Allocating point-to-point connections over point-to-multipoint optical channels

Optical channels are currently able to carry 10 Gbit/s and even 40 Gbit/s traffic flows. However, it is not usual to have such amounts of traffic between any pair of client nodes. This article proposes using point-to-multipoint optical channels for the allocation of point-to-point connections in transparent wavelength-routed optical networks. Specifically, when an optical connection between a source-destination node pair has to be established, the optical signal is also sent to some adjacent nodes by introducing passive optical splitters; in this way a light-tree is built. Then, the already established point-to-multipoint optical channel can be used to groom further point-to-point connections between the same source node and each of the other nodes composing the light-tree. The benefits of this strategy are 2-fold: first, the reduction of optical transmission equipments allowing cost savings with respect to the traditional typical point-to-point approach and, second, the optimization of the optical channels utilization meeting in such a way Traffic Engineering objectives. The merits of proposed approach are evaluated by simulation.