Multilayer traffic engineering for multiservice environments

Multilayer traffic engineering (MLTE) serves to provide cross-layer online network optimization techniques to cope with rapid variations and short-term evolutions in traffic patterns. MLTE extends traffic engineering as it exists in IP/MPLS-based technology toward the multilayer IP/MPLS-over-optical transport network. In addition to the IP/MPLS traffic routing, MLTE exposes much larger adaptation flexibility by building on next-generation automatic switched optical transport networks. These offer fast setup and teardown of end-to-end multi-hop optical connections (lightpaths), which are offered to the IP/MPLS layer as dynamically provisioned capacity. This dynamic nature leads to an IP/MPLS logical topology that can be reconfigured on the fly, and IP/MPLS link capacity that can be up- or downgraded as client traffic demand varies. These MLTE techniques are generally used to increase perceived network performance in terms of throughput or QoS. As such, a MLTE-managed network offers a better than best-effort service. Many types of traditional and novel services are shifting toward IP/MPLS technology. Consequentially, MLTE algorithms and strategies should be conceived with the characteristics of such services in mind. We present a MLTE strategy that can be implemented in a robust and distributed way. This strategy is then taken as the starting point in a study which evaluates its suitability to such services. We show how the strategy can be adapted considering service performance metrics such as end-to-end delay, traffic loss, and routing stability, and how such service optimizations impact general MLTE objectives such as IP/MPLS logical topology mesh size reduction.

波分复用光网中的一种新型波长分配算法

目前网络承载业务的趋势是以IP为中心的数据业务,从而促进了以WDM光网络向高速和宽带多波长的应用和普及,为了进一步提高网络的性能并提高资源利用率,出现了光网络控制面技术.路由选择与波长分配问题是WDM光传输网络控制面中非常重要的问题之一.目前实际应用最广泛的波长分配算法是First-Fir(FF)算法.本文基于FF算法,研究动态业务下波分复用光网络在固定选路下的波长分配问题,提出了一种新的波长分配启发式算法——Joint First Fit.计算机仿真试验表明,与常用的FF算法相比,该算法显著的降低了网络呼叫阻塞率,有利于提高网络资源的利用率.     

Multilayer traffic engineering for energy efficiency

Automatically switched multilayer IP-over-optical networks offer extensive flexibility in adapting the network to offered IP/MPLS traffic. Multilayer traffic engineering (MLTE) takes advantage of this through online IP logical topology reconfiguration in addition to the more traditional rerouting. The main goal of MLTE is to optimize toward resource usage, bandwidth throughput and QoS performance. However, energy efficiency of ICT infrastructure and the network in particular more recently have become an important aspect as well. In this article, we will look how MLTE helps in improving network energy efficiency. For this we will explain how optimization toward power requirement relates to the traditional resource usage minimization objective, and how power requirement in the network can be modeled for the MLTE algorithm. We will discuss two cases where the merit of MLTE for energy efficiency is discussed. Firstly, we will examine the interaction of MLTE with hardware-based energy efficiency optimization techniques; for this we look at scaling back power requirements through the use of better chip technology, but also decreasing idle-power requirement only, using improved chip architecture. Secondly, as MLTE allows for fast responses to changing traffic, we will see how link switch-off during off-peak hours offers a straightforward option to reduce energy needs.     

GMPLS协议中的路由和波长分配技术

因特网工程工作组（IETF）制定的通用多协议标签交换协议（GMPLS）,作为光网络的控制平面协议,推动了光网络的智能化进程。路由和波长分配问题（RWA）是光网络智能化的核心问题之一。在介绍RWA算法和GMPLS协议的基础上,分析了不同RWA算法、不同RWA机制对网络信息的需求,描述了GMPLS协议为解决RWA问题所做的标准化工作,并分析了与RWA相关的网络信息分发格式。     

Topics in Optical Communications - Operational Evaluation of ASON/GMPLS Interdomain Capability over a JGN II Network Testbed

Traffic engineering in backbone networks is an important issue in supporting an appropriate QoS level to accommodate various types of traffic flows efficiently. Automatically switched optical networks and generalized multiprotocol label switching control planes are promising functionalities to achieve the sophisticated mechanism of interdomain traffic engineering. In this article we address dynamic operational scenarios to control IP traffic flows using the ASON/GMPLS control plane. This includes cut-through IP/MPLS routers and the rerouting of failed links through the tunnel of optical label-switched paths. This article presents an operational evaluation of traffic engineering. More specifically, we present QoS recovery for protecting high priority traffic using policy controllers and fault recovery of inter-domain LSPs over the JGN II network testbed. This article evaluates and discusses the feasibility of these operational scenarios using state-of-the-art optical switching and control- plane technologies.     

