A scalable wavelength assignment algorithm using minimal number of wavelength converters in resilient WDM networks

Careful wavelength assignment (WA) to support lambda services is necessary to reduce the total number of wavelength converters (WCs), which are required every time the wavelength continuity constraint cannot be met in wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks. With the successful introduction of reconfigurable optical add-drop multiplexers (ROADMs) and related technologies, WDM networks are now growing in size, both in the number of optical nodes and number of wavelengths supported, thus requiring WA algorithms that scale with the network size. This paper presents a scalable and efficient WA algorithm that aims to reduce the total number of WCs in WDM networks bearing static lambda services. The WA algorithm is applicable to both unprotected and (dedicated) protected lambda services. In the latter case, wavelength continuity constraint between the working and the protection path is taken into account. The WA algorithm is then used to quantify the tradeoff between using tunable optical transceivers versus number of WCs to cope with the wavelength continuity constraint.