Elastic Optical Networks: the Vision of the ICT Project IDEALIST

The current generation of Optical Networks based on a fixed wavelength grid and on fixed rate transponders becomes very inefficient when the transmission rate exceeds 100 Gbit/s. A new generation of elastic optical networks is required. Flexible grid transmission and switching technologies, could significantly increase both transport network scalability and flexibility. Further benefits come from multilayer interworking mechanisms enabling electronic switching technologies (IP/MPLS, OTN, etc.) to directly control the bandwidth of Bandwidth Variable Transponders (BVT) for optical bandwidth optimization purposes. The development of data and control plane solutions based on elastic optical networks enabling adaptive network and service interworking is the main objectives of the ICT project IDEALIST. The paper describes the data plane architecture of a future elastic optical network based on the vision of the IDEALIST project.