Improvement of conventional networks with an incremental approach is an important design method for the development of the future internet. For this approach, we are developing a future aggregation network based on passive optical network (PON) technology to achieve both cost-effectiveness and high reliability. In this paper, we propose a timeslot (TS) synchronization method for sharing a TS from an optical burst mode transceiver between any route of arbitrary fiber length by changing both the route of the TS transmission and the TS control timing on the optical burst mode transceiver. We show the effectiveness of the proposed method for exchanging TSs in bidirectional bufferless wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and time division multiplexing (TDM) multi-ring networks under the condition of the occurrence of a link failure through prototype systems. Also, we evaluate the reduction of the required number of optical interfaces in a multi-ring network by applying the proposed method.

In this paper, we investigate the degrees of freedom (DoF) of a MIMO cellular interfering network (CIN) with L (L≥3) cells and K users per cell. Previous works established the DoF upper bound of LK(M+N)/(LK+1) for the MIMO CIN by analyzing the interference alignment (IA) feasibility, where M and N denote the number of antennas at each base station (BS) and each user, respectively. However, there is still a gap between the DoF upper bound and the achievable DoF in existing designs. To address this problem, we propose two linear IA schemes without symbol extensions to jointly design transmit and receive beamforming matrices to align and eliminate interference. In the two schemes, the transmit beamforming vectors are allocated to different cluster structures so that the inter-cell interference (ICI) data streams from different ICI channels are aligned. The first scheme, named fixed cluster structure (FCS-IA) scheme, allocates ICI beamforming vectors to the cluster structures of fixed dimension and can achieve the DoF upper bound under some system configurations. The second scheme, named dynamic cluster structure IA (DCS-IA) scheme, allocates ICI beamforming vectors to the cluster structures of dynamic dimension and can get a tradeoff between the number of antennas at BSs and users so that ICI alignment can be applied under various system configurations. Through theoretical analysis and numerical simulations, we verify that the DoF upper bound can be achieved by using the FCS-IA scheme. Furthermore, we show that the proposed schemes can provide significant performance gain over the time division multiple access (TDMA) scheme in terms of DoF. From the perspective of DoF, it is shown that the proposed schemes are more effective than the conventional IA schemes for the MIMO CIN.

We are developing an optical layer-2 switch network that uses both wavelength-division multiplexing and time-division multiplexing technologies for efficient traffic aggregation in metro networks. For efficient traffic aggregation, path bandwidth control is key because it strongly affects bandwidth utilization efficiency. We propose a fast time-slot allocation method that uses hierarchical calculation, which divides the network-wide bandwidth-allocation problem into small-scale local bandwidth-allocation problems and solves them independently. This method has a much shorter computation complexity and enables dynamic path bandwidth control in large-scale networks. Our network will be able to efficiently accommodate dynamic traffic with limited resources by using the proposed method, leading to cost-effective metro networks.

A bidirectional amplification module has been proposed for use in IP-over-CWDM networks. The module is based on a bidirectional erbium-doped fiber amplifier. The loss compensation characteristics of the module obtained in a bidirectional IP transmission experiment confirmed that the losses of the optical node and the transmission fiber in the network can be compensated for effectively by the module making it possible to increase the number of nodes and the total fiber length of the network.

In this paper we propose a file replication scheme inspired by a thermal diffusion phenomenon for storage load balancing in unstructured peer-to-peer (P2P) file sharing networks. The proposed scheme is designed such that the storage utilization ratios of peers will be uniform, in the same way that the temperature in a field becomes uniform in a thermal diffusion phenomenon. The proposed scheme creates replicas of files in peers probabilistically, where the probability is controlled by using parameters that can be used to find the trade-off between storage load balancing and search performance in unstructured P2P file sharing networks. First, we show through theoretical analysis that the statistical behavior of the storage load balancing controlled by the proposed scheme has an analogy with the thermal diffusion phenomenon. We then show through simulation that the proposed scheme not only has superior performance with respect to balancing the storage load among peers (the primary objective of the present proposal) but also allows the performance trade-off to be widely found. Finally, we qualitatively discuss a guideline for setting the parameter values in order to widely find the performance trade-off from the simulation results.

