QoS aware optical packet switch with shared electronic buffers

This work considers contention resolution in optical packet switches and proposes a switch architecture empowered by available technology which exploits a combination of wavelength and time domains to solve packet contention. An hybrid switch architecture based on space switching matrix and re-circulating links, equipped with wavelength converters and electronic buffers is described. The forwarding procedure is implemented by suitable scheduling which minimizes the number of wavelength conversions needed. Switch performance is evaluated by simulation to show the effects of combination of wavelength conversion and electronic queuing. The hybrid switch characteristics are exploited to design the switch in relation to application needs. To this end, service differentiation schemes are applied to traffic forwarding and evaluated. The results obtained outline how switch design optimization take advantage of the relationships between the employed technology and traffic needs.