Flexible-Grid/Elastic Optical Networks

Rahul Kumar, 113050066

Author: rahukumar@cse.iitb.ac.in
To be submitted as seminar report in the second semester as a course requirement for M.Tech. in the CSE Department, IIT Bombay

Abstract: With the advent of new multimedia applications and cloud computing, the underlying optical networks are going through significant changes. ON-OFF-Keying (OOK) which was sufficient for 10Gbps networks has been scrapped off for newer 40/100Gbps networks and new sophisticated modulation has been already employed. The document discusses the flexible-grid concept in optical networks along with other means to make it as elastic as possible. There is a trend in the research community towards flexible grid networks as conventional fixed grid system will not work for 400G and beyond. First Section discusses the need of flexible-grid followed by the system level problems which are needed to solve to make it possible. Next, enabling technologies for the flexiblegrid/elastic networks are discussed in order to make the real implementation of the system possible. Commercialization challenges which will be needed to make system a standard are discussed next. In the end, work roadmap which is intended to be followed by us is discussed.

I. INTRODUCTION
Current wavelength switched optical networks are based on fixed ITU-T DWDM wavelength grid, for a fixed set of channel spacing options ( 50 GHz and 100 GHz). This rigid grid-based approach does not seem adapted to new data rates beyond 100 Gbps, and it is particularly inefficient when a whole wavelength is assigned to a lower speed optical path (e.g., 10 Gb/s) that does not fill the entire wavelength capacity. As cost per bit directly maps to bits per hertz, spectrum efficiency is mandatory. Next generation networks which is predicted to grow exponentially with surge of the new multimedia application, advent of cloud computing and data centers and ever-increasing mobile backhaul have exhausted the fiber capacity to their limits and spectrum efficiency is the way to increase the bandwidth without increasing the CAPEXinmajoroverhauls. Last 50Ghz ITU-T compatible systems 100-Gb/s-based transmission systems havebeen commercialized in the last two years.Next data rate in line 400 Gb/s will need the spectral width at standard modulation formats is too big to fit in the 50GHz ITU-T grid, and forcing it to fit by adopting ahigher spectral efficiency modulation format would allow short transmission distances. Flexible-grid approach will curtail the spectrum inefficiency caused by fixed ITU-T grid as appropriatesized bandwidth, which is function of the modulation format allocated to optical paths/connections by assigning the necessary number of contiguous frequency slots from end-to-end according to the client data rate.This could also be made more elastic by dynamically adapting the frequency allocation based on client data-rate request and physical conditions of the computed path (optical impairments, length, or node hops). [1] While the cost-benefit ratio for this kind of system will vary among core, metro and access networks, flexible grid networks are going to be the truth of the future. All these networks offer challenges which are very different in nature and their feasibility analysis could also be an intriguing topic of research. [2][3].
Though very attractive this poses certain challenges on system designers as well as vendors.

II.SYSTEM DESIGNING CHALLENGES

A. RWA/RSA Problem
The problem of computing a path/route and allocate spectrum resources (i.e., contiguous frequency slots) is known as Routing and wavelength Allocation problem (RWA). But, adaptive spectral allocation introduces another constraint to wavelength-continuity in terms of the available spectrum on each fiber link along the route. This is a more general routing and spectrum assignment (RSA) problem.General impairment aware RSA problem has been discussed [4] while recent studies have also considered multicarrier offline RSA planning [5] and the online dynamic RSA [6]. For dynamic RSA algorithms, they can be further sorted as centralized or distributed routing control. Following are the constraints for the RSA problem (1) the wavelength continuity constraint, which is defined as the allocation of the same wavelength on each fiber link along the route of a channel, (2) the spectral continuity constraint, which is defined as allocation of the same continuous spectrum on each fiber along the route of a channel, and (3) the spectral conflict constraint, which is defined as non-overlapping spectrum allocation to different channels on the same fiber.