This paper considers optical transport and packet networks and discusses the constraints and solutions in computation of traffic engineering paths. We categorize the constraints into prunable or non-prunable classes. The former involves a simple metric which can be applied for filtering to determine the path. The latter requires a methodic consideration of more complicated network element attributes. An example of this type of constraints is path loss in which the metric can be evaluated only on a path basis, as opposed to simply applying the metric to the link. Another form of non-prunable constraint requires adaptation and common vector operation. Examples are the switching type adaptation and wavelength continuity, respectively. We provide possible solutions to cases with different classes of constraints and address the problem of path computation in support of traffic engineering in multi-layer networks where a set of constrains are concurrently present. The solutions include the application of channel graph and common vector to support switching type adaptation and label continuity, respectively.

We propose an information-sharing network system, capable of forming and dynamically reconfiguring multiple information-sharing groups on the same network platform by using wavelength routing and distributed shared memory technologies. The network system comprises information-sharing terminal nodes equipped with a shared memory and a wavelength-tunable transmitter, network management terminal and an arrayed-waveguide grating (AWG). The information-sharing terminal nodes are connected to an AWG by a pair of optical fibers, forming a star-shaped topology. Information is shared among the information-sharing terminal nodes through the establishment of a logical information-sharing ring. This is accomplished by adjusting the output of the wavelength-tunable transmitter at each terminal node to an appropriate wavelength according to the wavelength-routing characteristics of the AWG wavelength router. We developed a prototype information-sharing network system, in which, as preliminary experiments, HDTV and SDTV videos were used for real-time information sharing. The dynamic reconfiguration of information-sharing groups and a simple automatic restoration technique have been successfully demonstrated. The system is applicable to distributed computer processing systems and high-capacity information-sharing applications such as high-quality videoconferences.

The wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) technology has been popular in communication societies for providing very large communication bands by multiple lightpaths with different wavelengths on a single optical fiber. Particularly, a double-ring optical network architecture based on the packet-over-WDM technology such as the HORNET architecture, has been extensively studied as a next generation platform for metropolitan area networks (MANs). Each node in this architecture is equipped with a wavelength-fixed optical-drop and a fast tunable transmitter so that a lightpath can be established between any pair of nodes without wavelength conversions. In this paper, we formulate the optical-drop wavelength assignment problem (ODWAP) for efficient wavelength reuse under heterogeneous traffic in this network, and prove the NP-completeness of its decision problem. Then, we propose a simple heuristic algorithm for the basic case of ODWAP. Through extensive simulations, we demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach in reducing waiting times for packet transmissions when a small number of wavelengths are available to retain the network cost for MANs.

Ring networks have been extensively studied and installed for communication services. In actual ring networks, nodes are usually allocated at random positions. Two nodes separated far from each other along the route of a ring network may be physically allocated near each other. Adding a supplementary link directly connecting such nodes can shorten the connection paths between the two nodes as well as between other neighboring node pairs. Aggregated length of connection paths of the network can be reduced. Although such a network can be regarded as being composed of two small ring networks sharing the supplementary link, we regarded the network as being modified from a single regular ring network by adding a supplementary link, and thus we quantitatively evaluated the effect of the network modification. We analyzed, for the first time, number of connection paths in the links of networks with or without a supplementary link. A full-mesh topology was assumed, and two types of connection were examined: a single-path and a 2-path connection. The results of this analysis were then used to evaluate system costs and reliability of the networks. The evaluation confirmed that adding a supplementary link is effective in terms of cost reduction and reliability improvement under certain conditions.

