This paper presents an approach to evaluate the performance of an optical switch equipped with both limited-range wavelength
conversion and Fiber Delay Lines to resolve contention. We propose an analytical model that allows a general behavior for
the packet size distribution while the inter-arrival times are assumed to be of Phase-Type and can easily be relaxed to be
generally distributed if needed. As the set of reachable wavelengths is a major issue in limited-range wavelength conversion,
we first focus on a simple wavelength set configuration that allows the comparison of different policies and their effect
on the loss rate of the system. In addition, a linear association between the loss rate of the simple and a more complex set
configuration is identified. Using this association and the results from the analytical model, we derive an approximation
for the more complex case, where the interactions among adjacent wavelengths play an important role. The approximation works
well for different parameter instances and is particularly useful for the mid load case, when simulations become computationally
prohibitive.
Keywords Optical switching - Fiber delay lines - Limited-range wavelength conversion - Performance evaluation
This work has been supported by the FWO-Flanders through project “Stochastic modeling of optical buffers and switching systems
based on Fiber Delay Lines” (G.0538.07).