Architecting the next generation DCN for flexibility and scale with optics and SDN

Recent trends in cloud computing call for rethinking the Data Center Network (DCN) design for huge capacities, tremendous scale, and high levels of flexibility. On the other hand, business and environmental sustainability concerns call for improving the cost effectiveness and power efficiency. DCN architecture proposed by EU project COSIGN stands up for these challenges by combining optical technologies for data plane benefits, Software Defined Networking (SDN) for control plane programmability, and orchestration software for advanced network service provisioning.