B. Blocking Analysis and Defragmentation

Since the spectrum among connections varies over time, it will lead to fragmentation of spectrum rendering the network under provisioned. Similarly the need to grow superchannels over time causes them to use up free spectrum between them and at some point limiting other connections to expand their reach or rate. These problems will require the spectrum to be defragmented periodically to maintain the networks ability to grow. Though this can be done by calculating the best possible configuration offline and reallocating spectrums to the connections but it will result in connections disruptions. Therefore efficient algorithms are needed to provide optimized re-allocations of spectrum.Various techniques for both Periodic and real time defragmentation have been discussed. Nevertheless experimental proofs of the schemes are

still needed to realize the real system minimizing the connection disruptions. [7]-[9]

C. Multi-Reach/Multi-rate, Modulation Formats and FEC

Impairment

Aware,

When a new connection is needed, a most elastic system will consider the best way the request can be fulfilled, interms of modulation format, FEC, and spectrum,yielding the lowest-cost solutionbased on adaptive behaviour that adjusts itselfbased on actual link conditions and controlplane knowledge of physical impairments in the network. A given demand can be assigned a modulation format that gives sufficient performance to reach the required distance for given data rate, while minimizing the spectral bandwidth occupied and considering the transmission conditions on the optical path. [10]-[12] Also in current networks the ratio between the amount of forward error correction (FEC) and payload is fixed, but it could be made adaptive to enable greater distances to be reached when the required bandwidth is lower. [13]

dispersion. Then an IFFT is performed on the data to make an OFDM symbol followed by the addition of cyclic prefix. This enables OFDM for post processing for equalization and dispersion management. Modulation format can be chosen according to reach and transmission conditions. Nevertheless, OFDM struggles with high PAPR (peak to average power ratio) and phase noise and hence susceptible to fiber nonlinearities. Many solutions have been suggested but OFDM technology of optical networks is yet to be matured.

B. Coherent Detection

III. ENABLING TECHNOLOGIES

Though any single or multicarrier modulation format can be used for elastic flexible grid networks, the use of optical orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) transmitters as a highly spectrally-efficient, bandwidthvariable modulation format with coherently detecting receivers (both bandwidth variable) will result in most flexible and efficient systems. Key enabling technologies for such a network are flexible bandwidth transmitters and receivers (BTVs) and flexible spectrum selective ROADMS that can multiplex and switch variable spectral bands.

While 40G/100G system are already using coherent detection system., it will be absolutely necessary to use coherent detection in flexible networks as any modulation formats using frequency or phase information cannot be recovered using direct detection.Compared with conventional detection, coherent receiver mixes the signal with a local oscillator with a close frequency making it the most sensitive systems. It will result in long-reach and flexible PON and metro network based on flexible COOFDM (coherent optical OFDM). As it allows a concurrent detection of light signal's amplitude, phase and polarization, it can recover all the information of the received signal, thereby increasing tolerance to physical impairments and improving system performance. Coherent detection can also be combined with digital signal processing, which would be in charge of the equalized signal recovery and other post detection processing, mitigating the undesired effects and allowing full transceiver configurability.

C. Flexible WSS
The optical spectrum coincidingwith an ITU grid boundary in current fixed grid system will not be transmitted through the conventional ROADM designed for fixed-grid Therefore, in order to build a flexible network, anew kind of variable passband ROADM is required that allowsflexible spectrum to be switched from the inputto the output ports. Elastic ROADMs based on flexible WSS have been on research priority recently and allow switching almost arbitrary spectrum slices(in 12.5 GHz steps). These devices are based on one of several technologies: optical micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS), liquid crystals on silicon (LCOS), or silica planar lightwave circuits [17]. Finer granularity is being possible at rapid rate and they are expected to become common in next-generation ROADMs, and to be deployed. They will be key elements in flexible elastic networks.

