Optical network virtualization is facing technical difficulties

Since 2014, optical network research and application virtualization technology the industry has been widespread attention, including ZTE, ADVA, Huawei and other manufacturers will deploy the next generation of optical networks "to support optical network virtualization SDON system" as the optical network services technology focus on the development. Optical network resources as a basis for data center interconnect, and virtualized application scenarios it is generally considered to greatly simplify network operators work.

Each data center has its own specific QoS and SLA requirements, network operators need a dedicated OTN network through a virtual optical network based on a shared unified physical OTN network equipment on, to meet different business needs. Currently, optical network virtualization faces many technical difficulties. mainly include:

1, how to provide scalable, flexible and configurable network application services, including: across multiple management domains to achieve the end service connection and OVPN control; how to provide dynamic connectivity services, namely BoD service according to user requests; How-end connections to ensure low jitter, low latency QoS; how coordination between network resources, such as CPU, memory and visual display equipment.

2, the optical network resources to achieve abstract package, namely how the optical network physical layer resource model abstract mathematical model of extraction, in particular resource and the need to consider the optical network transmission mode has its own physical characteristics restrictions, such as different from physical to other networks floor loss: to the accumulation of a variety of physical layer optical channel impairments of optical signal transmission own characteristics, dispersion and gain jitter, etc., how these optical network physical layer to the optical loss to abstract virtual layer.

3, virtualized optical network resource mapping to physical resources required for the issue of virtual nodes and virtual link virtual optical network services VONS distribution of run-time, designed to solve the objective function (such as infrastructure resource mapping assignments for different optimization strategies load balancing, maximizing network currency earnings, quality of service can be optimized to maximize the amount of end-users, etc.), optimization model and optimization algorithms to meet individual performance, benefits and other needs of the user optical network. Optical network virtualization technology research long way to go, but it can bring the value is immeasurable, represents the forward direction SDON technology development, with its focus on the extent and depth of research continues to improve, I believe that in the near future will leap of progress in implementation.