Equal-Sized Spectrum Bins for Optical Network Fragmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Elastic optical networks face spectrum fragmentation due to non-contiguous spectral band allocation, leading to spectral underutilization and potential service disruptions during network reconfiguration, which can result in data loss and poor user experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a spectrum allocation method that divides available channels into equal-sized bins and uses reverse channel assignment to allocate unused channels, minimizing fragmentation and ensuring efficient bandwidth use without disrupting existing connections.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If spectrum is allocated in a non-aligned and non-contiguous manner to meet diverse bandwidth demands, then spectral flexibility and adaptability are improved, but spectrum fragmentation occurs leading to spectral underutilization and potential blocking
Solution Approach 1:
The spectrum is divided into multiple frequency slots that can be independently allocated to different connections. This segmentation allows flexible assignment of spectral resources to meet diverse bandwidth demands while maintaining organized resource management through defined slot boundaries and allocation rules.
2Quantity of substance
If network reconfiguration is performed to defragment the network and consolidate spectral fragments, then spectrum utilization is improved, but existing connections may be disrupted causing data loss and poor user experience
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary spectrum allocation by dividing available channels into equal-sized bins and allocating entire bins to connections rather than individual scattered slots. This preliminary organized allocation prevents fragmentation from occurring in the first place, eliminating the need for disruptive reconfiguration operations later.
3Productivity
If equal-sized bins are allocated to each source/destination link request with reverse channel assignment, then spectrum fragmentation is reduced and allocation efficiency is improved, but allocation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the allocation parameter from individual frequency slots to equal-sized bins of contiguous slots. Reverse channel assignment alternates allocation direction (forward/backward) between bins to improve distribution. These parameter changes simplify the allocation process by working with standardized units while maintaining fairness and efficiency.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical communications network comprises optical data links interconnected by add-drop nodes, the optical data links comprising data channels. The data channels are allocated into equal-sized bins. In response to a first data channel request between a given source-destination pair, one of the equal-sized bins is assigned to the data channel request. In response to requests for additional bandwidth for the same source-destination data channel request, unused channels within the assigned equal-sized bin are allocated to the data channel request. In response to subsequent data channel requests between different source-destination pairs, additional unallocated equal-sized bins are assigned to the subsequent data channel requests. In response to subsequent data channel requests when resource sharing for one equal-sized bin, data channels in the last equal-sized bin are assigned using the reverse channel assignment process. Reverse channel assignment can also be used for other bins as an option.