The cost dependence between the grooming scheme, the node architecture and the traffic pattern in optical networks

The grooming of low-data-rate traffic into higher-bit-rate line signals is of paramount importance in nowadays optical networks. An optimized grooming process can efficiently use the limited number of available wavelengths and reduce the number of line interfaces used in the network. To perform this operation a single-hop or a multi-hop grooming scheme can be employed. In addition, fixed and flexible grooming architectures are currently available to implement both grooming schemes. However, the crucial premise for network operators to choose the grooming scheme and architecture to deploy is the cost minimization of providing and operating the networks. In this work, we evaluate the cost, power consumption and footprint requirements dependence between the employed grooming scheme, the implemented node architecture, and the client traffic pattern.