Virtual Multicast Tree Embedding and Protection Over Elastic Optical Networks Based on Genetic Algorithms

Elastic optical network survivability is essential for a viable multicast service implementation. In turn, multicast tree over virtual network embedding has become a vital service for multicast traffic. The study of multicast protection techniques in virtual network embedding and elastic optical networks has received significant attention. However, multicast protection is incipient when virtual network embedding uses elastic optical networks as the substrate layer. Consequently, this work approaches virtual multicast tree embedding over elastic optical networks and protection against single optical link failures, which we call the virtual optical multicast tree embedding and protection problem. This study proposes a genetic algorithmbased approach that works with different multicast protection schemes: dedicated dual-tree, shared dual-tree, dedicated subgraph, and shared sub-graph. Given a network topology, a set of virtual optical multicast requests, and a multicast protection scheme, the proposed approach seeks to calculate a solution that minimizes the total spectrum used, the number of blocked requests, and the number of unprotected incrusted requests. Numerical simulations on different network topologies and traffic loads were performed to analyze the impact of the protection schemes. The results show that the shared subgraph achieves better results regarding the total spectrum used and blocking. If the traffic requires dedicated protection, the dedicated subgraph scheme is more efficient than the dual-tree.