A novel multi-domain protection scheme in hybrid optical networks

In this paper, the problem of how to enhance the survivability of network by use of protection in multi-domain environment is studied. The traditional protection schemes are mainly based on the end-to-end calculation of protection path, which is fixed through the entire protection path. This inflexibility does not fit well with the multi-domain networks. Hence, we propose a multi-domain protection (MDP) scheme to solve the problem. It is a domain-oriented scheme which can allow the protection path of a single connection be interconnected with a series of sections. As a result, each section of the protection path can be calculated according to the most suitable protection method in each domain. Simulation results show that MDP can combine various protection methods flexibly and improve survivability of network obviously. If the protection method in each domain is chosen appropriately, the survivability of network can be enhanced by 5% with MDP.