Software defined networking for optical communications
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Date
2025-12-31
Authors
Verbishchuk, Yuliya
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Publisher
University College Cork
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Abstract
Network management has long relied on methods and tools conceived in the early days of the internet. The explosion in network usage due to the proliferation of mobile devices and round-the-clock internet access has revealed the inadequacy of these methods in providing fast and reliable services. Network growth struggles to keep pace with the ever-increasing demands of media consumption and mobile device usage. Consequently, the need for change is imperative to avoid vendor lock-in and introduce flexibility, reliability, and scalability to network management.
The emergence of Software-Defined Networking (SDN) has revolutionized the landscape of network architecture, transforming the way networks and data centers are constructed and managed at scale. SDN’s fundamental
principle of separating the control plane from the data plane, along with the ability to reprogram and reconfigure the data plane through a centralized controller, has reshaped network operations. As the demand for network services continues to grow, service providers face the challenge of meeting customer requirements for fast, reliable, and scalable services. Conventional network management methods fall short in adapting to this evolving landscape, and this is where SDN has made inroads, particularly in data center networks.
In Telecommunications (TELCO) networks, a significant portion of the equipment is designed for specific functions, with a set-and-forget operational approach. The transition to incorporate SDN techniques necessitates a careful plan to enable the coexistence of legacy equipment with next-generation hardware and SDN capabilities. This transition allows network administrators and architects to design and manage networks with newfound flexibility, reliability, and scalability. In this thesis, I show for the first time, that hardware and dissagrgation is possible all the way to the physical layer (Layer 1), including management of legacy disagregated devices along with SDN-enabled devices. At the time this reasearch started, there were very few efforts in integrating SDN controls with open APIs in the physical layer, for example with minimal efforts to introduce wavelength tunability (e.g. Opendaylightv4.0).
The research in this thesis demonstrates the use of NETCONF/YANG to monitor and reconfigure legacy dissagregated network devices within Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing(DWDM) systems. It also explores the utilization of a SDN enabled optical switch to control the wavelength of transceivers. With an overall controll based on the Open Network Operating System (ONOS), employed for real-time control, monitoring, and on-demand device reconfiguration. While SDN techniques have advanced considerably in the realm of packet-based forwarding devices, such as Layer 2 Ethernet switches within data centers, their application to optical switches and optical transceivers has lagged behind. This thesis also shows development of methods for controlling and routing optical carriers to output ports of a open software whitebox optical Re-configurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) device. This enabled greater flexibility in optical management and the potential for improvement of quality of service in telecommunications networks. In summary, this thesis demonstrates, through experimental results, the feasibility of controlling a network including legacy disaggregated devices, using SDN tools.
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Keywords
SDN , Software defined networking for optical communications
Citation
Verbishchuk, Y. 2025. Software defined networking for optical communications. MRes Thesis, University College Cork.