A. Optical Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM)

With the advances in DSP in recent years, Orthogonal Frequency-Division Multiplexing (OFDM) is being considered as a modulation technique in flexible optical networks. [14]-[16] There are debates about the superiority between optical OFDM and single-carrier systems, but there is a rapid rising interest in optical OFDM as this makes an optical communication in which various functionalities such as optical dispersion mitigation performance monitoring, bandwidth provisioning, data rate adaptation or modulation format, can be performed via software making it very flexible system.Coherent optical OFDM (CO-OFDM) has recently beenproposedand the proof-of-concept transmission experiments have shown its extreme robustness against chromatic dispersion and polarizationmodedispersion. Optical OFDM can serve connections with fine-granularity by the elastic allocation of low rate subcarriers according to the connection demand, while the cyclic prefix provides a medium to mitigate optical dispersion to a certain extent. Optical OFDM distributes the data on several low data rate subcarriers (multi-carrier system). The spectrum of orthogonally modulated adjacent subcarriers can overlap, increasing transmission spectral efficiency. 10010000 subcarriers are digitally generated over full band. Subcarrier frequencies are spaced 1/T from each other so they are orthogonal over a symbol slot independent of their phase and amplitude .Data is parallelized and modulated over these low data rate subcarriers making it resilient to

D. Bandwidth variable transponders

On the node level, optical switching and filtering element providing high resolution optimum modulation format for bandwidth variability and higher nonlinear impairment tolerance should be developed. This includes lasers, bandwidth variable modulators and coherent detectors. A particular challenge is posed by the design of a new bandwidth-variable transponder. Both single carrier and Multicarrier solutions such as coherent optical orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (CO-OFDM)[18], Nyquist-WDM,[19] have been proposed as possible transponder implementations for flexible elastic optical networks. They will result in more complex and DSP oriented systems but the complexity will pay off as more flexible and spectrum efficient networks.

IV. COMMERCIALIZATION CHALLENGES

Standards and specification are required to define control plane signaling for the setup of lightpath and its modification over time due to variable demand/services or changing physical impairments. Standards will also be needed for the spectrum management i.e. wavelength allocation, fragmentation and interface to bandwidth variable transponders. Early initiatives on standardization have already started and service providers are also taking parts enthusiastically. Now, ITU Study Group 15 is introducing a flexible DWDM grid into its Recommendation G.694.1, here the allowed frequency slots have a nominal central frequency (THz) defined by 193.1 + n 0.00625 (n is a positive or negative integer including 0), and a slot width defined by 12.5 GHz m. In the past two years, flexible-grid elastic network research has upgraded from theory to experiments. A recent field trial of OFDM transmission has demonstrated over 620 km distancewith 10G/40G/100G/555G with defragmentation, and an EON network test-bed with real-time automated adaptive control plane has also been demonstrated. More research on all the aspects discussed above are needed keeping the deployability perspective. The MUX/DEMUX must be inexpensive and should provide variable bandwidth with high port count. The available port number of the present LCOS based WSS is limited and to attain such high port counts we may need to tunable filters with coherent detection [20]. Flexible grid approach presents new requirements for equipment vendors such as ROADMs, tunable lasers and filters as these systems are designed to add/drop or lock onto channels that correspondto center frequencies of the ITU grid. Nevertheless, Research and development on bandwidth variable transmitters [21] and ROADMS [22], component technologies might give a push to the flexiblegrid/elastic networks particularly after the advent of LCOS and coherent detection technology.

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V. ROADMAPFORFUTURE WORK
General impairment aware RWA/RSA problem discussed in [4] has been simulated and proved to be showing improved efficiency over typical fixed grid, we intend to do a proof of principle experiment by implementing the algorithms in a real ROADM system. We then plan to equip the network with indigenously developed omnipresent Ethernet routers [23] to make a complete communication system and assess the performance and requirements of flexgrid with carrier Ethernet technology as well as GMPLS. This will complete the assessment of flex-grid technology for its deployability in metro networks. Our roadmap also spans to cover the possibility of deploying flex-grid technology to assess networks on the lines of G.Metro [24] specifications.

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April15, [24] http://www.itu.int/md/T09-SG15-C-1533/en 2010