A Function Programmable Optical Interconnect Architecture for Transparent Intra and Inter Data Center SDM/TDM/WDM Networking

This paper reports all-optical, function programmable, transparent, intra- and inter-data center networking (DCN) using space and time-division multiplexing (SDM/TDM) within data centers and wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) between data centers. A multielement fiber is used for SDM transmission to provide a large quantity of optical links between the top-of-racks (ToRs) and the function programmable cluster switch. Beam-steering large-port-count fiber switches, used as central cluster switches and intercluster switch, provide a single hop optical circuit switching solution, and also enable network function programmability for DCN to support variable traffic patterns and different network functions. A TDM switch as a plug-in function provides intra-cluster communication with variable capacity and low latency. The flat-structured intra data center architecture, with a circuit-switched SDM and TDM hybrid network enables scalable, large-capacity and low-latency DCN communication. In addition, all-optical ToR-to-ToR inter-DCN is realized through metro/core networks. A highly-nonlinear fiber based all-optical SDM-to-WDM converter transfers three SDM signals to three-carrier spectral superchannel signals, which are transmitted to the destination DCN, through the metro/core networks. The all-optical ToR-ToR cross-DCN connections enable the geographically distributed DCNs to appear as one Big Data center.

All programmable and synthetic optical network: Architecture and implementation

This paper reports on the design, implementation, and evaluation of a multitechnology, multirate, and adaptable network architecture for metropolitan/edge areas. It is empowered by programmability in control and data planes, providing users with an open network platform to redefine and optimize its behavior and performance. It uses a hybrid data plane of fixed-grid [(sub)wave-length] and flex-grid systems to support a broad range of data rates (1 to 555 Gb/s). The programmability in the data plane is achieved by building the nodes with a modular and flexible architecture (architecture on demand nodes) to achieve different functionalities (fixed-/flex-grid switching with or without time multiplexing) on demand. A centralized, modular, and scalable control framework has been constructed for this network. It uses a set of software plug-ins designed for architecture synthesis and adaptation for policing network resources access and as algorithms of routing and resource allocation for network operation. The proposed hybrid network architecture, along with allocation policies and resource allocation algorithms, is evaluated through simulations across a broad range of traffic profiles with bandwidth requests stretching from 1 to 400 Gb/s. Finally, the programmable data-plane/control-plane architecture has been implemented in an experimental testbed and the functionality of the node and network elements individually and together have been tested, demonstrating the feasibility of the system.

FPGA-based optical network function programmable node

The paper presents architecture, implementation and evaluation of optical network function programmable node with hitless inter-function and intra-function switch-over. It supports multiple network functions on opto-electronic programmable hardware providing function-based virtualization and high network performance.

Programmable on-chip and off-chip network architecture on demand for flexible optical intra-Datacenters

The paper presents a novel network architecture on demand approach using on-chip and-off chip implementations, enabling programmable, highly efficient and transparent networking, well suited for intra-datacenter communications. The implemented FPGA-based adaptable line-card with on-chip design along with an architecture on demand (AoD) based off-chip flexible switching node, deliver single chip dual L2-Packet/L1-time shared optical network (TSON) server Network Interface Cards (NIC) interconnected through transparent AoD based switch. It enables hitless adaptation between Ethernet over wavelength switched network (EoWSON), and TSON based sub-wavelength switching, providing flexible bitrates, while meeting strict bandwidth, QoS requirements. The on and off-chip performance results show high throughput (9.86Ethernet, 8.68Gbps TSON), high QoS, as well as hitless switch-over.

Robust P2P Multimedia Exchange within a VANET

Multimedia exchange within a Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET) may be facilitated by exploiting the peer-to-peer (P2P) paradigm for which a multi-path routing protocol has been designed to reduce packet loss. Urban VANETs are characterized by restricted vehicle mobility, driver actions, and bunching at obstacles, leading to wireless interference and broken links. Similarly P2P communication relies on distributed sources which are intermittently available. However, routing packets over multiple hops and multiple paths still results in packet losses, resulting in poor quality reconstructed video at a receiver. This paper proposes a novel slice compensation scheme employing spatial Multiple Description Coding to provide error resilience as a solution to these problems. Results show constant good-quality video even if packet losses rates increase.

