Design of a Core Switch for an Optical Transparent Packet Network

Design guidelines are given to dimension large switches in the optical packet network environment developed in the framework of the ACTS project KEOPS (KEys to Optical Packet Switching). Different possible choices in the architecture and operation of the switch are proposed according to the photonic technology availability. Simulation and analytical tools are used to evaluate switch performance and they have been applied to find out suitable switch configurations that meet packet loss requirements. Results and application examples are given to show the feasibility of a packet switch for high-speed photonic transport with the available technology.