Network Layer Packet Redundancy in Asynchronous Optical Packet Switched Networks without Wavelength Conversion

A crucial issue in optical packet switched (OPS) networks is packet loss at the network layer caused by contentions. This paper presents the network layer packet redundancy scheme (NLPRS), which is a novel approach to reduce the end-to-end data packet loss rate in OPS networks. By introducing redundancy packets in the OPS network, the NLPRS enables a possible reconstruction of data packets that are lost due to contentions. In this paper we show how the NLPRS performs in an OPS ring network without wavelength conversion. Simulation results indicate that the NLPRS is in particular efficient in networks operating at low system loads.