A Dynamic Bulk Provisioning Framework for Concurrent Optimization in PCE-Based WDM Networks

A centralized network control and management plane, such as the one based on a path computation element (PCE), is highly beneficial in terms of resource optimization in wavelength division multiplexing optical networks. Benefits of centralized provisioning are even more evident when connection requests are provisioned in batches, i.e., they allow a better use of network resources via concurrent optimization. In this study, a dynamic bulk provisioning framework is presented with the objective of optimizing the use of network resources that also presents, as an additional benefit, the ability to yield a reduction of the control plane overhead. The rationale behind the proposed framework is based on a mechanism in which the PCE client is allowed to bundle and simultaneously send multiple labeled switch path (LSP) requests to the PCE where, in turn, several bundles can be concurrently processed together as a single bulk. From the network deployment perspective, a PCE-based network architecture is proposed to practically realize this approach. For dynamic bulk provisioning of optical LSP requests, a time-efficient integer linear programming (ILP) model (LSP BP ILP) is presented to minimize the request blocking, the network resource consumption, and the network congestion. In addition, a heuristic based on a greedy randomized adaptive search procedure (GRASP), namely LSP_BP_GRASP, is also proposed as a scalable alternative. The presented results demonstrate significant advantages of the proposed PCE bulk provisioning framework based on concurrent optimization in terms of reduced blocking probability and control overhead when compared with conventional dynamic connection provisioning approaches processing a single connection request at a time.