WAVELENGTH REQUIREMENTS IN ARBITRARILY CONNECTED WAVELENGTH-ROUTED OPTICAL NETWORKS

Wavelength division multiplexed optical networks using wavelength rout ing (WRON's) represent the most promising solution for future high-cap acity wide-area network applications. One of the crucial factors which will determine their feasibility is the number of wavelengths require d to satisfy the network traffic demand. In this paper, we consider ar bitrarily connected networks as physical topologies for WRON's. By ana lysing a large number of randomly generated networks, bounds on the ne twork wavelength requirements are first evaluated as a function of the physical connectivity. The advantages achievable by multifiber connec tions and the consequence of single link failure restoration are then assessed for several existing or planned network topologies. The resul ts can be used in the analysis and optimization of the WRON design.