Design of a distributed fiber transport network with hubbing topology

Abstract

This paper deals with the comprehensive design of a distributed network, whose structure includes a large-scale fiber transport network where switching centers are interconnected via optical fiber cable, For real-world applicability, this design study covers in an integrated framework all three major decision sets: locating hub facilities, placing conduits and installing cables therein. The complex problem is formulated as a simple variant of the classical network design model by judiciously redefining commodity-flows. Exploiting the special structure of the problem, a dual-based heuristic is then developed which yields near-optimal design plans. Computational experiments show that the performance of the proposed heuristic is satisfactory in both speed and the quality of the design solutions generated. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V.