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Cognitive Optical Networks: Need, Requirements

and Architecture
Georgios S. Zervas, Dimitra Simeonidou
High-Performance Networks Group, School of CSEE, University of Essex, Colchester, UK
Tel: (+44) 1206 874233, Fax: (+44) 1206 872900, e-mail: gzerva@essex.ac.uk
ABSTRACT
This paper is proposing cognitive optical networks (COGNITION) as a new paradigm to address the increasing
complexity of optical networks and provide an efficient autonomic as well as user-controlled network. Cognitive
optical networks aim to introduce cognition on multiple planes (e.g. data plane, control plane, management
plane, service plane, application layer) in order to perceive current network conditions, and then plan, decide and
act on those conditions. The network can learn from these adaptations and use them to make future decisions, all
while taking into account end-to-end goals. The ultimate goal of COGNITION is first to enhance optical network
infrastructure by providing cognition on devices, systems and layers. The COGNITION architecture and its
processes will be discussed throughout the paper.
Keywords: Cognitive optical networks, cognitive cycle, self-x optical networks.
1. INTRODUCTION
Today, networks comprise of several discrete network platforms, based on numerous technology waves (ATM,
IP, SDH, OTN, etc.), and designed to support specific services. This increase of complexity has made it very
difficult for resource and service providers to manage the different service and operational scenarios. At the
same time, a new generation applications range from increasingly demanding end users services (3D TV, online
gaming, etc.), to high-end distributed computing applications (e.g. cloud computing). These are increasing the
burden on the available network resources and their operational management, making network management,
operation and administration as well as users experience cumbersome. As a result, Future Internet should
manage this ever-increasing complexity without adding more complexity and in the meanwhile minimizing the
network operators and users time and effort on network operations and management. Future optical networks
should be easily maintainable and their capabilities should be continuously improved and upgraded by relying as
little as possible on human intervention. This paper proposes the concept of cognitive optical networks
(COGNITION) that is aware of its environment, reflects on internal and external knowledge, reasons over just
knowledge and acts on a decision or plan while constantly learning from the experience. The paper describes
how optical networks can evolve from being aware, adaptive and finally cognitive as well as proposes a
COGNITION network and node architecture that covers multiple layers and aspects of cognitive optical
networking.
2. COGNITIVE OPTICAL NETWORK (COGNITION) AND NODE ARCHITECTURE
2.1 From aware to adaptive to cognitive optical networks
In recent times, cognition has been identified and applied to different networking and communications systems.
Originally has been introduced to wireless systems and networks such as cognitive radios and cognitive wireless
networks [1]. Cognitive technology has been a requirement for self-aware networks so as to make configuration
decisions based on a mission and a specific environment [2]. Another study [3] specifies the term cognition as
the capability of the network to respond to conditions or events based on reasoning and prior knowledge to
deliver self-adaptation and end-to-end performance delivery. Furthermore, Boscovic [4] defines cognitive
networks as a network that can adapt its topology and/or operational parameters to respond to user needs while
optimizing the overall network performance and enforcing operating and regulatory policies.
However cognitive technologies can change the view on designing and deploying optical networks in order
to provide a more simplistic, scalable and future-proof solution. Cognitive optical networks are promising to be
the major step towards efficient autonomic and well as user-controlled management of the increasing complexity
of optical networks. In order to deliver cognition, optical networks should be initially aware (perceive current
conditions), adaptive (plan, decide and act on those conditions) and then learn from those adaptations and use
them to make future decisions, while taking into account end-to-end goals. As such, the creation of aware optical
networks is based on gathering partial or complete environmental information (at any or multiple layers). Such
information might trigger a simple protocol decision or to maintain the awareness of network/service status. For
example, a network system is aware of the services QoS parameters and makes resource discovery and
reservation decisions to maintain or even improve QoS. Such modification should be autonomous to be
considered adaptive, which can be accomplished via a protocol, mechanism or pre-programmed response.
Finally, when an optical network is aware, adaptive and learns it becomes cognitive.

