Comparison of Cost, Power Consumption, and Spectrum Utilization in Protected Fixed- and Flexi-Grid Optical Networks

ABSTRACT

In the current work, with a view on network resilience, we investigate gains which result from utilization of the flexible elastic optical networks (EONs). We also focus on an important capability of the EON, viz. the squeezed protection which, in cases of failure(s), minimizes the need for resource(s). We conduct in-depth simulations considering realistic (1) assumptions and (2) topologies, which are characterized by different node(s) numbers, link distances, and corresponding realistic traffic matrices. Through simulations, for the various protection schemes, we compare the fixed-grid wavelength-switched optical networks (WSONs) and the EONs, and the obtained simulation results demonstrate that EONs significantly outperform WSONs. Also, for the considered performance metrics, viz. CapEx/OpEx, power consumption, and spectrum utilization, the WSONs are observed to require more amounts of resources compared to the EONs. Finally, on the one hand, the squeezed protection approach used in EONs is seen to allow for a significant minimization of resources; on the other hand, it only protects a fraction of the traffic.

KEYWORDS:

• Cost
• EONs
• Power consumption
• Protection
• Spectrum utilization
• WSONs

DISCLOSURE STATEMENT

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Sridhar Iyer

Sridhar Iyer received the BE degree in Electronics and Telecommunications Engineering from Mumbai University, India, in 2005; MS degree in Electrical and Communication Engineering from New Mexico State University, USA, in 2008; and the PhD degree from Delhi University, India, in 2017. He worked as an assistant professor in the Department of ECE at NIIT University, and Christ University, India, between 2012 and 2016. Currently, he is an associate professor in the Department of ECE, Jain College of Engineering, India. His research interests include the architectural, algorithmic, and performance aspects of the optical networks, with current emphasis on efficient design and resource optimization in the flexi-grid elastic optical networks. Dr Iyer has published over 30 peer-reviewed articles in the aforementioned areas.

E-mail: [email protected]

Shree Prakash Singh

Shree Prakash Singh received his BE degree in Electronics and Communication Engineering from MMM Engineering College, Gorakhpur, India, in 1990; and MTech degree from REC, Kurukshetra, India, in 1994. He holds a doctoral degree in Optical Networks from the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi (IITD), India, in 2007. During 1994–2000, he worked as a lecturer in the Department of Electronics and Computer Engineering at REC Kurukshetra. In October 2000, he joined as a lecturer in the Department of Electronics, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology (formally known as Delhi Institute of Technology New Delhi). Presently, he is a professor at the Division of Electronics and Communication Engineering, Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, New Delhi. His current areas of research are optical networks and optical wireless communication.

E-mail: [email protected]