Restoration of IP Networks by Using a Hybrid Interacting Mechanism Between Layer 2 & 3 in the Networks Over OA&M

The Internet generation infrastructure is growing and moving towards a consistency model of high-speed nodes interconnected by optical core networks. Therefore, the interaction between IP and optical network layers, specifically, the routing and signalling aspects, are maturing and they can lead to enhance the services and network performance. At the same time, a consensus has emerged in the industry on utilizing IP-based protocols for the optical control plane. This paper defines a new technique for IP over Optical networks (interacting between bottom layers), considering both the IP-based control plane for optical networks as well as IP-optical network interactions (together referred to as “IP over optical networks”). In this paper, a new technique is proposed that reduces recovery time by making an interoperation between the data link layer (layer 2) with the network layer (layer 3). The proposed technique enables layer 2 with layer 3 to make a hybrid mechanism that improves the recovery time in the network through two cases (1st-Detection and 2nd-Rerouting). The technique involves detecting failure in less time through layer 2 and rerouting traffic through an alternative path between source and destination by using a new algorithm in layer 3 to deliver data packets without the need to wait for the routing protocol to update the network topology and compute the routing table. In case of the network recovery, layer 2 has demonstrated its capability to detect failure extremely quickly shown through the immediate detection of the loss of signals for the link or node. The recovery mechanism, i.e., the rerouting mechanism, which leads the node, switches the data packets through an adjacent node to its destination via the life node. The latter is created by the proposed mechanism before the occurrence of the failure. The aim of this mechanism is to avoid loss of packets, improve QoS and improve recovery time as we have shown in the results shown below.     

Is multilayer networking feasible?

IP traffic has been growing every year, bringing the need for deploying an IP backbone interconnected by links provided by the transport network. Thus, network operators have had traditionally divided their core network in two, the IP network and the transport network. Network planning and engineering tasks have been performed independently in both domains. Traditionally, the transport network has been quite inflexible, and changes have often required a long time to occur. However, recent developments in the control plane allow flexibility in the transport network, making it possible to set up and tear down circuits on demand. In this light, multilayer traffic engineering has been proposed to jointly manage both IP and transport layers, with the aim of optimizing the use of resources. This paper aims to describe the rationale behind multilayer traffic engineering, demonstrate its feasibility and quantify its advantages in terms of cost effectiveness. Also, this work takes a look at the different choices in performing the multilayer operation, in terms of control plane implementation and equipment integration. Finally, the paper presents a report on multilayer traffic engineer experimentation which proves its feasibility and show a preliminary techno-economic case study of the multilayer operation.     

Distributed Nonlinear Integer Optimization for Data-Optical Internetworking

We present a novel approach for joint optical network provisioning and Internet protocol (IP) traffic engineering, in which the IP and optical networks collaboratively optimize a combined objective of network performance and lightpath provisioning cost. We develop a framework for distributed multilayer optimization. Our framework is built upon the IP-over-optical (IPO) overlay model, where each network domain has a limited view of the other. Our formulation allows the two domains to communicate and coordinate their decisions through minimal information exchange. Our solution is based on a novel application of Generalized Bender's Decomposition, which divides a difficult global optimization problem into tractable subproblems, each solved by a different domain. The procedure is iterative and converges to the global optimum. We present case studies to demonstrate the efficiency and applicability of our approach in various networking scenarios. Our work builds a foundation for “multilayer” grooming, which extends traditional grooming in the optical domain to include data networks. The data networks are active participants in the grooming process with intelligent homing of data traffic to optical gateways.     

