A research and experimentation overview on future optical network control plane in the ADRENALINE testbed

Future optical transport networks will be constituted by a virtualized, multi-domain and multi-layer transport infrastructure, delivering the efficient aggregation and statistical multiplexing of MPLS-TP packet transport technology, supporting IP and Ethernet services, along with the cost/energy-efficiency, coarse bandwidth capacity and deterministic performance of fixed/elastic WSON optical circuit technology. The automation of these future transport networks can be efficiently encompassed through the deployment of a distributed control plane, based on the Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) architecture with Path Computation Elements (PCE). This paper overviews the recent research and experimental activities for the future optical network control plane carried out within the ADRENALINE testbed.