Multicasting in a class of multicast-capable WDM networks

Multicast is the ability to transmit information from a single source node to multiple destination nodes. Multicast can be supported more efficiently in optical domain by utilizing the inherent light-splitting capacity of optical switches than by copying data in electronic domain. In this paper, we study multicast communication in a class of multicast-capable WDM networks (i.e., the networks that have light splitting switches) with regular topologies under some commonly used routing algorithms. Upper and lower bounds on the minimum number of wavelengths required are determined for a network to be rearrangeable for arbitrary multicast assignments, and compared with those WDM networks without light splitting switches. Our results indicate that in most of the networks we study, the number of wavelengths required can be significantly reduced by utilizing light splitting switches.