Edge-Reconfigurable Optical Networks (ERONs): Rationale, Network Design, and Evaluation

To bridge the gap between the current practice of setting up expensive, dedicated, lightpath connections (i.e., static topologies), and the distant future vision of inexpensive access to dynamically switched end-to-end lightpaths, we propose a medium term solution in the form of edge-reconfigurable optical networks (ERONs). An ERON is an overlay-control network created by installing readily available MEMS optical switches, and implementing a GMPLS control plane at sites interconnected by static lightpaths. The switches and control software are deployed at the edge of the network and operated by the organization-user (i.e., outside the network provider's control), hence the term ldquoedge-reconfigurablerdquo. By providing dynamic, automated control of end-to-end lightpaths, ERONs enable the sharing of expensive network resources among multiple users and applications that require sporadic access to these resources. We develop an algorithm for creating an ERON from an existing topology of static lightpaths. We also present simulation results that quantify the benefits of ERONs, in terms of the number of lightpaths that are needed when compared to a static configuration of independent and dedicated circuits.     

A Cross Layer Scheduling Framework for Supporting Bursty Data Applications in WCDMA Networks

In future wireless networks multimedia applications are expected to finally dominate the overall traffic volume. Shared channels are more suitable for the transmission of this type of traffic, as they are able to periodically adjust their transmission rate. In this paper, we introduce a cross-layer framework for WCDMA based networks which aims to make the packet scheduling procedure more efficient. In addition to that, we further propose a traffic scheduling scheme which serves the connections not only according to their delay sensitivity, but also according to the predicted state of their wireless channel. The efficiency of the proposed scheme, in terms of average packet delay and channel utilization is verified via simulations.     

Packet scheduling in broadcast WDM networks with arbitrarytransceiver tuning latencies

We consider the problem of scheduling packet transmissions in a broadcast, single-hop wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) network, with tunability provided only at one end. Our objective is to design schedules of minimum length to satisfy a set of traffic requirements given in the form of a demand matrix. We address a fairly general version of the problem as we allow arbitrary traffic demands and arbitrary transmitter tuning latencies. The contribution of our work is twofold, First we define a special class of schedules which permit an intuitive formulation of the scheduling problem. Based on this formulation we present algorithms which construct schedules of length equal to the lower bound provided that the traffic requirements satisfy certain optimality conditions. We also develop heuristics which, in the general case, give schedules of length equal or very close to the lower bound. Secondly, we identify two distinct regions of network operation. The first region is such that the schedule length is determined by the tuning requirements of transmitters; when the network operates within the second region however, the length of the schedule is determined by the traffic demands, not the tuning latency. The point at which the network switches between the two regions is identified in terms of system parameters such as the number of nodes and channels and the tuning latency. Accordingly, we show that it is possible to appropriately dimension the network to minimize the effects of even large values of the tuning latency     

On optimal traffic grooming in WDM rings

We consider the problem of designing a virtual topology to minimize electronic routing, that is, grooming traffic, in wavelength routed optical rings. The full virtual topology design problem is NP-hard even in the restricted case where the physical topology is a ring, and various heuristics have been proposed in the literature for obtaining good solutions, usually for different classes of problem instances. We present a new framework which can be used to evaluate the performance of heuristics and which requires significantly less computation than evaluating the optimal solution. This framework is based on a general formulation of the virtual topology problem, and it consists of a sequence of bounds, both upper and lower, in which each successive bound is at least as strong as the previous one. The successive bounds take larger amounts of computation to evaluate, and the number of bounds to be evaluated for a given problem instance is only limited by the computational power available. The bounds are based on decomposing the ring into sets of nodes arranged in a path and adopting the locally optimal topology within each set. While we only consider the objective of minimizing electronic routing in this paper, our approach to obtaining the sequence of bounds can be applied to many virtual topology problems on rings. The upper bounds we obtain also provide a useful series of heuristic solutions     

Traffic grooming in WDM networks: past and future

Traffic grooming refers to techniques used to combine low-speed traffic streams onto high-speed wavelengths in order to minimize the networkwide cost in terms of line terminating equipment and/or electronic switching. Such techniques become increasingly important for emerging network technologies, including SONET/WDM rings and MPLS/MP/spl lambda/S backbones, for which traffic grooming is essential. In this article we formally define the traffic grooming problem, and we provide a general formulation that captures the features of a wide range of problem variants. We then present a comprehensive comparative survey of the literature that unveils the significant amount of research on this subject (the traffic grooming past). We also offer a broad set of ambitious research directions (the traffic grooming future) that are motivated by the exciting new challenges arising with the advent of MP/spl lambda/S technology.     

On the physical and logical topology design of large-scale optical networks

We consider the problem of designing a network of optical cross-connects (OXCs) to provide end-to-end lightpath services to large numbers of label switched routers (LSRs). We present a set of heuristic algorithms to address the combined problem of physical topology design (i.e., determine the number of OXCs required and the fiber links among them) and logical topology design (i.e., determine the routing and wavelength assignment for the lightpaths among the LSRs). Unlike previous studies which were limited to small topologies with a handful of nodes and a few tens of lightpaths, we have applied our algorithms to networks with hundreds or thousands of LSRs and with a number of lightpaths that is an order of magnitude larger than the number of LSRs. In order to characterize the performance of our algorithms, we have developed lower bounds which can be computed efficiently. We present numerical results for up to 1000 LSRs and for a wide range of system parameters such as the number of wavelengths per fiber, the number of transceivers per LSR, and the number of ports per OXC. The results indicate that it is possible to build large-scale optical networks with rich connectivity in a cost-effective manner, using relatively few but properly dimensioned OXCs.     

A Guard Code Scheme for Handover Traffic Management in WCDMA Systems

A key performance indicator of mobile wireless networks is failure probability of handover calls. In this paper, we propose a Call Admission Control policy which prioritizes handover calls over new calls in WCDMA systems. The OVSF code occupancy of the system is modeled by a Markov chain and the differentiation between handover and new calls is performed at the code level by introducing a “guard code” scheme. The scheme belongs to the well-known family of guard channel schemes and reserves some code capacity to favor the continuation of handover calls over the new calls. As the management of the general case is intractable, we solve certain numerical instances of the problem and manage to calculate several performance metrics like new call blocking and handover failure probabilities and code utilization. We complete our study with simulation results in the case of higher OVSF code tree capacity.

Minimizing the Call Setup Delay Caused by Reconfigurations of Dedicated Channels at the Downlink of WCDMA

Reconfigurations of downlink dedicated channels are often necessary during call setup to eliminate code blocking encountered in 3G WCDMA systems. These reconfigurations increase not only the signaling overhead, but also the setup delay of the incoming call and may yield prohibitive delays if performed inefficiently. In this paper, we introduce a reconfiguration scheme which manages to minimize this additional setup delay with a tolerable increase in signaling overhead.