Multiwavelength ring networks for switch consolidation and interconnection

The authors investigate self-healing ring networks that utilize wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) to provide survivable transport without the need for high-speed electronic add-drop multiplexers. They propose three specific multiwavelength ring networks, two designed for consolidation of switching resources at a single node on the ring, and one that supports symmetrical interconnection between all pairs of nodes. The maximum number of nodes and the maximum total capacity for the three networks are compared, as governed by the characteristics of the optical amplifiers and WDM techniques employed. It is found that all three networks are capable of supporting on the order of ten or more nodes with throughputs of 2.5 Gb/s to 10 Gb/s per node. The descriptions of the proposed networks assume an interoffice-network application, in which the nodes on the ring are central offices