Traffic classification and service in wavelength routed all-optical networks

Wavelength routed all-optical networks require that continuous wavelengths be established from source to destination nodes if no wavelength converters exist in the network. The requests to establish these lightpaths can be blocked, depending on the availability of the wavelengths. It has been discovered that lightpaths of longer length suffer higher blocking probability than those of shorter lightpaths, which is known as the Fairness Problem. The Traffic Classification and Service (ClaServ) Method is introduced to optimize the Fairness Problem as well as reduce the traffic blocking probability. Simulation results for a 4x4 Mesh-Torus network and a NSFNET topology show that the ClaServ method can greatly reduce the blocking probability for average network traffic requests.