CLARA: Capacity Loss-Aware Resource Assignment Algorithm for Translucent SDM EONs

Space division multiplexed elastic optical networks (SDM-EONs) offer increased fiber capacity to enhance service provisioning with the help of fine-grained flexible spectrum, multiple spatial modes, and efficient modulation formats. The connection resource provisioning problem in SDM EONs is the route, modulation format (MF), core and spectrum assignment (RMCSA) problem. The intercore crosstalk (XT) between ongoing connections on adjacent cores degrades the signal transmission and thus needs to be handled properly while assigning resources. The use of multiefficient MFs in translucent optical networks poses a challenge of balancing the spectrum utilization and XT accumulation in the network. In this paper, we propose an RMCSA algorithm called as Capacity Loss Aware Resource Assignment Algorithm (CLARA) which optimizes the utilization of network capacity to improve resource availability and thus network performance. Extensive simulation experiments indicate that CLARA significantly reduces the bandwidth blocking probability and improves resource utilization in a variety of scenarios. It is observed that it balances the spectrum utilization and XT accumulation more efficiently as compared to algorithms in the literature.