Optical burst switching(1)

Optical burst switching (OBS) is a telecommunication technique that allows dynamic sub-wavelength switching of data. Optical Burst Switching is viewed as a compromise between the yet unfeasible full optical packet switching (OPS) and the mostly static optical circuit switching (OCS).

It differs from these paradigms because OBS control information is sent separately in a reserved optical channel and in advance of the data (or packets, now called bursts). By doing so, these control signals can be processed electronically, and allow the timely setup of an optical light path to transport the soon-to-arrive data, thereby eliminating the need for either large optical buffers (which are technologically not yet feasible and would be required for full optical packet switching) or the need for packet-by-packet switching (which only can be performed by electronic devices).

September 22, 2011

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