This book is not only thorough in covering the physics and the applications of optical communications, but it discusses the relevance of technology to the emerging intelligent optical networking revolution. This should be mandatory reading for every professional in our business.— Desh Deshpande, Chairman, Sycamore Networks, Inc.This edition of Optical Networks will greatly aid everyone in the business of creating change and help them understand the science behind and the applications of an optical world.— Mike Perusse, Senior Vice President of Engineering and Technology, QwestRajiv Ramaswami is the industry's best teacher on optical technology, and this book is the most lucid, scholarly, and enlightening guide to wavelength division multiplexing published to date.— George Gilder, Editor, Gilder Technology Report and author of TelecosmThis fully updated and expanded second edition of Optical Networks: A Practical Perspective succeeds the first as the authoritative source for information on optical networking technologies and techniques. Written by two of the field's most respected individuals, it covers componentry and transmission in detail but also emphasizes the practical networking issues that affect organizations as they evaluate, deploy, or develop optical solutions.This book captures all the hard-to-find information on architecture, control and management, and other communications topics that will affect you every step of the way-from planning to decision-making to implementation to ongoing maintenance. If your goal is to thoroughly understandpractical optical networks, this book should be your first and foremost resource.FeaturesFocuses on practical, networking-specific issues: everything you need to know to implement currently available optical solutions.Provides the transmission and component details you need to understand and assess competing technologies.Offers updated and expanded coverage of propagation, lasers and optical switching technology, network design, transmission design, IP over WDM, wavelength routing, optical standards, and more.