In data networks, the transport layer is an end user peer process. Currently, the Transport Control Protocol (TCP) is the dominant protocol in practice. However, the need for a disruptive change becomes apparent as data rates and volume per transaction continues to increase, particularly exemplified by Netflix and online video streaming. Optical Flow Switching (OFS) is a hybrid network architecture introducing optical networking technology at fundamental levels, from the physical layer to the higher network layers, as well as network management and control. The said technology is an all-optical, end-to-end scheduled user service which dynamically dedicates lightpaths for transmissions of large ‘elephants’ flows of data. This project aims to further analyze the performance of the protocol and actually implement it.

In ‘Optical Networks’ class, Prof. Chan introduced the idea of OFS, which when realized and implemented, can greatly enhance the performance of network data transmissions. Having studied the fundamentals for optical networks, graph theory, and data transmission theory under his guidance, I am really excited to contribute to the research that can change the paradigm of data networks.