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2.2 Cognitive optical network (COGNITION) architecture

The ultimate goal of COGNITION is first to enhance optical network infrastructure and services by providing
cognition on devices, (sub)-systems, nodes and layers across one or multiple domains and regions as shown on
Fig. 1. The COGNITION architecture (Fig. 1) represents a holistic framework that proposes to cover numerous
innovative research aspects of cognitive optical networks. The architecture will be presented taking a top-tobottom approach. A user/application is interested to utilize optical network and IT resources in order to transport,
store, process any type and volume of data that follow a particular distribution and belongs to a particular
service. In a cognitive optical network, the environment is never static. The protocols, mechanisms, algorithms,
devices and systems are constantly learning and adapting to the environmental conditions for delivering best
possible performance. Before the most appropriate service can be identified, created and delivered, the end-toend goals have to be identified, requested and sent to the Requirement Layer (RL). Such layer is responsible to
understand the goals and have the ability to express them in a precise and cognitive manner by using the ability
to utilize application, network and IT system knowledge. The translation of user requirement to a semantic
description follows a cognitive approach. Depending on the user/application request, the network layering and
network resource structure, the type of protocols and mechanisms supported such requirements can be described
using semantics. Semantics and ontologies can become cognitive-enabled using the cognitive cycle [5]
(Observe-Orient-Plan-Decide-Act and Learn) to learn and , plan and act according to previous experiences. A set
of requirements could be described on a cognitive form based on network operations (on per cross-layer, layer
and element basis) and status. Precision of such requirement description is of paramount importance in order to
capitalize on the cognitive optical network architecture. The requirements will then be handled on a case-by-case
basis on different layers and elements within.
At the Application Layer (AL) cognitive elements can be developed to create adaptive elements;
encoding/decoding, compression for multimedia applications; data distribution and job handling on distributed
applications (e.g. Cloud and Grid Computing) and many others. For example, multimedia application cognitive
elements can self-adapt (increase/reduce compression level) to deliver end-to-end QoS under variable network
conditions for a particular delivery of aspect ratio, resolution, etc.
Moving to Service Plane (SP), elements such as virtualization, abstraction, service composition and others
can be self-organized, self-configured and self-optimized under the user requirements and network conditions.
For example, abstraction and virtualization mechanisms of network and IT infrastructure can be modified (level
of information abstracted, number, type and percentage of elements virtualized) to deliver required topologies,
BW and QoS levels per topology and network conditions (number of topologies, load/services per topology,
etc.).

Figure 1. Cognitive optical network architecture.

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The Control Plane (CP) consists of signalling, routing protocols and algorithms (e.g. path computation) as well
as network topology mechanisms that can use cognitive loops to deliver self-composed and self-configured
protocols and algorithms. Such protocols can adapt their structure, routines, state machines and conditions
depending on the application requirements and network infrastructure.
At the Medium Access Control (MAC) layer functions such as reconfigurable MAC protocols and routines,
cognitive channel and BW allocation (on one or multiple channels) and self-adapted aggregation, data transport
format can be delivered. Reconfigurable elements have the ability to accommodate new operational aspects in
terms of network elements (hardware (e.g. memory), software (e.g. algorithm, routine).
Furthermore, the Physical Layer (PL) consists of cognitive hardware/software modules that are able to selfadapt, self-configure, self-optimize their structure and behaviour. Modulation format, bit-rate, number of
wavelength used, launch power, amplification gain, compensation, and many others can be adapted, re-purposed
and optimized according to the needs of infrastructure and service provider as well as user and application
requirements. Self-optimized PL can also observe local and network-wide physical impairments to optimize the
performance of individual devices and node to guarantee end-to-end quality of transmission (QoT) levels. For all
these reasons hardware programmable elements need to be deployed such that the state-of-the art optical
modules can be controlled and in turn converted to cognitive-enabled optical systems.
Apart from the layer specific cognition deployment, cognitive cross-layer optimization is an important
element to deliver a holistic approach on delivering end-to-end performance. To do so, states of cognitive cycle
(e.g. observe, act) of one layer can interact with the states of another layer (e.g. orient, decide, etc.) in order to
create a cross layer cognitive cycle and consider complete aspects of the network stack. However, the amount of
interaction and information exchange should be controlled and limited to minimize complexity that could
potentially degrade overall performance. The level, complexity and amount of cognitive elements per layer and
element should also be controlled and limited. Finally, monitoring and observation of network operations and
status to create short and long term memory needed for the cognitive process exists on each layer and
abstract/filtered information needs to be communicated from one layer to another.
2.3 Multi-lateral and multi-domain cognitive optical networks
Figure 1 also shows a simplified version of the cognitive cycle introduced by Mitola [6]. This cycle is a state
machine that shows the stages in a cognitive process to be applied in optical networks. The first state, Observe,
monitors and perceives multiple stimuli coming from the network environment (devices, nodes, layers).
The second state, Orient, determines the significance of the information and on the concurrent stage it makes
a long term Plan if needed before Deciding among candidate Plans and finally Acts. The system (mechanism,
node, layer, etc.) Learns throughout the process by using these observations and decisions to improve future
operations. As mentioned earlier each cycle can be applied on one or multiple elements per layer. When a cycle
doesnt interact from one element to another then the cognitive processing is unilateral and aims on enhancing
performance of a specific element based on local information. However, optical networks that consist of multiple
elements require cognitive processes where the cycles interact among multiple elements of a single layer or
different layers to create a multi-lateral cognitive optical network. Such interaction is shown on Fig. 2 for the
case of single domain, multi-domain and multi-region cognitive optical networks. Each node of a specific region
has its own cognitive cycle. The Orient state of each cycle feeds a domain-wide cognitive processing element
(another cycle), which then drives the Act cycle of all individual nodes. To do so, the domain-wide cycle
considers observed information from all elements (nodes) on a collective manner in order to trigger Plan, Decide
and Act states. When the network expands to multiple domains or multiple regions then the domain-wide
processing elements interact with each other before they trigger the Act state of all cycles across the whole
network. This means that the overall network addresses the collective end-to-end needs. However the interdomain communication could be limited to level of trust and agreements between infrastructure providers
something that should be considered.

