Optical networks have moved from laboratory settings and theoretical research to real-world deployment and service-oriented explorations. New technologies such as Ethernet PON, traffic grooming, regional and metropolitan network architectures and optical packet switching are being explored, and the landscape is continuously and rapidly evolving. Some of the important issues involving these new technologies involve the architectural, protocol, and performance related issues. This book addresses many of these issues and presents a birds eye view of some of the more promising technologies. Researchers and those pursuing advanced degrees in this field will be able to see where progress is being made and new technologies are emerging.