Using 25 GbE client rates to access the gains of adaptive bit- and code-rate networking

For transmission within optical mesh networks, different signal routes acquire different impairments and are received with different signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs). The SNR can be utilized through adaptive bit- and code-rate modulation, which leads to data rates that are not multiples of the preferred 100 GbE client rate. This paper considers the use of slower 25 GbE lanes both with inverse multiplexed 100 GbE client rates and with native 25 GbE client rates and compares network blocking performance. The use of inverse multiplexed 100 GbE client data on four 25 GbE lanes accesses the lion's share of stranded capacity within the network.