Cross-layer and dynamic network orchestration based on optical performance monitoring

An optical network, like any system, has to be observable before it can become subject to optimization. This is the main capability that the ORCHESTRA project introduces. ORCHESTRA's high observability relies on information provided by the coherent transceivers that can be extended, almost for free, to operate as software defined optical performance monitors (soft-OPM). Monitoring information is processed with correlation/data analytics algorithms to obtain an accurate knowledge of the physical layer. Cross-layer optimization algorithms use this knowledge to reduce the margins and operate the network close to its capabilities, yielding savings in equipment provisioning. Moreover, the network can be re-optimised according to actual traffic and physical layer conditions. Hard failures, such as link outages, can be restored faster while soft failures, such as equipment ageing or malfunctioning or interference due to higher load, can be identified and solved appropriately. ORCHESTRA's vision is to close the control loop, enabling maximal capacity efficiency and true network dynamicity.