The design of ATM virtual path connection networks with service separation

Presents an efficient algorithm to compute an optimal service-separated virtual path connection network (VPCN) consisting of several logical subnetworks, one for each service class. The algorithm implements a bandwidth market where each VPC computes the prices at which it is willing to buy and sell bandwidth. These prices determine the allocation of bandwidth to virtual path connections (VPCs) in a series of transactions. After each transaction, the VPCN is adjusted, bandwidth supplies and prices are adjusted, and the algorithm computes the next bandwidth transaction. We apply our algorithm and another method to design an optimal service-separated VPCN for a small network consisting of 10 nodes and two service classes. Both methods yield near-identical revenues, though our algorithm requires a fraction of the computational resources required by the other method. We next apply our algorithm to compute optimal service-separated VPCNs for two larger networks of 20 and 55 nodes, each with six service classes.