Regenerator predeployment in CN-ROADM networks with shared mesh restoration [invited]

We have studied the resource requirements and capacity of a continental-scale backbone network supporting shared mesh restoration (SMR) and service velocity (a rapid provisioning method). Network simulations of wavelength routing by colorless, nondirectional reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers (CN-ROADMs) show that performance depends on the routing scheme (minimum distance or minimum regenerator) and on whether or not regeneration is limited to a selected subset of sites. Comparing SMR with dedicated protection, wefind that up to 27% fewer regenerators are required for the shared mesh case, while capacity is increased by approximately 40%. Regenerator site concentration and minimum-regenerator routing provide the best results.