We are proud to announce the publication of our article:
An Overview of SDN Control of Multi-Band over SDM Optical Networks with Physical Layer Impairments
R. Casellas, R. Martínez, R. Vilalta & R. Muñoz
Journal of Optical Communications and Networking (JOCN), Vol. 17, Issue 2, pp. A165–A177 (2025).
Abstract / Key Contributions:
This invited tutorial provides a foundational overview of how software-defined networking (SDN) principles can be applied to the control plane of advanced optical networks that combine multi-band frequency resources with spatial division multiplexing (SDM). The work emphasizes:
- Design considerations for SDN control planes in multiband + SDM networks, including model-driven development and data modeling best practices.
- Industry-adopted interfaces for both northbound and southbound integration in disaggregated and partially disaggregated network environments.
- Physical-layer impairment awareness in path computation and validation processes to ensure robust control decisions.
- A prototype SDN controller demonstration that manages flexigrid DWDM switching over SDM core channels, integrating transport API extensions.
Access the full paper:
https://doi.org/10.1364/JOCN.536816
This work serves as a useful resource for researchers and engineers designing future high-capacity optical transport networks where programmability, disaggregation, and physical-layer awareness are essential.