Learning objectives
Learning outcomes of the course unit:
The objective of the course is to give to the students the basis of optical network structure, operation, and management. Students will understand which are the traffic requirements and operator choices behind a network design. In particular, the following concepts will be introduced:
- Definition of OTN networks
- Routing and grooming
- Resiliency
- Optical reconfiguration.
By applying the above-mentioned knowledge, the student will be able at the end of the course to:
- Design and plan optical communication networks
- Implement a planning tool
- Write a report with analysis of a network planning
Prerequisites
- Basic knowledge of programming (C, C++, Java)
- Basic knowledge of optical devices
Course unit content
Summary of topics:
1) Introduction to optical networking: principles and challenges.
2) Optical network hierarchies: core, metro and access.
3) Introduction to the network design
4) Optical Transport Network (OTN)
5) Capacity and Flow assignment problems in communication networks.
6) Optical switching, routers and Optical terminals.
7) Transparent network evolution.
8) Multilayer networks
9) Network survivability:objectives and resiliency techniques.
10) Automatic optical reconfiguration: from static to dynamic networks.
11) Advantages of reconfigurable and multilayer networks.
12) The future of optical networks: the 5G era.
Full programme
Classes are divided into two kinds: theoretical and practical lessons. The two kinds of classes (theoretical and practical) alternate (hereafter odd lessons relate to theoretical classes, even to practical).
Lesson 1: Introduction to the optical networking: principle and challenges.
- Enabling technologies
- Telecom network overview
- Business models
- WDM evolution
Lesson 2: Class on network planning tools. Introduction to DIAMOND.
Lesson3: Optical Cross Connects (first part)
- Description of network topologies
- Evolution of WDM transmission devices
- Description of the basic optical elements
- Definition of optical cross connects
- Introduction to optoelectronic devices
- Concept of routing in an optical network
Lesson 4: use of DIAMOND: some simple exercise.
Lesson 5: Optical Cross Connects (second part)
- O-E-O optical cross connects
- O-O-O optical cross connects
- Optical bypass
- Definition of (R-)OADM and OXC
- Add/Drop blocks
- New generation OXC requirements
Lesson 6: Git or versioning tools for managing a project.
Lesson 7: Transparent network challenges (first part)
- Opaque vs transparent routing
- Routing definition
- Optical bypass and 3R regeneration
- Description of main optical impairments
- Coherent detection
- Transparent island and selective regeneration
- Impairment based routing
Lesson 8: Introduction to the connectivity graph
Lesson 9: Transparent network challenges (second part)
- Wavelength continuity constraints
- Routing wavelength assignment (RWA) problem
- Single step and multi-step RWA + physical impairments issues
- Connectivity graph
- RWA assignment, graph coloring and conflict graph
- Mixed line rate wavelength assignment
Lesson 10: Some study with the introduction of optical reach concept and transparent islands thanks to the connectivity graph
Lesson 11: Transparent network challenges (third part)
- Flex line rate paradigm
- Routing and spectrum assignment (RSA)
- Conflict graph for RSA problems
- Super-channel concept
- Elastic transponders
Lesson 12: Introduction to the connectivity graph, routing and wavelength assignment
Lesson 13: Grooming (first part)
- Traffic types and service capacity increase
- Sub-rate traffic management
- End-to-end multiplexing
- Aggregation rules
- Grooming definition
- Grooming vs aggregation
Lesson 14: Elastic optical network planning challenges.
Study of the impact of different function costs on the network planning
Lesson 15: Grooming (second part)
- Grooming switches
- OTN layer
- Grooming design rules
- Grooming and power consumption problem
Lesson 16: Traffic aggregation and grooming, different algorithms: connectivity graph vs routing and knapsack algorithms
Lesson 17: Optical recovery (first part)
- Introduction to survivability
- Failure terminology
- Service level agreement (SLA)
- Quality of Service (QoS)
- QoS and network optimization
- Service differentiation
- Resiliency definition: protection and restoration
- Multiple failure recovery
- Shared risk link group definition
- Routing constraints
Lesson 18: Network dimensioning with resiliency constraints. Introduction to failure scenarios.
Lesson 19: Optical recovery (second part)
- Optical and electrical protection scheme descriptions
- Client vs network resiliency
- Dedicated and shared protection
- Fauld dependent vs fault independent recovery
- Network protection at OTN layer
- Multiple concurrent failures
Lesson 20: Optical reconfiguration of a network; network failure and optical restoration.
Lesson 21: Dynamic optical networks
- Introduction to optical reconfigurations
- Evolution from static to dynamic networks
- Control plane and PCE definitions
- Where to place a control plane
- GMPLS-based operations
- Software defined networks
Lesson 22: Definition of the final project work; assisted code implementation on the work for the final project.
Lesson 23: Optical transport network (OTN) standard
- OTN objective
- OTN functionalities and benefits
- OTN layering description
- ODU presentation
Lesson 24: Definition of the final project work; assisted code implementation on the work for the final project (continued).
Bibliography
Supporting books:
1) B. Mukherjee, Optical Networks, Springer 2006
2) J. Simmons, Optical Network design and planning, Springer 2014
Teaching methods
All classes are available in video on the Elly platform.
Some lectures describe the software used for the planning project (Net2Plan and Git)
Assessment methods and criteria
The exam consists of an oral test of about 1 hour on the course contents.
When ready, please write to alberto.bononi@unipr.it to schedule the oral.
Other information
None
2030 agenda goals for sustainable development
9
