Experimental performance evaluation of control mechanisms for integrated optical packet- and circuit-switched networks

We are developing an integrated optical packet- and circuit-switched network. In this paper, we feature our own control system of the network and experimentally evaluate its performances. In our experimental setup, both best-effort data and control signals are transferred on colored (i.e. multi-wavelength) optical packet-switched links. We successfully transmit high-definition uncompressed real-time video signals on two lightpaths established by our control system without degradation of video quality, while other packet data are transferred in the same optical fibers. The developed system also has a function of adaptive resource change of packet switching and circuit switching. Time distances for resource change and lightpath setup are negligible, and therefore users do not feel stress for path establishment as the following results prove. Controller PCs can achieve lightpath establishment and automatic resource-allocation within approximately 500ms and 830ms, respectively, at the best possible case in our experimental setup.