Objective
The aim of the CAPRICORN project is to design and to implement, for the first time, a novel optical DWDM core network with call processing capabilities, in which electrical client equipment can request bandwidth on demand and where the optical network nodes can autonomously communicate to set-up and tear-down optical light paths without interaction of a centralised network management system.
In addition, CAPRICORN will define and implement means for topology auto-discovery and auto-link configuration capabilities in optical networks. The interworking of IP core routers and optical network nodes based on the call processing capabilities in the optical layer and new traffic engineering algorithms in the IP layer will be demonstrated and evaluated in laboratory experiments.
A field trial will be used to prove feasibility and potential of CAPRICORN's overall concept in an operational environment.
Objectives:
- To investigate and evaluate concepts for automatic call processing in optical networks;
- to define a common control plane for distributing signalling and routing information;
- to define a signalling interface between optical networks and IP routers;
- to define topology auto-discovery and link auto-configuration mechanisms;
- to implement all these properties in a demonstrator network;
- to demonstrate the overall concept in laboratory experiments and a field trial;
- to cast the experience gained in the project into contributions to standardisation.
Work description:
Whilst in the past channel number and total throughput of optical dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) systems were strongly limited thus making dynamic routing on the optical layer for service-provisioning, traffic engineering and an optimisation of bandwidth utilisation unnecessary, new optical networks employing state-of-the-art DWDM systems with 100+ channels and multi-Tbit/s capacities naturally ask for novel and intelligent switching concepts to be implemented in the optical layer.
Motivated by these developments, the CAPRICORN project aims to design and to implement, for the first time, an optical DWDM core network with call processing capabilities, in which electrical client equipment can request bandwidth on demand and where the optical network nodes, due to their built-in intelligence, can autonomously communicate to set-up and tear-down optical light paths without interaction of a centralised network management system.
A novel control plane will be defined and implemented in CAPRICORN, which enables the exchange of signalling and routing information between optical network nodes as well as signalling information between IP core routers and optical network nodes. The novel control plane will also be able to react on network faults by providing distributed optical restoration by re-routing the affected wavelength channels.
In addition, CAPRICORN will, for the first time, define and implement means for topology auto-detect and auto-link configuration capabilities in optical networks. The interworking of IP core routers and optical network nodes based on the call processing capabilities in the optical layer and new traffic engineering algorithms in the IP layer will be demonstrated and evaluated in both laboratory experiments and a final field trial.
Milestones:
- concept specification for optical networks with call processing capabilities;
- functional specification for optical networks with call processing capabilities;
- implementation of optical network node;
- implementation of IP router with signalling interface to optical network;
- integration test/interworking demonstration between optical network nodes and IP routers;
- validation of overall concept in field trial experiments.
Fields of science
Topic(s)
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
80333 MUENCHEN
Germany