In an optical fiber ring topology network such as FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) rings and SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) rings, the number of consecutively bypassed failed stations is limited by the optical power loss constraint. In recent years, this situation was represented as a consecutive k-out-of-n:F system and the two-terminal reliability was presented in the literature, but K-terminal reliability has not been presented. In this paper, we obtain K-terminal reliability expressions for dual-counter rotating networks (DR's) that use both self-heal and station-bypass switches in which all components (stations, links and bypass switches) can fail. The results are useful in evaluating the reliabilities of FDDI ring networks parametrically and making reliability comparisons. This method can be used to obtain a closed-form reliability expression in a more general ring-network such as 'ring of trees. '

While spatial reuse in a high-speed ring increases the throughput performance, it leads to a fairness problem in distributing the network bandwidth among distinct nodes. To alleviate this problem, fairness control algorithms based on a packet window have been developed. Under these algorithms, satisfied nodes are forced to pass empty slots to starved downstream nodes until their windows are refilled by a reset signal. This regulation incurs a bandwidth waste corresponding to the travel distance of those empty slots. In this paper, a waste-free fairness control method based on a two-layer window composed of the cycle and packet windows is developed. Using the proposed method, packets allocated to multiple fairness cycles are simultaneously transferred and, in consequence, the otherwise wasted bandwidth can be reused to carry, in advance, packets allocated to future fairness cycles. This method is applied to two typical ring protocols with only the packet window, ATMR and MetaRing, and their performances are investigated. The simulation results show that the cycle window is very effective to improve the performance of the ATMR and MetaRing protocols.

In this paper, we propose path accommodation methods for unidirectional rings based on an optical compression time-division multiplexing (OCTDM) technology. We first derive a theoretical lower bound on the numbers of slots and frames, in order to allocate all paths among nodes. Three path accommodation algorithms for the all-optical access are next proposed to achieve the lower bound as closely as possible. Path splitting is next considered to improve the traffic accommodation. Finally, we analyze the packet delay time for given numbers of slots/frames, which are decided by our proposed algorithms. Numerical examples are also shown to examine the effectiveness of our proposed algorithms including path accommodation and path splitting methods.

This paper discusses global area optical transport ring networks using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies and proposes a novel optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) architecture suitable for such an application field. Study on the requirements of a global area ring application elucidates the appropriate ring/protection architecture as the path switched bi-directional ring. The proposed OADM architecture has flexibility in terms of path provisioning and scalability. We conclude that the proposed OADM can effectively configure the large-scale path switched bi-directional rings.

This paper discusses global area optical transport ring networks using wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies and proposes a novel optical add/drop multiplexer (OADM) architecture suitable for such an application field. Study on the requirements of a global area ring application elucidates the appropriate ring/protection architecture as the path switched bi-directional ring. The proposed OADM architecture has flexibility in terms of path provisioning and scalability. We conclude that the proposed OADM can effectively configure the large-scale path switched bi-directional rings.

We propose and demonstrate for the first time in our knowledge, an optical switch circuit architecture furnishing with the "Bridge and Switch" function, conforming to ITUT-T Recommendation G. 841 Annex A for optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ADMs) in WDM four-fiber ring networks. This function enables optical ADMs to revert automatically from the switching state to their idle state just after the recovery of failure, that is indispensable for the extra traffic accommodation to enhance efficiency of the network operation. We have developed the optical ADM nodes employing the proposed optical switch circuit for each wavelength, arrayed-waveguide gratings (AWGs) and Er-doped fiber amplifiers. In the demonstration, transmission characteristics of the cascaded optical ADM nodes without regenerative repeaters have been verified at first. We have confirmed the ring protection and the automatic protection switching (APS) sequence which includes the automatic reversion in the optical ADM nodes with proposed optical switch circuits.

We propose and demonstrate for the first time in our knowledge, an optical switch circuit architecture furnishing with the "Bridge and Switch" function, conforming to ITUT-T Recommendation G. 841 Annex A for optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ADMs) in WDM four-fiber ring networks. This function enables optical ADMs to revert automatically from the switching state to their idle state just after the recovery of failure, that is indispensable for the extra traffic accommodation to enhance efficiency of the network operation. oWe have developed the optical ADM nodes employing the proposed optical switch circuit for each wavelength, arrayed-waveguide gratings (AWGs) and Er-doped fiber amplifiers. In the demonstration, transmission characteristics of the cascaded optical ADM nodes without regenerative repeaters have been verified at first. We have confirmed the ring protection and the automatic protection switching (APS) sequence which includes the automatic reversion in the optical ADM nodes with proposed optical switch circuits.

