Performance analysis of disaggregated optical networks with adaptive transceiver allocation

Modern SDN solutions for optical transport networks are typically designed for single-vendor environments, where optical domains operate as independent entities in a fully aggregated deployment model. Although SDN controllers abstract network resources and expose them to higher level through a north-bound interface (NBI), internal mechanisms for resource management, monitoring, and control remain proprietary. Disaggregated optical networking offers an alternative approach by integrating open and commercially available components, devices, and subsystems to build optical systems. By embracing disaggregation, operators gain greater flexibility in upgrading and migrating components without being tied to a single vendor. However, this model requires careful trade-offs between performance, vendor support, and cost efficiency. Open and standardized interfaces are crucial in this context, as they enable a more unified and model-driven approach to network development. The impact of transmission layer technology is typically evaluated for point-to-point connections operating at maximum capacity, which is regarded as the optimal scenario. However, due to constraints such as wavelength and spectrum competition, it is not feasible to fully utilize the entire spectrum in fiber networks. As a result, efforts are increasingly focused on optimizing the utilization of existing infrastructures, primarily to mitigate the rising costs associated with traffic growth. This is being achieved through the adoption of innovative and efficient techniques. Among the most effective approaches currently being pursued we have: Wavelength Division Multiplexing (WDM), which enables full utilization of the frequency spectrum, and Multi-Band Transmission (MBT). This method allows for the use of a broader range of wavelengths within the low-loss region of standard single-mode optical fiber, spanning from the O-band to the L-band. However, a significant challenge remains: the lack of widely accepted hardware models makes it difficult to establish a truly interoperable optical networking ecosystem. This thesis explores MBT in optical transport networks, with a particular focus on network components ranging in the C+L+S-band in disaggregated optical networks. The analysis is performed using a simulation tool specialized in the evaluation of the performance of a network.