Light-trail and light-frame architectures for optical networks

The approach of this work is to create a migratory technological framework to enable the seamless transition of telecommunication systems from 1 st generation to 3rd generation. To study the technological benefits and motivating factors behind this work, we first look at the business model that governs telecommunication networks. The thesis is organized as follows: The first chapter showcases reasons for the development of a new business model for telecommunication networks and then demonstrates this model in form of an alternative business network. The proposed model based on the recently emerging paradigm of community networks is a classic evolutionary step that creates a new hierarchy for telecommunication networks. In the second chapter we propose a solution to IP centric communication in metropolitan ring networks. This solution called light-trails is able to cater to dynamic provisioning of bandwidth at the optical layer and is based on available mature technology. Light-trail is proposed as a solution for ring networking. Light-trails can be considered as a generalization of lightpath---leading to multiple users being able to access an opened optical path resulting in excellent provisioning and high utilization. Chapter 3 then proposes light-trails as a solution to mesh networking due to its direct application in core networks. Chapter 3 then discusses optimization processes in light-trails and how dynamic "connections" can be provisioned over light-trails by creating a static virtual topology of the general linear light-trails and its tree shaped cousin-clustered light-trails. A set of optimization procedures is proposed resulting in LP formulation for obtaining the most efficient set of Clustered Light-trails subject to a given graph and a variable traffic scheme. Simpler heuristic techniques are also proposed as part of the optimization process. Chapter 4 outlines the metro access network to the end user and discusses variants of passive optical networks in particular Ethernet Solutions over passive optical networking. Here a protocol is defined that guarantees bandwidth on demand at burst level granularity to the end user. Finally, in chapter 5 we tackle the seemingly difficult problem of providing a pragmatic solution for optical packet transport. We propose the concept of light-frames---an optical framework and platform that guarantees packet mode communication at the optical layer. Light frames framework consists of nodes having a unique architecture and interconnected in an optical fabric through interconnects called strings and threads. The light-frame framework ensures packet transport despite the static nature of strings and threads by using two key philosophies at each node namely---drop and continue and admittance and bifurcation.