Contention Resolution
Whenever two or more data packets arrive at a network node at the same time and contend for the same output, external blocking occurs. All packets but one are perceived as superfluous, and have to be dealt with. Next to the obvious choice of dropping all excess packets, academic literature typically presents three solutions: buffering, deflection routing or wavelength conversion. Optical buffering uses fiber delay lines (FDLs) to delay the light, and is regarded as the most effective, but comes with the additional cost of the FDLs.
Read more about this topic: Optical Buffer
Famous quotes containing the words contention and/or resolution:
“Contention is inseparable from creating knowledge. It is not contention we should try to avoid, but discourses that attempt to suppress contention.”
—Joyce Appleby (b. 1929)
“Breaking his oath and resolution like
A twist of rotten silk.”
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616)