ASON网络环境下面向业务的RWA问题研究

从下一代光网络的业务需求出发,研究了在自动交换光网络(ASON)架构下面向业务的路由与波长分配(RWA)问题,提出了适应光网络向业务网络演进环境下面向业务的RWA概念,并分别就选路和波长分配问题进行了初步的探讨;面向业务的网络环境要求能为业务提供区分服务,以提供区分服务为目的对基于优先级的RWA算法进行了研究,并提出了面向区分业务的RWA实现框图.     

Protection approaches for dynamic traffic in IP/MPLS-over-WDM networks

Due to the explosive growth of data-related traffic driven by the Internet, network reliability becomes an important issue. We investigate various protection approaches to handle failures for dynamic traffic demands in IP/MPLS-over-WDM networks. An LSP can be protected at either the IP/MPLS layer or the optical layer. In IP/MPLS layer protection, an LSP is protected by providing a link-disjoint backup LSP between its end nodes. In optical layer protection, an LSP is protected by the backup lightpath of each lightpath traversed by the LSP. We present two integrated routing algorithms: hop-based integrated routing algorithm and bandwidth-based integrated routing algorithm (BIRA) to set up the restorable bandwidth-guaranteed paths efficiently. Then we present a multilayer protection scheme for multiclass traffic in such networks. This scheme takes into account the different QoS and recovery requirements of the traffic to provide protection capability either at the MPLS layer or at the optical layer in a cost-effective manner. We use the connection blocking probability and number of optical-electrical-optical conversions as performance metrics to compare various protection approaches.     

GMPLS-based photonic multilayer router (Hikari router)architecture: an overview of traffic engineering and signalingtechnology

A new extended signaling and traffic engineering method for the GMPLS-based photonic and electrical multilayer router (Hikari router) is proposed. The method allows dynamic optical network management and photonic signal recovery, such as regeneration, reshaping, etc., to be realized adaptively. Wavelength conversion is also adaptive, which reduces network cost. Multilayer traffic engineering, which yields the dynamic cooperation of IP and photonic layers, is described to provide IP services cost effectively. To realize multilayer traffic engineering, we propose the OSPF extension, which advertises both the number of total wavelengths and the number of unused wavelengths, and the RSVP-TE extension, which minimizes the number of wavelength conversions needed. In addition, this paper proposes a heuristics-based multilayer topology design scheme that uses IP traffic measurements in a generalized multi-protocol label switch (GMPLS). The proposed scheme yields the optical label switch path (OLSP) network topology, that is, OLSP placement, that minimizes network cost, in response to fluctuations in IP traffic demand. In other words, the OLSP network topology is dynamically reconfigured to match IP traffic demand. Networks are reconfigured by the proposed scheme so as to utilize network resources in the most cost effective manner     

GMPLS-controlled dynamic translucent optical networks

The evolution of optical technologies has paved the way to the migration from opaque optical networks (i.e., networks in which the optical signal is electronically regenerated at each node) to transparent (i.e., all-optical) networks. Translucent optical networks (i.e., optical networks with sparse opto-electronic regeneration) enable the exploitation of the benefits of both opaque and transparent networks while providing a suitable solution for dynamic connections. Translucent optical networks with dynamic connections can be controlled by the GMPLS protocol suite. This article discusses the enhancements that the GMPLS suite requires for the control of dynamic translucent optical networks with quality of transmission guarantees. Such enhancements concern QoT-awareness and regenerator-awareness and can be achieved by collecting and disseminating the information on QoT and regenerator availability, respectively, and by efficiently leveraging such information for traffic engineering purposes. More specifically, the article proposes two distributed approaches, based on the routing protocol and the signaling protocol, for disseminating regenerator information in the GMPLS control plane. Moreover, three strategies are introduced to efficiently and dynamically designate the regeneration node(s) along the connection route. Routing and signaling approaches are compared in terms of blocking probability, setup time, and control plane load during provisioning and restoration.     

