A new multi-granularity traffic grooming routing algorithm in IP over WDM networks

In IP over WDM networks, since there is a large bandwidth gap between a wavelength capacity and the actual bandwidth required by each user, it is necessary to multiplex low-rate traffic streams (LRSs) into lightpaths by traffic grooming. However, with the number of wavelengths increases, a large number of all optical (OOO) transmitting ports are consumed. Meanwhile, the multi-hop grooming with incorporating full-wavelength conversion capacity in each node requires too many optical–electrical–optical (OEO) ports inevitably. To solve theses problems, waveband switching and intra-band wavelength conversion are proposed. By integrating traffic grooming and waveband switching, this paper devises a new multi-granularity traffic grooming mechanism with the function of intra-band wavelength conversion. Based on the proposed mechanism and integrated grooming policy (IGP), a new heuristic routing algorithm called multi-granularity traffic grooming based on integrated auxiliary graph (MGIAG) is also proposed since the traffic grooming problem is NP-hard. Simulation results show that, compared to traditional integrated grooming algorithm (IGA), MGIAG can save more ports and obtain lower blocking probability. Compared to traditional single-hop traffic grooming algorithm (SHA), lower blocking probability and more savings in transmitting ports can be achieved by multi-hop grooming in MGIAG and IGA although they consume more OEO ports.