Fault-tolerance schemes for WDM-based multiprocessor networks

Due to the difference in implementing network topologies in the optical and electronic domain, schemes to tolerate link failures in electronic implementations may not be the most efficient ones for optical implementations of multiprocessor networks. Rerouting messages along alternate paths in the network topology is commonly used in electronically implemented networks to tolerate link failures. We propose two schemes that use the properties of wavelength division multiplexing to tolerate link failures in optically interconnected multiprocessor networks. These are referred to as wavelength reassignment and time division multiplexing. We show that optically implemented networks have better fault tolerance properties than electronic ones.