The traffic of the future aggregation network will dynamically change not only in volume but also destination to support the application of virtualization technology to network edge equipment to achieve cost-effectiveness. Therefore, future aggregation network will have to accommodate this traffic cost-effectively, despite dynamic changes in both volume and destination. To correspond to this trend, in this paper, we propose an optical layer 2 switch network based on bufferless optical time division multiplexing (TDM) and dynamic bandwidth allocation to achieve a future aggregation network cost-effectively. We show here that our proposed network architecture effectively reduced the number of wavelengths and optical interfaces by application of bufferless optical TDM technology and dynamic bandwidth allocation to the aggregation network.

In this paper, we investigate the evolution of an optical network architecture and discuss the future direction of research on optical network design and control. We review existing research on optical network design and control and present some open challenges. One of the important open challenges lies in multilayer resource optimization including IT and optical network resources. We propose an adaptive joint optimization method of IT resources and optical spectrum under time-varying traffic demand in optical networks while avoiding an increase in operation cost. We formulate the problem as mixed integer linear programming and then quantitatively evaluate the trade-off relationship between the optimality of reconfiguration and operation cost. We demonstrate that we can achieve sufficient network performance through the adaptive joint optimization while suppressing an increase in operation cost.

A virtual network edge using live migration of virtualized network functions (VNFs) can be expected to reduce computation time and save resources instead of conventional network edge routers that have complex functions. Wavelength-division-multiplexing/time-division-multiplexing (WDM/TDM) photonic switching technology for metro ring networks is proposed to provide fast bandwidth resource allocation for rapidly changing service-flow demand. However, there are no reports on the coexistence of high-speed path switching for live migration with fast bandwidth resource allocation, as far as we know. We propose an architecture that achieves both high-speed path switching and fast dynamic bandwidth allocation control for service flows with in-service live migration. The feature of this architecture is that the VNF for the virtual edge corresponds to each 10-gigabit Ethernet-passive optical network (10G-EPON) and fast route change can be achieved with a simple point-to-point path between VNFs and optical line terminals (OLTs). The second feature is that the live migration of a VNF is limited to a part of it that contains a larger number of subscribers. Owing to the reduction in the number of total paths, fast resource allocation can be provided.

We are developing an optical layer-2 switch network that uses both wavelength-division multiplexing and time-division multiplexing technologies for efficient traffic aggregation in metro networks. For efficient traffic aggregation, path bandwidth control is key because it strongly affects bandwidth utilization efficiency. We propose a fast time-slot allocation method that uses hierarchical calculation, which divides the network-wide bandwidth-allocation problem into small-scale local bandwidth-allocation problems and solves them independently. This method has a much shorter computation complexity and enables dynamic path bandwidth control in large-scale networks. Our network will be able to efficiently accommodate dynamic traffic with limited resources by using the proposed method, leading to cost-effective metro networks.

The elliptically-polarized nonlinear beam propagation in a two-dimensional optical guided-wave system containing Kerr media is solved numerically by using the finite-element method. Computed results for a nonlinear substrate exhibit novel transverse effects such as spatially modulational instabilities for solitons emitted from a film. Sensitiveness of the beam propagation on the initial state of polarization suggests a possibility for constructing new photonic devices.

A photonic ATM switch based on wavelength-division multiplexing will include several lossy passive devices, erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) in a cascade configuration for fast switching of ns order. Its level diagram, which is very different from those of optical transmission links, has not been adequately studied. This paper investigates the concept of basing the level design of the photonic asynchronous-transfer-mode (ATM) switch we are developing on its Q-factor. First, we derive formulation of the Q-factor in a single PD and a dual-PD in a Manchester-encoded signal, which has several merits in packet switching and that we believe will become popular in photonic packet switches. Using this formula, we show an example of the level-diagram design including the Q factor calculation in an optical combiner and distributor section without SOA in our photonic ATM switch. Next, we showed experimentally that the pattern effect in SOAs can be suppressed by using a Manchester-encoded signal. Finally, we confirm that the allowable minimum level diagram in the switch can be based on a simple Q calculation and easy measurement of a bit error rate (BER) in a back-to-back configuration when using a Manchester-encoded signal. These results show that basing the level design of photonic ATM switches on the Q factor is feasible when using a Manchester signals. This approach can be applied to various types of photonic packet switches.

IoT (Internet of Things) services are emerging and the bandwidth requirements for rich media communication services are increasing exponentially. We propose a virtual edge architecture comprising computation resource management layers and path bandwidth management layers for easy addition and reallocation of new service node functions. These functions are performed by the Virtualized Network Function (VNF), which accommodates terminals covering a corresponding access node to realize fast VNF migration. To increase network size for IoT traffic, VNF migration is limited to the VNF that contains the active terminals, which leads to a 20% reduction in the computation of VNF migration. Fast dynamic bandwidth allocation for dynamic bandwidth paths is realized by proposed Hierarchical Time Slot Allocation of Optical Layer 2 Switch Network, which attain the minimum calculation time of less than 1/100.

A photonic ATM switch based on wavelength-division multiplexing will include several lossy passive devices, erbium-doped fiber amplifiers, and semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOAs) in a cascade configuration for fast switching of ns order. Its level diagram, which is very different from those of optical transmission links, has not been adequately studied. This paper investigates the concept of basing the level design of the photonic asynchronous-transfer-mode (ATM) switch we are developing on its Q-factor. First, we derive formulation of the Q-factor in a single PD and a dual-PD in a Manchester-encoded signal, which has several merits in packet switching and that we believe will become popular in photonic packet switches. Using this formula, we show an example of the level-diagram design including the Q factor calculation in an optical combiner and distributor section without SOA in our photonic ATM switch. Next, we showed experimentally that the pattern effect in SOAs can be suppressed by using a Manchester-encoded signal. Finally, we confirm that the allowable minimum level diagram in the switch can be based on a simple Q calculation and easy measurement of a bit error rate (BER) in a back-to-back configuration when using a Manchester-encoded signal. These results show that basing the level design of photonic ATM switches on the Q factor is feasible when using a Manchester signals. This approach can be applied to various types of photonic packet switches.