Hierarchical routing and traffic grooming in IP/MPLS-based ASON/GMPLS multi-domain networks

Routing, connection setup, and path computation are well-known problems in multi-domain networks, which have been largely analyzed in pure IP (packet) networks. In circuit-switched optical multi-domain networks, there remain, however, a number of routing and path computation challenges. Traffic grooming means combining a number of low-speed traffic streams so that the high capacity of each lightpath may be used as efficiently as possible, as path computation implements the core of the grooming function, it is obvious that solutions for the traffic grooming problem in optical multi-domain networks are still not sufficiently investigated. In this study we propose a methodology to address the problems of routing, connection setup, and traffic grooming in optical multi-domain networks, which adapts a two-level hierarchical routing scheme and full-mesh topology abstraction algorithm to improve routing scalability and lower inter-domain blocking probabilities; additionally our proposed methodology adapts a scheme for traffic grooming in DWDM multi-domain networks to improve the resources usage. To test our proposed methodology we propose a detailed IP/MPLS-based ASON/GMPLS multi-domain multilayer test framework.     

波分复用光网络中的波长路由分配策略

路由选择和波长分配是WDM光传输网中非常重要的问题.本文结合交叉连接节点,提出了一种基于最短路径的动态路由选择方案;然后利用这种动态的路由选择策略,以网络的阻塞性能为优化目标分配波长,达到充分利用网络资源的目的.计算机仿真结果表明,无论在单纤或者多纤WDM光传输网络中,利用这种策略的RWA算法优于传统的固定路由和单纯动态路由算法     

Internetworking connectionless and connection oriented networks

The use of connection-oriented (CO) networks for the transport of IP traffic is seen to have value to both users and service providers. Given the expectation that most endpoint-generated traffic will be in the form of connectionless (CL) IP datagrams, we address the problem of how to internetwork a CL (IP) network with a CO network. CO networks can be packet-switched or circuit-switched. Examples of packet-switched CO networks include ATM and MPLS networks, in which resource reservations are made at the ATM or shim layer, and IP-switch-based networks, in which resource reservations are made at the IP layer. Examples of circuit-switched networks include SONET/SDH and WDM networks that consist of programmable optical crossconnects. We consider the internetworking problem for two modes of operation of CO networks: provisioned, in which connections are set up a priori, and switched, in which connections are set up on demand. The main focus of this article is on the more complex problem: the internetworking of CL IP networks with CO networks operated in a switched mode. Our solution consists of (i) interworking user plane protocols with protocol conversion in some cases instead of always using protocol encapsulation, (ii) interworking routing protocols by either simply having gateways know routing information of both networks or having all nodes know routing information of both networks, and (iii) interworking signaling protocols by using application- or transport-layer end-to-end handshakes to trigger connection setups through the CO network. We demonstrate throughput improvements with our integrated routing interworking scheme over the MPOA IP-ATM internetworking solution for two example networks     

A dynamic and quasi-centralized RWA method for optical fast circuit switching networks employing route pre-prioritization

We propose a new dynamic RWA algorithm for optical fast circuit switching networks, agile optical networks that can accommodate changing broadband demands. The algorithm utilizes pre-computed prioritized route candidates that reflect statistical information such as traffic distribution characteristics to attain better load balancing. The route priority is periodically distributed over a network and RWA for each path connection demand is processed in a distributed manner. Numerical experiments demonstrate that the algorithm matches the performance of a centralized RWA algorithm that uses all the necessary information on a network.     

Intelligent optical networking for multilayer survivability

In recent years, telecommunication networks have faced explosive (IP) traffic growth. As traffic keeps growing, network reliability gains more and more importance. This article investigates to which extent switched connections and fast connection provisioning, typical for intelligent optical networks (IONs), can be used to provide resilience in an IP-over-optical multilayer network scenario. This solution, based on transport network flexibility, is compared with more traditional static multilayer resilience schemes in terms of cost (capacity) requirements and operational (dis)advantages     

