ENHANCED ENGINEERING OF PACKET-SWITCHING NETWORKS SUBJECT TO CAPACITYAND RELIABILITY CONSTRAINTS

In this paper, the joint optimization of capacity and flow assignment (CFA) in packet switching virtual circuit networks is considered. Besi des the network topology and traffic characteristics, capacity and rel iability constraints of the links/nodes, modeled as upper and lower bo unds for the dimensioning, are given. The goal of the optimal upper an d lower bounded CFA (ULCFA) is to obtain the least costly feasible des ign satisfying, among others, the upper and lower bound as well as the virtual circuit constraints. The cost objective function thus formula ted is shown to be convex with respect to the network flow. This conve xity ensures the global optimal solution via the related flow deviatio n (RFD) method. Numerical examples show the ULCFA procedure presented in this paper is superior to the CFA procedure proposed before: For he avy load scenarios, a network can be dimensioned to accomplish more tr affic without increasing the cost; for network expansions, more effici ent utilization of existing equipment can be achieved, which reduces t he network cost significantly.