Network coding-based link failure recovery over large arbitrary networks

Network coding-based link failure recovery techniques provide near-hitless recovery and offer high capacity efficiency. Diversity coding is the first technique to incorporate coding in this field and is easy to implement over small arbitrary networks. However, its capacity efficiency is restricted by its systematic coding and high design complexity even though it has lower complexity than the other coding-based recovery techniques. Alternative techniques mitigate some of these limitations, but they are difficult to implement over arbitrary networks. In this paper, we propose a novel non-systematic coding technique and a simple design algorithm to implement the diversity coding-based (or network coding-based) recovery over arbitrary networks. The design framework consists of two parts. An ILP formulation for each part is developed. The simulation results suggest that both the novel coding structure and the novel design algorithm lead to higher capacity efficiency for near-hitless recovery. The new design algorithm is able to achieve optimal results in large arbitrary networks.