Blocking in Reconfigurable Optical Networks

• Published in: IEEE INFOCOM 2007 - 26th IEEE International Conference on Computer Communications pp. 188 - 196
• Main Authors: Turkcu, O., Subramaniam, S.
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: IEEE 01-05-2007
• Subjects: Analytical models; Computer networks; Costs; Network topology; Optical add-drop multiplexers; Optical fiber networks; Optical filters; Telecommunication traffic; Transponders; Tunable circuits and devices
• ISBN: 1424410479; 9781424410477
• ISSN: 0743-166X; 2641-9874
• DOI: 10.1109/INFCOM.2007.30

In this paper, we investigate the blocking performance of all-optical ring and mesh networks with Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexers (ROADMs) and tunable transponders. The ROADMs and transponders together determine the number and set of wavelengths that can be added/dropped leading to a wavelength termination constraint in addition to the well-known wavelength continuity constraint. We develop an analytical model for the blocking probability by accounting for both constraints and validate the model using simulation results. Specifically, a model for computing the blocking probability in a reconfigurable network of arbitrary topology wherein the number and tunability of the transponders are given parameters is presented. It is found that narrowly tunable transponders with a tuning range of about 4 in a 32-wavelength network provides nearly as good a performance as widely tunable transponders (tunable over the entire range of wavelengths), for a wide range of loads and number of transponders. Moreover, waveband assignment to narrowly tunable transponders is found to be a factor in some cases, and we present some results for two different assignment schemes.