Resilient P2P multimedia exchange in a VANET

Multimedia exchange within a Vehicular Ad Hoc Network (VANET) may be facilitated by exploiting the peer-to-peer (P2P) paradigm. Urban VANETs are characterized by restricted vehicle mobility, driver actions, and bunching at obstacles, leading to wireless interference and broken links. Similarly P2P communication relies on distributed sources which are intermittently available. However, routing packets over multiple hops and multiple paths still results in packet losses, resulting in poor quality reconstructed video at a receiver. This paper proposes a slice compensation scheme employing spatial Multiple Description Coding to provide error resilience as a solution to these problems. Results show constant good quality video despite increasing packet loss ratios.

Demonstration of low latency Intra/Inter Data-Centre heterogeneous optical Sub-wavelength network using extended GMPLS-PCE control-plane

This paper reports on the first user/application-driven multi-technology optical sub-wavelength network for intra/inter Data-Centre (DC) communications. Two DCs each with distinct sub-wavelength switching technologies, frame based synchronous TSON and packet based asynchronous OPST are interconnected by a WSON inter-DC communication. The intra/inter DC testbed demonstrates ultra-low latency (packet-delay <270 µs and packet-delay-variation (PDV)<10 µs) flexible data-rate traffic transfer by point-to-point, point-to-multipoint, and multipoint-to-(multi)point connectivity, highly suitable for cloud based applications and high performance computing (HPC). The extended GMPLS-PCE-SLAE based control-plane enables innovative application-driven end-to-end sub-wavelength path setup and resource reservation across the multi technology data-plane, which has been assessed for as many as 25 concurrent requests.

First demonstration of all-optical programmable SDM/TDM intra data centre and WDM inter-DCN communication

We successfully demonstrate a flat-structured DCN powered by large-port-count fibre-switch-based OCS, PLZT-switch enabled TDM and MEFs supported SDM. The inter-DCN ToR-to-ToR direct optical connections are setup through metro/core networks using all-optical SDM/WDM converters.

Griffin: Programmable Optical DataCenter With SDN Enabled Function Planning and Virtualisation

Optical networking technologies are very attractive for intra-DataCenter (DC) interconnectivity due to their intrinsic high-bandwidth and low-latency characteristics. As the bandwidth demand grows, quantity and size of IT and network infrastructure grows, which puts pressure on power, cost, and space consumption. Therefore, programmable optical networking solutions, which are highly controllable and provide granularity and scalability in services, can greatly enhance operations and resource efficiency for DC interconnects. This paper proposes and reports on a novel function-programmable and application-aware intra-DC technology. The hardware platform uses FPGA implementation of top-of-rack (ToR) switch which supports two main software-defined network functions of (a) Ethernet over WDM and (b) Ethernet over TDM sub-WDM. Each switch can be programmed to virtually operate as an optical Ethernet or subwavelength transport system. The TDM function further supports a range of additional programmable features in time-slice and frames. The system can be controlled to switch between the functions on-demand and on a hitless manner. This platform with unique flexibility in functions and features is configured to operate with various processing times, throughput, and delays, enables on-demand quality of service (QoS) definition to match diverse cloud application requirements. Optical fast switches enable all-optical transport between the ToRs, further supporting low-latency and resource efficiency. A multistage software-defined controller is built which at the first stage uses application requirements to virtually create function programmable subnetworks by repurposing the data plane functions as well as control plane (algorithms) features. In the second stage, it allows dynamic allocation of resources of the subnetwork for the duration of the application. This platform is characterised to operate with different QoS metrics and evaluated for DC use cases.