Optimal design of an IP/MPLS over DWDM network

Different approaches for deploying resilient optical networks of low cost constitute a traditional group of NP-Hard problems that have been widely studied. Most of them are based on the construction of low cost networks that fulfill connectivity constraints. However, recent trends to virtualize optical networks over the legacy fiber infrastructure, modified the nature of network design problems and turned inappropriate many of these models and algorithms. In this paper we study a design problem arising from the deployment of an IP/MPLS network over an existing DWDM infrastructure. Besides cost and resiliency, this problem integrates traffic and capacity constraints. We present: an integer programming formulation for the problem, theoretical results, and describe how several metaheuristics were applied in order to find good quality solutions, for a real application case of a telecommunications company