All-Optical Label Stripping: A Network Recovery Perspective

Abstract

In all-optical label stripping, the optical packets are, by use of all-optical labels, directed through the optical network without passing them through electronics whenever a forwarding decision is necessary. Ideally this approach has the ability to route packets/bursts independently of bit rate, packet format and packet length. Still AOLS encounters new troubles. The lack of all-optical memory makes the AOLS nodes very complex and resource consuming. This is of great importance when providing the all-optical network with resilience. We focused on different protection/restoration schemes (real-time or in advance, local or end-to-end) that could be used in combination with all-optical packet-switching networks. We investigated how the presence of back-up facilities in the network affects the label length and number of labels needed throughout the network (i.e., the router's dimensions)