Title: Dynamic Impairment Constraint Networking for Transparent Mesh Optical Networks (DICONET)

Funding: Seventh Framework Programme

Start date: January 2008

End date:  June 2010 

Web site: N/A

Description:

The project DICONET is targeting a novel approach to optical networking providing a disruptive solution for the development of the core network of the future. It is the vision and goal of the DICONET consortium to provide ultra high speed end-to-end connectivity with quality of service and high reliability through the use of optimized protocols and routing algorithms that will complement a flexible control and management plane offering flexibility for the future network infrastructure.

Transparent networks are widely seen as the prime candidates for the core network technology of the future. These networks provide ultra high-speed end-to-end connectivity with high quality of service and failure resiliency. A downside of transparency is the accumulation of physical impairments over long distances, which are difficult to mitigate using physical-layer techniques only, and the novel challenges in fault detection/localization.

The DICONET project presents a set of techniques and algorithms implemented at multiple layers, culminating with the physical implementation of a transparent optical network on a testbed. DICONET consists of a set of impairment-aware network management algorithms, such as routing and wavelength assignment, monitoring, failure localization, rerouting, all integrated within a unified control plane, which extends known solutions to include the impairment-awareness of the underlying layers. DICONET is a true cross-layer solution for transparent optical networks.