Mapping time-varying IP traffic to flexible optical paths in flexgrid optical networks

A spectrum slot is the frequency range allocated to a single channel within a flexible grid, and its width needs to be an integer multiple of the so-called slot width granularity. The slot width of the spectrum slots to be used for an optical path in flexgrid optical networks can be adjusted in time to align with time-varying client traffic demand for both bandwidth and energy efficiency purposes. However, frequent adjustment of the slot width of optical paths places substantial signaling load on the control plane. In this paper, an online slot width adjustment mechanism is proposed for flexgrid optical networks under slot width update rate constraints in order to maintain the associated signaling load at acceptable levels. Real traffic traces are used to validate the effectiveness of the proposed mechanism.