Routing and Wavelength Assignment in GMPLS-based 10 Gb/s Ethernet Long Haul Optical Networks with and without Linear Dispersion Constraints

Given a set of lightpath connection requests in an all-10 Gb/s optical dense wavelength division multiplexed (DWDM) Ethernet network, lightpaths are designed. In addition the wavelength channels are assigned subject to minimization of the channel blocking and provisional requests satisfying the limits due to accumulative linear dispersion effects over the hops. This paper proposes a routing and wavelength assignment scheme for DWDM long-haul optical networks that includes routing, assignment and reservation of different wavelength channels operating under the Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) environment. The GMPLS framework can offer an approach to implement IP over DWDM with variable weighting assignments of routes based on the limitations due to residual dispersion accumulated on the lightwave path. The modeling is implemented under the framework of an object-oriented modeling platform OMNeT++. Network performance tests are evaluated based mainly on a long-haul terrestrial fiber mesh network composed of as well as three topologies structured as chain, ring, and mesh configurations. Blocking probability of lightpath connection requests are examined with the average link utilization in the network employing variable number of wavelength channels in association with the limits of route distance due to linear chromatic and polarization mode dispersion effects.