Advantages of using cognition when solving impairment-aware virtual topology design problems

In this paper, the advantages of using cognition when solving the impairment-aware virtual topology design problem are demonstrated. To this end, an algorithm to design the virtual topology, GAPDELT, previously proposed by the University of Valladolid, has been extended to ensure that all the lightpaths of the virtual topology comply with quality of transmission constraints. The new version, called IA-GAPDELT, is a multiobjective genetic algorithm which uses Pareto optimality to reduce both the network congestion and the number of transmitters in operation, and so the energy consumption. By means of simulation, we show that when the algorithm is enhanced with a simple cognitive technique, it obtains a higher number of feasible solutions (virtual topologies) and, moreover, they are generally better in terms of the optimization parameters, than those obtained without cognition.