Consideration of connection availability optimization in optical networks

Availability calculations of generalized span and path protected connections based on reference failure and repair times are performed. A case study analyzes the availability of a connection within a long haul network using three protection strategies: path protection, span protection and protection-cycles. A sensitivity analysis shows the dependency of the achieved connection availabilities on reliability data and the resulting improvement and optimization potential. Optimization aspects are completed by an estimation of spare parts provisioning and corrective maintenance actions.