TAPI-enabled SDN control for partially disaggregated multi-domain (OLS) and multi-layer (WDM over SDM) optical networks [Invited]

Network operators are facing a critical issue on their optical transport networks to deploy 5G++ and Internet of Things services. They need to address the capacity increase by a factor of 10, while keeping a similar cost per user. Over the past years, network operators have been working on the optical disaggregated approach with great interest for achieving the required efficiency and cost reduction. In particular, partially disaggregated optical networks make it possible to decouple the transponders from the transport system (known as an open line system) that are provided by different vendors. On the other hand, space division multiplexing (SDM) has been proposed as the key technology to overcome the capacity crunch that the optical standard single-mode fibers are facing to support the forecasted 10×10× growth. Spatial core switching is gaining interest because it makes it possible to deploy SDM networks to bypass the overloaded wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks, by provisioning spatial media channels between WDM nodes. This paper presents, to the best of our knowledge, the first experimental demonstration of transport-application-programming-interface-enabled software defined networking control architecture for partially disaggregated multi-domain and multi-layer (WDM over SDM) optical networks.Grant numbers : AURORAS - Autonomic and disaggregated optical networks leveraging edge computing and photonic technologies ( RTI2018-099178-B-I00). © 2021 IEEE. Personal use of this material is permitted. Permission from IEEE must be obtained for all other uses, in any current or future media, including reprinting/republishing this material for advertising or promotional purposes, creating new collective works, for resale or redistribution to servers or lists, or reuse of any copyrighted component of this work in other works