Figure 2. Cognitive optical multi-domain and multi-region architecture.

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2.4 Cognitive optical node architecture

This section introduces the cognitive optical node
architecture. A cognitive optical node consists as any
legacy node both a transport module and a switching
module. However, they both consist of modules that
transform them to cognitive optical nodes.
The transport module consists of a transponder at the
lowest layer. The O/E transponder consists of a cognitive
PHY able to re-configure, adapt and re-purpose internal
functions. Bit-rate, symbol rate, modulation format,
wavelength(s) used, power level, continuous/burst mode
operation can be automatically adjusted to respond to
environmental stimuli. However, this is possible under
the condition of constant local observation and
interaction with other nodes and use of programmable
electronics (e.g. FPGA, embedded systems) to
accommodate such changes. At the MAC layer the
transport module can support a re-configurable MAC
protocol by supporting adaptive bandwidth allocation
(e.g. under different characteristics of network load,
number and type of applications transferred, type of
available PHYs). For example, instead of just simply
Figure 3. Cognitive Optical Node Architecture.
applying First-Fit or Round-Robin with a particular
frame/slot/flow size per wavelength(s) for a specific WDM system, under certain conditions cognitive BW
allocation uses learning, short and long term memory to ever evolve the allocation system. The same applies to
aggregation scheduler. On control plane layer, distributed signalling and routing protocols can also be reconfigurable, self-managed and self-healing by modifying protocol interactions, state machines and routines to
reserve resources and disseminate availability information. On the top level, cognitive service plane, cognition
can create a self-optimized BW virtualization (buffer self-management and re-configuration) to suit service
requirements under node conditions (buffer availability and structure). At the switch element of the optical node,
cognitive control re-configuration is proposed to apply architecture self-configuration, self-control based on
constant observation of internal and external stimuli. The control plane cognitive modules follow the same
approach as per transport module. At the service plane cognition is proposed to deliver self-managed switch
virtualization and service-to-switching cognitive translation.
3. CONCLUSIONS
This paper proposes an innovative paradigm, cognitive optical network (COGNITION), which aims to change
the way we think and conduct research and development in optical networks. The COGNITION network and
node architecture has been presented to support the concept.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The work described in this paper was carried out with the support of the BONE-project (Building the Future
Optical Network in Europe), a Network of Excellence funded by the European Commission through the 7th
ICT-Framework Programme.
REFERENCES
[1] Q. H. Mahmoud, Cognitive Networks Towards Self-Aware Networks John Wiley & Sons, Ltd., UK, 2007.
[2] C. Ramming, Cognitive networks, in Proc. DARPATech Symposium, CA, USA, 2004
[3] M. Sifalakis, Adding reasoning and cognition to the Internet, in Proc. 3rd Hellenic Conference on
Artificial Intelligence, Greece, 2004
[4] D. Boscovic, Cognitive Networks Motorola Technology Position Paper,
http://www.motorola.com/mot/doc/6/6005_MotDoc.pdf. Accessed June 2006.
[5] J. Mitola III, Cognitive Radio Architecture, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. New York, 2006.
[6] J. Mitola III, G.Q. Maguire Jr., Cognitive radio: making software radios more personal, IEEE Personal
Communications, 6(4), 13-18, 1999.