All-optical WDM networks with wavelength conversion

Wavelength-Division Multiplexing (WDM) has emerged as a promising technique for future wide area networks with Terahertz transmission band-width. In this dissertation, we focus on the design and analysis of WDM optical networks with wavelength conversion, particularly, with limited wavelength conversion.; We propose systematic approaches to analyzing connection capacities in WDM switching networks with limited wavelength conversion under both point-to-point (unicast) and multicast communications. The measurement of permutation connection capacity and multicast connection capacity provides a deterministic method to examine the effectiveness of wavelength conversion with different degrees including the case of no conversion and full conversion. To reduce network cost in terms of optical crossconnect elements, we extend the Clos-type multistage interconnection network (MIN) fabric to implementing cost-efficient WDM permutation and multicast switching networks and analyze the nonblocking conditions for several proposed three-stage construction methods.; We develop accurate and efficient analytical models for determining unicast and multicast connection blocking probabilities to further examine the effectiveness of limited wavelength conversion in improving the performance of WDM switching networks. We also conduct network simulations under Poisson and uniform traffic and with various wavelength assignment algorithms to validate our analytical model.; We also investigate the blocking performance in an arbitrary wavelength-routed optical network topology with different levels of wavelength conversion under the shortest path and alternate routing algorithms. We present an efficient analytical model to calculate the network-wide blocking probability, given the traffic statistics, the routing strategy; and the limited conversion degree. We conduct extensive simulations on both regular and irregular network topologies such the NSFNET, mesh-torus, and hypercube networks under different routing algorithms.; Finally, we examine the network performance with the restriction of sparse limited wavelength conversion. We further model the sparse limited wave-length conversion into two scenarios: (1) the homogeneous placement scenario; (2) the heterogeneous placement scenario. We develop an analytical approach to evaluating the network-wide blocking probability, given the network topology, the traffic matrix; locations of converters, and degrees of converters. We also carry out simulations on the irregular NSFNET and the regular mesh-torus networks under uniform and nonuniform Poisson traffic to study the converter placement problems.