A framework for managing faults and attacks in all-optical transport networks

Fault and attack survivability in all-optical transport networks (AOTNs) require new approaches because of unique transmission characteristics. Specifically, fiber nonlinearities and network transparency to transmitted signal types may make the network vulnerable to unorthodox attacks. Furthermore, unlike in electronic networks that regenerate signals at every node, attack detection and isolation schemes may not have access to the overhead bits used to transport supervisory information between regenerators or switching sites to perform their functions. This paper presents a discussion on attack scenarios and proposes a conceptual framework for modeling faults and attacks in AOTNs.