Algorithms for multicast traffic grooming in WDM mesh networks

Several of the new applications in high-performance networks are of the multicast traffic type. Since such networks employ an optical network infrastructure, and since most of these applications require subwavelength bandwidth, several streams are usually groomed on the same wavelength. This article presents an account of recent advances in the design of optical networks for multicast traffic grooming in WDM mesh networks. The article addresses network design and session provisioning under both static and dynamic multicast traffic. Under static traffic conditions, the objective is to accommodate a given set of multicast traffic demands, while minimizing the implementation cost. Optimal and heuristic solution techniques for mesh network topologies are presented. Under dynamic traffic conditions, techniques for dynamic routing and session provisioning of multicast sessions whose objective is to minimize session blocking probabilities are explained. The article also presents a number of open research issues