An analytical blocking model for dual-rate sessions in multichannel optical networks

We consider a multichannel optical network that provides circuit-switched service. Different rates may be provided to sessions by allocating a variable number of channels to the sessions. In this paper, a new analytical model to compute the blocking probabilities of dual-rate sessions (sessions having one of two rates) is presented. The model considers channel-switching constraints along a session's path but ignores the correlation between link channel occupancies. The model is applicable to a variety of scenarios such as wavelength-grooming networks and all-optical TDM wavelength-routing networks. Simulations to show the usefulness of the model are also presented.