Video streaming over broadband optical networks

Motivation

Optical fibre technologies are being used in transport networks, mainly at metropolitan and long distance network segment. In addition, optical communications are highly being used in access networks. Brand new optical networks deployments tend to involve all optical communication technologies avoiding optical/electrical media conversions. All optical networks, where transactions are end-to-end at optical domain, enable better fibre optics bandwidth utilization, lower power consumption and reduce operational cost. Such benefits allow greater client satisfaction.

In optical communication, a driver towards greater fibre optic bandwidth utilization has been the Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM). WDM enables to carry information in multiple channels through one fibre optic. WDM divides the total bandwidth per fibre (Tbps) in individual channels (Gbps) per optical wavelength. Using WDM at transport links, flexible-switching technologies has to be used at inter-connection nodes avoiding optical/electrical conversion at each hop. There are three switching technologies: Optical Circuit Switching (OCS), Optical Burst Switching (OBS) and Optical Packet Switching (OPS). Depending on the switching technology used, the basic switching unit are light-paths/circuits/wavelengths in OCS, optical packets in OPS and optical bursts in OBS (burst is a group of optical packets).

Overview

Optical Burst Switching Networks are all optical transport networks were the switching basic unit, at optical nodes, are optical bursts. An optical burst is a group of multiple optical packets. Then, each node has to forward optical burst between input and output ports, throw an internal switching fabric, to guide the optical burst from source to destination across the network. Optical bursts are generated at edge nodes of the OBS Network. Data from clients are aggregated at the ingress node (an edge node) conforming an optical burst to be transmitted [1][2]. Therefore, the data is forwarded throw the network in an optical burst without media conversion to the egress node where the burst is disassembled. The data aggregated in each burst have the same edge node destination.

OBS

Providing Quality of Service in OBS networks is one of the most challenging problems due to the lack of buffering in the core nodes, burst can not be stored, so contention resolution schemes are difficult to implement. Added to this, assembly and scheduling algorithms that are chosen for its small computational complexity has best effort nature, they do not support QoS service differentiation.

The main solutions to contribute to the QoS provisioning in the OBS network main architecture tackle OBS network specific building blocks, either burst assembly algorithms, scheduling algorithms, contention resolution schemes, and so on [3]. The main proposed mechanisms to provide QoS over OBS networks are:

Offset increased
Differentiated Burst assembly
Burst cloning
Differentiated Routing
Differentiated wavelength assignment
Burst pre-emption of scheduled burst

References

[1] C. Qiao and M. Yoo, “Optical burst switching (OBS) – a new paradigm for an optical Internet,” Journal of High Speed Networks, No. 9, 1999, pp. 69-84.
[2] J. P. Jue and Vinod M. Vokkarane, “Optical Burst Switched Networks,” Springer Publishing Company Incorporated, 2011.
[3] K. C. Chua, M. Gurusamy, Y. Liu and M.H. Phung, “Quality of Service in Optical Burst Switched Networks,” Springer, 2007.

Related publications

[4] T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, and S. Sales, “Effects of size-based burst assembly algorithm over video traffic transmissions in OBS networks,” in Optical Network Design and Modelling (ONDM), Barcelona (Spain), Mar. 2008.
[5] T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri and S. Sales, “Optimal configuration for size-based burst assembly algorithms at the edge node for video traffic transmissions over OBS networks,” in Proc. International Conference on Transparent Optical Networks (ICTON), Athens (Greece), Jun. 2008.
[6] T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, and S. Sales, “Effect and optimization of burst assembly algorithms for video traffic transmissions over OBS networks,” in Proc. International Workshop on Optical Burst/Packet Switching (WOBS), London (United Kingdom), Sep. 2008.
[7] T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, and S. Sales, “Efectos del algoritmo de ensamblado basado en tamaño sobre el tráfico de vídeo en redes OBS,” in Proc. URSI, Madrid (España), Sep. 2008.
[8] T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, and S. Sales, “Effect and Optimization of Burst Assembly Algorithms to Deal with Edge Congestion in OBS Networks to Improve Video Transport,” Workshop Red Temática Española: Redes Multinivel: IP sobre redes de transporte, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Vilanova i la Geltrú (Spain), Feb. 2009.
[9] K. Ramantas, T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, and K. Vlachos, “A preemptive scheduling scheme for flexible QoS provisioning in OBS networks,” in BroadNets, Madrid (Spain), Sep. 2009.
[10] T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, and S. Sales, “Performance evaluation and optimization of OBS networks to provide QoE for video transport,” 1st Workshop en Redes Multinivel, Red Temática Española: “Redes Multinivel: IP Sobre redes de transporte, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Vilanova i la Geltrú (Spain), Dec. 2009.
[11] T. R. Vargas, P. Arce, I. de Fez, V. Murcia, F. Fraile, R. Belda, P. Acelas, and J. C. Guerri, “Solutions to improve the video streaming service over heterogeneous networks,” in Proc. of the 1st Workshop on Future Internet: Efficiency in High-Speed Networks (W-FIERRO), Cartagena (Spain) , Jul. 2011, pp. 85-92.
[12] V. Murcia, M. Delgado, T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, and J. Antich, “VAIPA: A Video-Aware Internet Protocol Architecture,” in Proc. of the IEEE International Conference on High Performance Switching and Routing,” Cartagena (Spain), Jul. 2011, pp. 140-145.
[13] A. de la Oliva, T. R. Vargas, J. C. Guerri, J. Hernandez, and P. Reviriego, “Performance analysis of energy efficient Ethernet on video streaming servers,” Computer Networks, vol. 57, no. 3, pp. 599-608, 2013.