TCP performance in multi-EPON access networks under different optical core switching paradigms

In this paper the end-to-end TCP performance of a hybrid network composed of multiple Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (EPONs) in the access segment connected to the same edge node of a core network is evaluated. Three possible core network paradigms are considered: Optical Circuit Switching (OCS), Optical Burst Switching (OBS) and Optical Packet Switching (OPS). TCP performance is evaluated through simulations with ns-2. The hybrid network scalability is assessed by varying the number of EPONs connected to the same edge node and the number of Optical Network Units (ONUs) per EPON. Interoperability issues between access and core are investigated and the impact of the most important network parameters is highlighted. The three transfer modes considered for the core network are properly compared under different input conditions, discussing the related trade-offs that may lead to the most suitable choice based on the specific application scenario. Finally, some design issues are investigated with reference to emerging Long-Range EPON (LR-EPON) solutions.