Near-optimal conflict-free channel set assignments for an optical cluster-based hypercube network

Recently a class of scalable multi-star optical networks is proposed. In this network class nodes are grouped into clusters. Each cluster employs a separate pair of broadcast and select couplers. The clusters are interconnected via fiber links according to a regular topology. This approach efficiently combines time and/or wavelength division with direct space division. One important issue for this network class is the conflict-free channel set assignment that maximizes spatial re-use of channels. This paper studies the conflict-free channel set assignment for the hypercube cluster interconnection topology. The approach in this paper is novel and is conjectured to be optimal.