Method of routing and bundling demands with low utilization in a telecommunications network

Abstract

A method of optimizing a network includes a plurality of nodes interconnected by high multiplex level links, in which at least some of the links carry a number of low multiplex level remaining demands that is less than the capacity of the links, by rerouting lower multiplex level remaining demands through the network to reduce the total number of higher multiplex level links in the network. The method eliminates from consideration any bridges and spurs in the network, thereby forming one or more connected components of the network. After the spurs and bridges have been eliminated from consideration, the method reroutes remaining low multiplex level demands through each of the remaining connected components of the network to reduce the total number of high multiplex level links in each remaining portion. Computationally, the rerouting step of the present invention includes the step of solving an integer multicommodity flow problem by minimizing the cost of links of each of the connected components, subject to a symmetry constraint, an initial solution constraint, a conservation constraint, and a modularity constraint.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.