Optical dynamic intelligent network services (ODIN): An experimental control-plane architecture for high-performance distributed environments based on dynamic lightpath provisioning

Currently, many large-scale, resource-intensive applications and services are being developed that can be supported only with high-performance, highly distributed, heterogeneous infrastructures, including Grids. This type of infrastructure is particularly effective for supporting applications and services that must quickly adjust to continuously changing conditions. Such processes require the flexibility of highly adaptive, dynamic, and deterministic resource provisioning. One such architecture is described here. To enhance the performance and flexibility of distributed environments, an experimental architecture for optical dynamic intelligent network (ODIN) services has been designed to enable core optical network capabilities to extend to edge processes, including applications. This architecture allows those processes to directly address and control core network resources, for example, individual lightpaths on demand. This approach supports flexible and deterministic communications by integrating signaled requirements with adjustable network resources. An experimental prototype of ODIN has been designed, developed, and implemented on several optical network testbeds.