Architecting the services optical network

In this new millennium, the most valuable commodity will be information, as seen by the surge in demand for faster access technologies such as cable modems, xDSL, and wireless data. The tremendous growth in data traffic, particularly that associated with the Internet, is changing the way it is carried over public and private networks. Together with the rapid advances in optical networking technology and the spawning of a new category of wavelength services stimulated by new high-speed data requirements, this is dramatically changing network architectures and the relationship between network service providers and their customers. Incumbent carrier globalization and new carrier entry require support for a broader set of business models and range of service interfaces. The growth and expansion of networks imply a greater need for more scalable solutions and more automation for network maintenance. An intelligent optical core optimized for service optical networking, the services optical network, needs to take the best aspects of both the transport and data networking domains to meet the above needs. This article focuses on architecting the services optical network to meet the challenges of optical data networking, and includes a snapshot of supporting standardization activities.