Dynamic grooming in IP over optical networks based on the overlay architecture

This paper defines a formal framework for the definition of dynamic grooming policies in IP over optical networks. The formal framework is then specialized for the Overlay Architecture, where the control plane of the IP (Internet protocol) and optical levels are separated, and no information is shared between the two. We define a family of grooming policies for the Overlay Architecture based on constraints on the number of hops and on the bandwidth sharing degree at the IP level, and we analyze the performances as a function of the grooming parameters in regular and irregular topologies. Results are derived using realistic traffic models that depart from the circuit-like traffic traditionally used in grooming studies.