A heuristic wavelength assignment algorithm for multihop WDM networks with wavelength routing and wavelength re-use

Presents a heuristic algorithm for effectively assigning a limited number of wavelengths among the access stations of a multihop network wherein the physical medium consists of optical fiber segments which interconnect wavelength-selective optical switches. Such a physical medium permits the limited number of wavelengths to be re-used among the various fiber links, thereby offering very high aggregate capacity. Although the optical connectivity among the access station can be altered by changing the states of the various optical switches, the resulting optical connectivity pattern is constrained by the limitation imposed at the physical level. The authors also study two routing schemes, used to route requests for virtual connections. The heuristic is tested on a realistic traffic model, and the call blocking performance of new requests for virtual connections is studied through extensive simulations and compared against the blocking performance of an ideal infinite capacity centralized switch (lowest possible call blocking caused exclusively by congestion on the finite capacity user input/output links, never by the switch fabric itself). Surprisingly, the authors find that, for a wide range of parameters, the blocking performance of the lightwave network is almost the same as that of the ideal centralized switch. From these results, they conclude that the heuristic algorithm is effective and the routing scheme is efficient