Incorporating Protection Mechanisms in the Dynamic Multi-layer Routing Schemes

In the next generation backbone networks, IP/MPLS over optical networks, the ability to maintain an acceptable level of reliability has become crucial since a failure can result in a loss of several terabits of data per second. Although routing schemes with protection exist, they generally relate to a single switching layer: either wavelength or packet switching oriented. This paper presents a new dynamic and multi-layer routing scheme with protection that considers cooperation between IP/MPLS and optical switching domains. A complete set of experiments proves that the proposed scheme is more efficient when compared to routing algorithms with full optical protection or full IP/MPLS protection.