Method for assigning inter-nodal traffic loads to channels in sonet rings

Claim 1

For use in cooperation with a computer having memory, a method of assigning inter-nodal traffic loads to channels in SONET rings, comprising; generating the following Mixed Integer Program (MIP) to model the cost of SONET Terminal multiplexers, SONET Add/Drop Multiplexers and corresponding interface ports necessary to route said traffic loads: ##EQU35## Constraints: (a) For every channel jεC we must have ##EQU36## (b) For all nodes k and all channels j: (c) For all demands i and channels j: ##EQU37## (d) For all iεW, ##EQU38## (e) For all iεW, jεC: f.sub.ij ≦d.sub.i u.sub.kj +d.sub.i v.sub.kj for each endpoint k of demand i; (f) For all kεN: ##EQU39## (g) For all channels jεC: ##EQU40## where, N=set of nodes, 1, . . . ,n Y k =an integer variable equal to the number of OC3 Add/Drop multiplexers used as node k, W k =the number of Terminal multiplexers used at node k, C a =the cost of installing an Add/Drop multiplexer including the cost of the two OC3 interface ports it consumes, C b =the cost of installing a Terminal multiplexer including the cost of the one OC3 interface port it consumes; routing said traffic loads to assign large demand blocks and imposing mathematical bounds on said MIP variables so as to limit the number of possible solutions; minimizing said MIP in accordance with said traffic routing and said imposed mathematical bounds; storing in the memory of the computer optimized traffic load assignment information corresponding to the minimized MIP; and assigning internodal traffic loads to channels in said assignment rings in accordance with said optimized traffic load assignment information.