Software-defined networking in a multi-purpose DWDM-centric metro/aggregation network

Abstract

A DWDM-centric solution is a promising approach to build a multiservice metro/aggregation network that meets the future requirements on capacity, cost, and energy-efficiency for both residential, business and mobile backhaul/fronthaul transport. We propose to use SDN to provide a suitable control mechanism of the optical and packet layers in the network. We also introduce a discovery unit, which detects newly connected DWDM clients and sets up the corresponding optical service. This is demonstrated for the case of a converged fixed and mobile infrastructure. We then describe how this network and control architecture can be used to provide services to different client network applications, where the details of the physical infrastructure are hidden through network virtualization.