An efficient algorithm for the link allocation problem on ATM-based personal communication networks

The link allocation problem is that of allocating backbone links among ATM switches to reduce the effects of terminal mobility on the performance of ATM-based personal communication networks (PCN). Huang and Wang (1997) have shown that this problem is NP-complete. In this paper, we propose a new efficient heuristic algorithm for the link allocation problem. One novel feature of our algorithm is that we are able to derive sufficient conditions under which our algorithm is able to guarantee optimal solutions. Our empirical study shows that the average lengths of communication paths obtained by our algorithm are shorter than those obtained by Huang and Wang's algorithm. In addition, the number of successfully established paths obtained by our algorithm is significantly greater than that obtained by the latter.