DCS mesh architecture with distributed control: Risk and cost

The digital cross-connect system (DCS) mesh architecture with distributed control restoration (DCS mesh) offers a promise of high survivability due to sharing of protection capacity throughout a network. A case study is performed to compare DCS mesh to hub and ring synchronous optical network (SONET) architectures in terms of cost and survivability. Cost is computed under three different scenarios (need to purchase and install electronics only, electronics and fiber, and electronics and cable). Conditional survivability is quantified under hub failure, loss of traffic and loss of connectivity. Admissibility analysis is used to eliminate inferior architectures. The case study suggests that the DCS mesh architecture is admissible under electronics only and electronics and fiber costs and inadmissible (unacceptable) under the electronics and cable cost.<>