Category Archives: Research projects

e-Photon/ONe+ – Optical Networks: Towards Bandwidth Manageability and Cost Efficiency – phase 2
(FP6-027497)
March 2006 – February 2008
Role: Technical Contributor

The Network of Excellence e-Photon/ONe+ aims at integrating and focusing the rich know-how available in Europe on optical communication and networks, both in universities and in research centres of major telecom manufacturers and operators. This project built upon the experience gained within the previous NoE e-Photon/ONe, funded within the 1st IST call of FP6. The set of expertises available in the NoE ranges from optical technologies to networking devices, network architectures and protocols, new services fostered by photonic technologies. The NoE contributes to the Strategic Objective ‘Broadband for All’, with specific focus on low cost access and edge network equipment, for a range of technologies, including optical fiber, on new concepts for network management, control and protocols, and on increased bandwidth capacity, in the access network as well in the underlying optical core/metro network, including in particular optical burst and packet switching.

NOBEL II – Next generation Optical networks for Broadband European Leadership (NOBEL) – phase 2
(FP6-027305)
March 2006 – February 2008
Role: Technical Contributor

To achieve the strategic goal of broadband for all, an appropriate core/metro network is required to provide cost-effective transport of end-user traffic with the required level of QoS.Based on the results of the NOBEL project, the main goal of the Integrated Project NOBEL phase 2 is to carry out analysis, feasibility studies and experimental validations of innovative network solutions and technologies for flexible, scalable and reliable optical networks, thus enabling broadband services for all. Specifically, the main objectives are:- to define network architectures for core and metro networks, providing both packet and circuit switched connections in an integrated network scenario and supporting both fixed and mobile services- to assess and demonstrate these architectures in term of scalability and end-to-end interoperability through network emulations and experiments- to study and evaluate multi-layer traffic engineering and resilience schemes in different service and business scenarios- to perform techno- and socio-economic analysis of network solutions to demonstrate their cost-effectiveness and impact on improving the penetration of broadband services- to identify and develop enhanced solutions for the Control and Management Planes and their collaboration for provisioning of end-to-end broadband services, with focus on GMPLS networks- to investigate advanced architectures for burst/packet based optical networks;- to evaluate robust transport technologies and node architectures through theoretical studies, technology assessments, and experiments- to define an end-to-end vision of the future network providing innovative broadband services through joint activities with projects focusing on complementary aspects such as the access network segment and the interaction with applications (e.g. MUSE and MUPBED).Specific contributions will be submitted to ITU-T, TMF, OIF and IETF thus reinforcing European position in standardization bodies and fora.

RINGING – Red inteligente GMPLS/ASON con integración de nodos reconfigurables
(TEC2005-08051-C03-02)
January 2006 – December 2008
Role: Technical Contributor

The RINGING subproject concerns the design and building of a reconfigurable optical node with an advanced design, and its further integration into a real network to develop a field trial. The main objective of this subproject is the integration of reconfigurable optical nodes in the GMPL/ASON network, which has been obtained as a result of the CARISMA project. Thanks to the participation in TRIPODE, CARISMA, and FIRM (Field trial with Integrated ROADMs and GMPLS compliance, the CELTIC-EUREKA-2004 project, www.celtic-iniciative.org) projects, the know-how necessary for the implementation of the reconfigurable optical nodes is ready. The subproject is divided in two main blocks. The first one will be dedicated to building reconfigurable optical nodes, while in the other, the aspects of the integration of these nodes in an optical network which was constructed during the CARISMA project, will be treated. Introduction of the traffic engineering (TE) techniques into GMPLS/ASON networks, which will result in a network able to provide optical virtual private networks (OVPN) as well as suitable for working in a GRID environment of great importance in the next future, should be highlighted among the most important general objectives of this subproject. For the development of these last objectives also the participation in PROMISE (Provisioning and monitoring of optical services, CELTIC-EUREKA-2004 project) project will be useful.

COST 291 – Towards Digital Optical Networks
July 2004 – June 2008
Role: Technical Contributor

The COST 291 Action ‘Towards digital optical networks’ belongs to the COST Domain: Telecommunications Information Science and Technology. The primary objective of this action is to focus on novel network concepts and architectures exploiting the features of photonic technologies, to enable future broadband telecommunications networks (access, metro and core). It is aiming to propose a new generation of systems and networks that will accommodate the unpredictable growth of data traffic. The action was initiated by the ‘High-speed networks and optical communications’ group of AIT and Prof. Ioannis Tomkos acts as Action Chairman. More than 28 partners contribute to the activities of the project (including several from new member states).

FIRM – Field trial with Integrated ROADMs and GMPLS compliance
(Celtic Project CP1-028)
July 2004 – June 2006
Role: Technical Contributor

Nowadays optical networks need flexible low cost optical equipment and embedded intelligence to provide lower complexity in the management systems and more flexibility in an all-optical dynamic reliable network deployment. Currently, there are emerging companies that are developing new optical components and subs-systems (Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP), XFP, transceiver multi-source, tunable lasers, optical amplifiers, external modulators, OADMs (Add and Drop Multiplexer), O/O/O switching, network monitoring among others) with embedded intelligence. Next generation low-cost optical networking equipment will need this new optical components and sub-systems with easily intregrated interfaces for their inter-operability. The FIRM project aims to improve a strong collaboration among optical components manufacturer and optical networking developers, to provide the industry and the research community with a cost effective solution and a field trial. FIRM will turn current static OADM into Reconfigurable-OADM, with widely tunable transceivers up to 2,5Gbps or 10 Gbps. An easy and basic management system will be achieved to provide basic services: QoS, Network Monitoring and set-up or tear-down connections. This management system will be responsible to set-up or tear down channels and perform monitoring. It will give to the GMPLS control plane an IP destination, and the GMPLS will manage to provide the channel. Moreover, the NMS will monitor all the variables described in a MIB, and actuate over them if needed. The ROADMs prototypes will be integrated in a field trial based on an ASON model and dynamically controlled by an IP-based GMPLS control plane already provided by the partners Hence, to easily integrate the ROADMs and the GMPLS control plane, the FIRM project will also develop an open CCI (Connection Controller Interface) to manage optical equipments in compliance with the GSMPv3 standard being under development. Collaborations with ITU-T, IETF or OIF in the definition of new standards will be achieved. In order to evaluate the integrated system solution in a real scenario with real end-users, the i2cat project will provide its contents and services. From the telco operators point of view and taking into account investment needs, a study of an implementation strategy of the business model and an analysis of the techno-economic viability of next generation networks will be also provided.