Multilayer traffic engineering for GMPLS-enabled networks

In recent years, significant work has been completed on traffic engineering enhancements to the generalized multiprotocol label switching protocol suite (E. Mannie Oct 2004) (D. Katz et al., Sept. 2003) (K. Kompella et al., Oct 2003). As a next step, reproducing the current trend of switching layers' integration happening in the data plane, network control is foreseen to go beyond the traditional per layer approach and tend toward an integrated model (K. Shimoto et al., Oct 2004) (E. Dotaro et al., Dec. 2004). In these multilayer environments, a single GMPLS control plane drives various distinct switching layers at the same time and as a coherent whole, taking benefit from the "common" property of GMPLS. Beyond this application of supporting network control across different technologies, in this article we catalog the unified traffic engineering paradigms, discuss their applicability, and present their enforcement techniques. Furthermore, we show that the common GMPLS concept has the advantage of low operational complexity, and enables unified TE capabilities such as efficient network resource usage and rapid service provisioning.