High-speed self-healing ring architectures for future interoffice networks

The authors discuss potential new capabilities for SHRs (self-healing ring architectures) using SONET add-drop multiplexers (ADMs) (i.e. fast automated changes to high-bandwidth office-to-office channels and a broadband, broadcast application) and a possible use of wavelength division multiplexing in SHRs to ensure smooth network growth and provide a very high-bandwidth point-to-point connection when the ADM SHR capacity is exhausted. They also discuss some planning and engineering concerns of employing these new types of SHR. It is concluded that more global planning methods will be needed to determine the optimal mix of SHR and the traditional hubbing architecture in the interoffice networks of the future.<>