Amplifier placement methods for metropolitan WDM ring networks

This paper presents two new amplifier placement methods to minimize the number of amplifiers in metropolitan wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) rings based on integer programming techniques. The first method describes the amplifier placement problem exactly and uses a nonlinear programming solver to obtain a solution. The second method approximates some requirements in the problem and employs a linear programming solver to derive the amplifier placement solution. A new amplifier placement method for self-healing WDM rings is also reported in this paper. The new method is based on iteratively solving an amplifier placement problem for a ring network under different link failure scenarios. The solution provides a minimum number of amplifiers required to operate the self-healing ring under a normal or any single-link or single-node failure conditions.