Optimization Models for Designing Aggregation Networks to Support Fast Moving Users

Abstract

In this paper, the focus is on the design of an aggregation network for offering high bandwidth services to fast moving users (e.g., users in trains or cars). The overall considered network architecture consists of two parts: an access network part and an aggregation network part. The users in the fast moving vehicles are connected to the access network via a wireless connection. In the aggregation part, traffic of different users is bundled together in tunnels, and as the users move from one access network to another access network, tunnels have to move with them. Two problems concerning this issue are tackled in this paper. The first one can be described as follows: how to determine the tunnel paths in the aggregation network to meet the fast moving traffic demand of requests while achieving low congestion and minimizing the network dimensioning cost. Secondly we need protocols to manage the tunnels by means of configuration and activation at their due time. GVRP (GARP (Generic Attribute Registration Protocol) VLAN Registration Protocol) and a new GARP protocol, called G2RP, were designed and implemented as protocols for the automatic tunnel configuration and activation, respectively. Finally, the performance of the different algorithms used for the network capacity planning and the tunnel path determination is compared on basic train scenarios.