Optimizing the system of virtual paths

The virtual path (VP) concept is known to be a powerful transport mechanism for ATM networks. This paper deals with the optimization of the virtual paths system from a bandwidth utilization perspective. While previous research on VP management has basically assumed that bandwidth in ATM networks is unlimited, emerging technologies and applications are changing this premise. In many networks, such as wireless, bandwidth is always at a premium. In wired networks, with increasing user access speeds, less than a dozen of broadband connections can saturate even a Gigabit link. We present an efficient algorithm that finds a system of VP routes for a given set of VP terminators and VP capacity demands. This solution is motivated by the need to minimize the load, or reduce congestion, generated by the VP´s on individual links. A nontrivial performance guarantee is proven for the quality of the proposed solution and numerical results show that the proposed solution carries the potential for a near optimal allocation of VPs