Integer Linear Programming-based constructive heuristics for Space Division Multiplexing networks

Industrial engineering plays a vital role in optimizing resource allocation and system performance, including the rapidly evolving domain of fiber optic network design. Integrating mesh topology with Space Division Multiplexing (SDM) presents a promising solution to increase fiber capacity. SDM exploits spatial dimensions to significantly expand system transmission capabilities, effectively overcoming the limitations of conventional optical networks. This paper proposes a constructive heuristic approach that solves a sequence of newly formulated Integer Linear Programming (ILP) models to optimize SDM-based flexible optical networks. The experimental results demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method in optimizing resource allocation by minimizing the maximum spectrum slices utilized across links and network cores. These findings highlight the potential of the approach to substantially improve network performance and scalability in response to increasing data demands.