Computing blocking probabilities in multiclass wavelength routing networks

Abstract

We present an approximate analytical method to evaluate efficiently and accurately the call blocking probabilities in wavelength routing networks with multiple classes of calls. The model is fairly general and allows each source-destination pair to service calls of different classes, with each call occupying one wavelength per link. Our approximate analytical approach involves two steps. The arrival process of calls on some routes is first modified slightly to obtain an approximate multiclass network model. Next, all classes of calls on a particular route are aggregated to give an equivalent single-class model. Thus, path decomposition algorithms for single-class wavelength routing networks may be readily extended to the multiclass case. This article is a first step towards understanding the issues arising in wavelength routing networks that serve multiple classes of customers.