Efficient routing and wavelength assignment for reconfigurable WDM networks

Through the use of configurable wavelength-division-multiplexing (WDM) technology including tunable optical transceivers and frequency selective switches, next-generation WDM networks will allow multiple virtual topologies to be dynamically established on a given physical topology. For N node P port networks, we determine the number of wavelengths required to support all possible virtual topologies (PN lightpaths) on a bidirectional ring physical topology. We show that if shortest path routing is used, approximately N wavelengths are needed to map N lightpaths. We then present novel adaptive lightpath routing and wavelength assignment strategies that reduce the wavelength requirements to [(N/2)] working wavelengths per port for protected networks and [(N/3)] wavelengths in each direction per port for unprotected networks. We show that this reduced wavelength requirement is optimal in the sense that it is the minimum required to support the worst case logical topology. Furthermore, we prove that a significant number of logical topologies require this minimum number of wavelengths. We also develop joint routing and wavelength assignment strategies that not only minimize the number of wavelengths required to implement the worst case logical topologies but also reduce average wavelength requirements. Finally, methods for extending these routing and wavelength assignment results to general two-connected and three-connected physical topologies are presented