Optical Network Management and Control

While dense wavelength division multiplexing equipment has been deployed in networks of major telecommunications carriers for over a decade, the capabilities of its networking and associated network control and management have not caught up to those of digital cross-connect systems and packet-switched counterparts in higher layer networks. We shed light on this situation by examining the current structure of the optical layer, its relationship to other network technology layers, and current network management and control implementations. We provide additional insight by explaining how a combination of business and technical perspectives has driven evolution of the optical layer. We conclude by exploring activities to close this gap in the future.