2nd International IEEE/Create-Net Conference on Testbeds and Research Infrastructures for the Development of Networks and Communities

Research Article

Light-trail testbed for metro optical networks

  • @INPROCEEDINGS{10.1109/TRIDNT.2006.1649163  ,
        author={Nathan  Vanderhorn and Srivatsan  Balasubramanian and Mani  Mina and Robert J.  Weber and Arun K.  Somani},
        title={Light-trail testbed for metro optical networks},
        proceedings={2nd International IEEE/Create-Net Conference on Testbeds and Research Infrastructures for the Development of Networks and Communities},
        publisher={IEEE},
        proceedings_a={TRIDENTCOM},
        year={2006},
        month={7},
        keywords={},
        doi={10.1109/TRIDNT.2006.1649163  }
    }
    
  • Nathan Vanderhorn
    Srivatsan Balasubramanian
    Mani Mina
    Robert J. Weber
    Arun K. Somani
    Year: 2006
    Light-trail testbed for metro optical networks
    TRIDENTCOM
    IEEE
    DOI: 10.1109/TRIDNT.2006.1649163
Nathan Vanderhorn1,*, Srivatsan Balasubramanian1,*, Mani Mina1,*, Robert J. Weber1,*, Arun K. Somani1,*
  • 1: Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011
*Contact email: nvander@iastate.edu, vatsan@iastate.edu, mmina@iastate.edu, weber@iastate.edu, arun@iastate.edu

Abstract

Telecommunication networks have rapidly added staggering amounts of capacity to their long haul networks at low costs per bit using DWDM technologies. Concurrently, there has been a wave of new access technologies that are driving customers to demand high-speed, robust and customized data services. These dynamics have led to what is called the "metro gap"-the inability to leverage backbone capacity to create and distribute revenue generating services. This paper presents work in progress at Iowa State Universities' High Speed Systems Engineering laboratory to address the metro gap problem. As an initial step towards solving this problem, we demonstrate a streaming media application over a 3 Gbps optical fiber network employing light-trail technology. The testbed and application presented within illustrates a cost-effective platform and outlines high-speed system level design challenges. This complete solution enables high-bandwidth services to move closer to the user premises by combining commercially available network components and emerging network technologies.