Scalable Algorithm for Routing, Scheduling and Virtualization in Optical Burst Switching Mesh Networks

In this paper, we propose a comprehensive scalable algorithm simultaneously assessing the routing, scheduling and virtualization in Time-Domain Wavelength Interleaved Network (TWIN). TWIN is an energy-efficient optical burst switching technology for metropolitan networks, with destinations using separate allocated sets of wavelengths for the reception. Given the costs of the optical transponders and the wavelength use per km of fiber length, the proposed algorithm solves the routing and wavelength assignment problem, and in the same time allocates the time slots to traffic flows (perform the slot scheduling), so that the total network cost is minimized. The algorithm also enables the construction of overlayed virtual networking domains at minimum cost, which share the transponders and network links, but have different scheduling and QoS levels. In this way, the proposed algorithm for the first time offers an ubiquitious solution for creating the virtualized optical transport network based on TWIN technology, than can be run by logically centralized control plane, compatible with Software-Defined Network (SDN) design. The performance of the algorithm is compared with the pre-existing optimal dimensioning solution for single virtualization domain based on Integer Linear Programing, for different scenarios, and the obtained solutions are within 27% of the optimal.