Protocols and architectures for IP optical networking

The rapid growth of traffic on the Internet is posing new challenges for transport network providers. Not only do they need low-cost solutions that increase the capacity of their transport facilities to gigabit rates, network providers must also be able to support data applications in interconnecting backbone Internet protocol (IP) routers. For example, transport networks should be able to allocate bandwidth dynamically to ensure that traffic transmitted over differentiated services is routed efficiently. To maintain a high level of service availability, transport networks must also be able to detect and recover from failure and performance degradation. This paper describes protocols and architectures designed to maintain the expected levels of service in IP optical networks. Based on wavelength division multiplexing enhanced with IP-tailored transport capabilities, integrated routing, and management, these optical networks can meet the challenges posed by ever-expanding Internet traffic.