Analysis of OBS networks with limited wavelength conversion

Abstract

Presented herein is a scalable framework for estimating path blocking probabilities in optical burst switched (OBS) networks where limited wavelength conversion is possible. Although presented under the guise of OBS, it is pertinent to a broader class of optical networks based on the principle of bufferless unacknowledged switching. By applying the framework to the NSFNET topology, it is shown that even the most limited conversion range may reduce path blocking probabilities by several orders of magnitude, compared with no wavelength conversion. Moreover, contrary to previous results derived for all-optical non-OBS networks with acknowledgement, OBS with full wavelength conversion achieves s..