282 Chapter 10
With the rapid growth of communication networks in recent years and with service
devices being created using the big pipe concept, operating at the granularity of the individual
wavelength loses appeal. Many wavelengths in the core of the network have the
same origination and termination nodes. Therefore, it is not necessary to treat the individual
wavelengths independently. Instead, groups of wavelengths or, more accurately,
pieces of optical spectrum can be treated as a single entity.
Several benefits can be realized when transmission systems operate with the big pipe
architecture. The transmission span budget is improved because a series of filters do
not have to be in place at every network node to demultiplex the wavelengths. Instead,
all signals are demultiplexed to the optical band granularity, and only those being
added or dropped are demultiplexed to the wavelength granularity.
As with many aspects of the big pipe concept, network management of the transmission
system is simplified. Instead of managing each wavelength in the network, the
optical bands are managed, greatly reducing the scale of the problem.
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