Design and implementation of lightpath control system for TWAREN optical networks

With the explosive growth of the Internet, various applications are developed for exploring science discovery. Their common feature is the desire for higher network bandwidth than before. In the last decade, network backbone has been upgraded from 155Mbps with ATM technology to Gigabit Ethernet or 10 Gigabit Ethernet to meet this trend. However, there are some next-generation e-science applications such as video streaming, high-quality images and grid computing which need the optical network to provide higher bandwidth with QoS guarantee. In the past, national research and education networks (NRENs) around the world strive for developing the control layer of optical network. TWAREN [1] establishes an optical network laboratory to investigate the next-generation network with optical technology. The laboratory supports not only SDH and next-generation SDH functions, but also DWDM functions which offer a hybrid network platform for domestic and international research projects. In our on-going LightPath control project, we develop a control system with automatic lightpath establishment, restoration and recovery functions to manage optical devices in our laboratory. We will integrate our control system with TWAREN NOC to facilitate the network operation and reduce the cost of operation in the future.