Abstract

The optical switches in a WDM all-optical network establish light paths between sources and destinations of requirements without any intermediate electrical switching. Often, the all-optical network serves as the backbone of a lower-level (e.g., packet-switched) network. The design of the all-optical network is thus part of, and is closely related to, the design of the overall network. The part of the design problem that relates to the optical portion of the network is the determination of the type, size, and location of the switches; the physical topology interconnecting the switches, including the type and speed of the physical links; the physical path(s) that each requirement should take; and the assignment of requirements to light paths. We consider the solution of each of these problems and the interactions among them.

© 1995 Optical Society of America