Optical packet and burst switched networks: a review

Over the past several years, a significant amount of research has been conducted in the areas of optical packet switching (OPS) and optical burst switching (OBS). This research has been motivated by the need for techniques that are capable of supporting the demanding requirements of emerging dynamic high-bandwidth network applications in a flexible and efficient manner. Although optical packet and burst switching have yet to be widely deployed in commercial settings, recent research progress indicates that such deployments are not infeasible in the near future. The authors review the literature on OPS and OBS. Basic concepts are discussed and an overview of current and emerging research issues and challenges for optical packet and burst switched networks is presented. The authors attempt to cover issues that are essential for the practical deployment of such networks and highlight promising research directions that are likely to facilitate such deployments.