QoS aware traffic grooming and integrated routing on IP over WDM networks

In this article, we consider traffic grooming and integrated routing in IP over WDM networks. The challenges of this problem come from jointly considering traffic grooming, IP routing, and lightpath routing and wavelength assignment (RWA). Due to the high bandwidth of optical fiber, there exists a mismatch between the capacity needed by an IP flow and that provided by a single lightpath. Traffic grooming is therefore used to increase the network utilization by aggregating multiple IP flows in a single lightpath. However, traffic grooming incurs additional delays that might violate Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements of IP users. In this work, the tradeoff between traffic grooming and IP QoS routing is well-formulated as a mixed integer and linear optimization problem, in which the revenue from successfully provisioning IP paths is to be maximized. Problem constraints include IP QoS, routing, optical RWA, and the WDM network capacity. We propose a novel Lagrangean relaxation (LGR) algorithm to perform constraint relaxation and derive a set of subproblems. The Lagrangean multipliers are used in the proposed algorithm to obtain a solution in consideration of grooming advantage and resource constraints simultaneously. Through numerical experiments and comparisons between the proposed algorithm and a two-phase approach, LGR outperforms the two-phase approach under all experimental cases. In particular, the improvement ratio becomes even more significant when the ratio of IP flow to the wavelength capacity is smaller.     

Routing and wavelength assignment with multigranularity traffic in optical networks

We propose a novel switching architecture of multigranularity optical cross-connects (MG-OXCs) for dealing with multigranularity traffic in the optical domain. MG-OXCs can cooperate with the generalized multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) control plane, which provides the advantages of cost reduction, better scalability in physical size, and unified traffic management. Detailed discussions are provided on the characteristics and implementation issues for the switching architecture. Based on the proposed MG-OXCs, two routing and wavelength assignment (RWA) with tunnel allocation algorithms are presented: dynamic tunnel allocation (DTA) and capacity-balanced static tunnel allocation (CB-STA). In the former, we use fixed alternate routing with k-shortest paths to inspect network resources along each alternate path for dynamically setting up lightpaths. For the latter, fiber and waveband tunnels are allocated into networks at the planning stage (or off-line) according to weighted network link-state (W-NLS). We will show that with the proposed algorithms, the RWA problem with tunnel allocation in the optical networks containing MG-OXCs can be solved effectively. Simulation is conducted on networks with different percentages of switching capacity and traffic load. The simulation results show that DTA is outperformed by CB-STA in the same network environment due to a well-disciplined approach for allocating tunnels with CB-STA.. We also find that the mix of the two approaches yields the best performance given the same network environment apparatus.     

Performance analysis of multicast routing and wavelength assignment protocol with dynamic traffic grooming in WDM networks

The need for on‐demand provisioning of wavelength‐routed channels with service‐differentiated offerings within the transport layer has become more essential because of the recent emergence of high bit rate Internet protocol (IP) network applications. Diverse optical transport network architectures have been proposed to achieve the above requirements. This approach is determined by fundamental advances in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) technologies. Because of the availability of ultra long‐reach transport and all‐optical switching, the deployment of all‐optical networks has been made possible. The concurrent transmission of multiple streams of data with the assistance of special properties of fiber optics is called WDM. The WDM network provides the capability of transferring huge amounts of data at high speeds by the users over large distances. There are several network applications that require the support of QoS multicast, such as multimedia conferencing systems, video‐on‐demand systems, real‐time control systems, etc. In a WDM network, the route decision and wavelength assignment of lightpath connections are based mainly on the routing and wavelength assignment (RWA). The multicast RWA's task is to maximize the number of multicast groups admitted or minimize the call‐blocking probability. The dynamic traffic‐grooming problem in wavelength‐routed networks is generally a two‐layered routing problem in which traffic connections are routed over lightpaths in the virtual topology layer and lightpaths are routed over physical links in the physical topology layer. In this paper, a multicast RWA protocol for capacity improvement in WDM networks is designed. In the wavelength assignment technique, paths from the source node to each of the destination nodes and the potential paths are divided into fragments by the junction nodes and these junction nodes have the wavelength conversion capability. By using the concept of fragmentation and grouping, the proposed scheme can be generally applied for the wavelength assignment of multicast in WDM networks. An optimized dynamic traffic grooming algorithm is also developed to address the traffic grooming problem in mesh networks in the multicast scenario for maximizing the resource utilization and minimizing the blocking probability. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.