CORDIS Archive

TASK AC211: Control and Management Techniques for Photonic Networks

Related Areas: 2,5

Background

Within the ACTS Programme, a number of projects in the area of photonic technology are expected to include elements of "network management" in the context of their individual trials and demonstrators and their own hardware implementation of the physical network. In order to minimise unnecessary duplication of work and a proliferation of incompatible ad-hoc solutions, this work needs to be supplemented by development of a common methodology and description of generic control and management functionality in the physical layer of photonic networks including fault management and network configuration.

The TMN generic information model has been defined in M.3200, and includes the interworking between the management systems of different operators and equipment for different network layers. This task will examine the applicability of the model to photonic networks, taking account of the new degrees of flexibility and functionality available in the photonic domain (e.g. passive splitting, wavelength division multiplexing, etc).

Objectives

• To examine the applicability of the existing TMN information model with regard to its applicability to the new types of photonic network.
• To identify the specific elements of optical functionality which need to be addressed in the context of network operations and management
• To develop an appropriate set of managed objects and defined attributes to allow a generic approach to the control of photonic networks
• To demonstrate an application of the management approach in a typical next-generation optical network.

Technical Approach

The work will capture the appropriate photonic component and network fundamentals in applicable models which lead to a generalised control description and management methodology. This methodology will reflect the heterogeneity of optical network technologies arising from current developments in photonic networks, and link to developing TMN standards and strategies and network layering models. Adoption of TMN-like concepts and OAM-type protocols will be pursued in all appropriate cases.

Due consideration will be given to ensuring maximum compatibility with the approach taken in existing work on network management. However, it is also important to ensure that full use can be made of the new functionality offered by the photonic domain, and to this end it will be important to ensure that flexibility remains for novel solutions which may be offered by emerging photonic technology. This particularly relates to the development of sub-systems, where it will be important to look for ways of standardising the approach, whilst still retaining the flexibility necessary for an evolving technology in areas such as the supervision of optical amplifiers.

While aiming at the network control layer, the work will avoid ad-hoc solutions and concentrate on a control and management environment which emphasises conformance and harmonisation. The work will test any models in an appropriate environment, and generate guidelines for the operation of photonic networks.

It will be important for this project to work with other ACTS projects covering all aspects of optical networks.

The work will be carried out in the context of trials which may be carried out in conjunction with existing ACTS projects. Aspects for study may include:

• functional parameters of key optical network architectures and network elements
• supervision strategies for optical amplifiers, wavelength selective components, etc
• identification of managed objects and their attributes
• applicability to protection and restoration strategies
• demonstration and validation of the OAM, protection/restoration and TMN concepts in a field trial
• network reconfiguration and restoration methodologies.

Key Results

• Functional definition of key optical components with regard to management attributes
• System specification of control signalling requirements, which include interface and physical gateway requirements.
• Integration and integrity requirements for management compatibility across the system, including logical and physical specifications of management interfaces, taking note of the required overheads.
• Definition of fault-monitoring functions at component and network level (compatible with TMN fault monitoring functions and enhanced photonic network design capabilities).
• Definition of physical control protocols and assessment of the interface with application management levels.
• Testing of models and protocols in trials.
• OAM and TMN concepts for the photonic network.