We propose and demonstrate a simple polarization-independent construction of a local node for optical WDM ring networks using a centralized multiwavelength light source (MWLS). The node is simply composed of a 4-port optical circulator, an add/drop multiplexing (ADM) filter, a reflective modulator, and a drop fiber Bragg grating (FBG). A Faraday rotator mirror (FRM) is used to enable an LiNbO3 intensity modulator to operate in the polarization-independent mode. We examine three ADM filters, an interference filter, a fiber Fabry-Perot (FP) filter, and a set of FBG's. An optical WDM system experiment is performed to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed node construction.

This paper presents the results of a simulation study of blocking and non-blocking switching for hierarchical ring networks. The switching techniques include wormhole, virtual cut-through, and slotted ring. We conclude that slotted ring network performs better than the more popular wormhole and virtual cut-through networks. We also show that the size of the node buffers is an important parameter and that choosing them too large can hurt performance in some cases. Slotted rings have the advantage that the choice of buffer size is easier in that larger than necessary buffers do not hurt performance and hence a single choice of buffer size performs well for all system configurations. In contrast, the optimal buffer size for virtual cut-through and wormhole switching nodes varies depending on the system configuration and the level in the hierarchy in which the switching node lies.

With advances in the speed, bandwidth and reliability of telecommunications networks and in the performance of workstations, distributed processing has become widespread. Information sharing among distributed nodes and its mutual exclusion are of great importance for efficient distributed processing. This paper systematizes and quantitizes a shared memory called Data-Cyclic Shared Memory (DCSM) from the viewpoints of memory organization and access mode. In DCSM, the propagation delay of transmission lines and the data relaying delay in each node are used for information storage, and memory information encapsuled in the form of "memory cells" circulates infinitely in a logical ring type network. The distinctive feature of DCSM, in addition to the way data is stored, is that data and the access control are completely distributed, which contrasts with existing memory where both are centralized. Therefore, there are no performance bottlenecks caused by concentrating memory access. Distributed Shared Memory (DSM), which has a scheme similar to DCSM's, has also been proposed for distributed environments. In DSM, the data is also distributed but the control for accessing each data is centralized. From the viewpoints of memory organization and the access method, DCSM is very flexible. For instance, word length can be spatially varied by defining data size at each address, and each node can be equipped with mechanisms for special functions such as the content address specification and asynchronous report of change in contents. Because of this flexibility, it can be called a "software-defined memory." The analysis also reveals that DCSM has the disadvantages of large access delay and small memory capacity. The capacity can be enlarged by inserting FIFO type queues into the circulation network, and the delay can be shortened by circulating replicas of original memory cells. However, there is a trade off between the maximal capacity and the mean access time. DCSM has many potential applications, such as in the mutual exclusion control of distributed resources.

A multiple instruction stream-multiple data stream (MIMD) computer is a parallel computer consisting of a large number of identical processing elements. The essential feature that distinguishes one MIMD computer family from another is the interconnection network. In this paper, 2 representative types of interconnection networks are dealt with the chordal ring network and the mesh connected network. A family of regular graphs of degree 3, called chordal rings is presented as a possible candidate for the implementation of a distributed system and for fault-tolerant architectures. The symmetry of graphs makes it possible to determine message routing by using a simple distributed algorithm. Another candidate having the same property is the mesh connected networks. Arbitrary data permutations are generally accomplished by sorting. For certain classes of permutations, however, there exist algorithms that are more efficient than the best sorting algorithm. One such class is the bit permute complement (BPC) class of permutations. The class of BPC permutations includes many of the frequently occurring permutations such as bit reversal, bit shuffle, bit complement, matrix transpose, etc. In this paper, we evaluate the abilities of the above networks to realize BPC permutations. In this paper, we, first, develop algorithms required 2 token storage registers in each node to realize an arbitrary BPC permutaion in both chordal ring networks and mesh connected networks. We next evaluate the ability to realize BPC permutations in these networks of an arbitrary size by estimating the number of required routing steps.