How practical is optical packet switching in core networks?

A fundamental issue in packet switching is contention resolution, because distinct packets from different input ports can be destined to the same output port at the same time. Optical packet switching is no exception. In this paper, we perform throughput analysis on large optical packet switches under heavy traffic load. We also run simulations to validate our analysis. Results from our performance evaluation indicate that throughput of large optical packet switches is not satisfactory under heavy traffic load. Both analysis and simulations reveal that optical packet switching in core networks would not be practical without a breakthrough in the research area of optical buffering technology.