Computation and Key Distribution Equilibrium for Virtual Optical Network Embedding Over Elastic Optical Networks Integrated With Quantum Key Distribution
With the development of optical networks integrated with quantum key distribution (QKD), the security of data transmission in virtual optical network has attracted increasing attention from researchers. In the existing security virtual optical network embedding (VONE) over elastic optical networks (EONs) integrated with QKD, the shortest path algorithm is used to reduce the consumption of security keys. In this paper, the concept and theory of computation and key distribution equilibrium (CKDE) is proposed. An integer linear programming model and a heuristic algorithm based on CKDE are presented for VONE over EONs integrated with QKD, where a node rank based on CKDE is introduced and the minimal element method is used to find a solution of VONE. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed model and algorithm outperform existing approaches in terms of acceptance ratios, system revenues, and resource utilization. Specifically, the proposed algorithm achieves improvements of at least 35.1% in acceptance ratios and 49.6% in both system revenues and key resource utilizations compared to other heuristic algorithms.
With the development of optical networks integrated with quantum key distribution (QKD), the security of data transmission in virtual optical network has attracted increasing attention from researchers. In the existing security virtual optical network embedding (VONE) over elastic optical networks (EONs) integrated with QKD, the shortest path algorithm is used to reduce the consumption of security keys. In this paper, the concept and theory of computation and key distribution equilibrium (CKDE) is proposed. An integer linear programming model and a heuristic algorithm based on CKDE are presented for VONE over EONs integrated with QKD, where a node rank based on CKDE is introduced and the minimal element method is used to find a solution of VONE. Simulation experiments demonstrate that the proposed model and algorithm outperform existing approaches in terms of acceptance ratios, system revenues, and resource utilization. Specifically, the proposed algorithm achieves improvements of at least 35.1% in acceptance ratios and 49.6% in both system revenues and key resource utilizations compared to other heuristic algorithms.
The combination of network virtualization (NV) technology and elastic optical networks (EONs) can further improve the flexibility of network resource allocation while bringing new security risks. For EONs are vulnerable to eavesdropping attacks by third parties, the security of data transmission in virtual optical network (VON) cannot be guaranteed. Quantum key distribution (QKD) provides verified unconditional security based on quantum entanglement properties. EONs integrated with QKD, as the physical network for virtual optical network embedding (VONE), can improve the security of VON. In addition, the survivability of VONE is a critical requirement. So, a shared protection survivable multipath-based VONE in EONs integrated with QKD (SPSMP-VONE) algorithm is discussed for solving the VONE problem under the single-link failure scenario. Specifically, the process of virtual link embedding is divided into the phase of ciphertext data transmission path embedding and the phase of key distribution path embedding. The phase of ciphertext data transmission path embedding adopts multipath shared protection strategy with spectrum partitioning. And the phase of key distribution path embedding design a path splitting strategy when the key resources as well as spectrum resources are insufficient on a single path. Simulation results demonstrate that the SPSMP-VONE algorithm can effectively improve the spectrum utilization ratio and key utilization ratio by up to 12%.
Elastic Optical Network (EON) is a promising solution to address the high capacity, low latency, and flexibility requirements of the upcoming 5th-generation (5G) networks. Furthermore, Multi-Core Fibers (MCFs) and Space Division Multiplexing (SDM) technique can be utilized to overcome the capacity limitation of the conventional Single Mode Fibers (SMFs). On the other hand, Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) is an effective solution to address the security issues in 5G transport networks. In this paper, we investigate the performance of QKD over elastic optical networks with multi-core fibers and address the resource allocation problem for quantum and classical channels of QKD (QChs and CChs) and conventional data channels (DChs). To do so, we calculate the background noise caused by different noise sources and accordingly calculate the Secret Key Rate (SKR) in quantum channels. Then, we propose an Integer Linear Programming formulation and a heuristic algorithm to allocate network resources (spectrum, core, and links) to QChs, CChs, and DChs, with the objective of maximizing the secret key rate and minimizing the number of utilized frequency slots (FSs). Finally, we evaluate the proposed ILP and heuristic algorithm in terms of SKR and the number of utilized FSs. In our simulations, we consider core and metro topologies, fixed and distance adaptive launch power for classical signals, different fiber specifications, and different assumptions regarding the relative locations of quantum and classical channels in a multi-core fiber.
Quantum-secured networking constitutes a layering architecture comprising a user network and a quantum key distribution network (QKDN). In the wavelength division multiplexing-based quantum-secured optical networking, wavelength and quantum key are scarce resources in the user network and QKDN, respectively; hence, an efficient resource dimensioning algorithm is required for practical quantum-secured services. Therefore, we investigated a resource dimensioning problem for the standardization-compatible quantum-secured networking model, where a data routing path in the user network and a quantum key relay path in the QKDN are interdependent. As benchmarking solutions, we first developed integer linear programming (ILP) formulations for wavelength and quantum key resource optimal quantum-secured networking. To obtain the tractable solution, an iterative heuristic algorithm was proposed, in which a path of a quantum-secured service was calculated by considering the statuses of both wavelength and quantum key resources. Simulation study on practical backbone topologies revealed that the proposed heuristic algorithm reduced manifold order-of-magnitude in the algorithm computation time at the costs of acceptable overheads in the wavelength and quantum key resources, from those of the ILP optimizations.
Data transmission with optical fiber is vulnerable to eavesdropping. Moreover, conventional key distribution technology suffers from increasing computational power and upgraded attack algorithms. To address these issues, quantum key distribution (QKD), a quantum technology that secures secret information (such as a cryptographic key) exchange between two parties, can be used to guarantee secure data transmission. Integrating QKD into existing wavelength division multiplexing optical networks has been verified through a series of experiments, which contribute to ensuring network security and saving fiber resources. This paper addresses the resource assignment problem in QKD-enabled optical networks. First, a QKD-enabled optical network architecture is introduced. A small fraction of wavelength channels are segmented into multiple time slots with optical time division multiplexing technology to construct quantum key channels (QKChs) and measuring-basis channels, and then the remaining wavelengths can construct traditional data channels. Second, a static routing, wavelength, and time-slot assignment (RWTA) strategy is proposed and verified by the integer linear programming formulation and a heuristic algorithm. In the RWTA, QKChs are assigned for service requests according to the security levels specified by relevant key-updating periods. Thus, the secret keys for data encryption can update periodically to enhance security. Simulation results indicate that there is a trade-off between security (i.e., security levels and security-level types) and resource utilization.
Quantum key distribution (QKD)-based optical networks utilize quantum mechanics to secure communications by establishing secure, albeit expensive, quantum channels. A critical criterion for these QKD networks is to ensure network availability, which requires each service to adhere to a minimum unavailability constraint to maintain maximum network availability. This paper tackles the challenge of providing dedicated path protection for a select set of key services within QKD optical networks, adhering to specific unavailability constraints to ensure the gap between working and protection paths' unavailability remains within the allowable limit for each services. Considering the constraints of the limited timeslot resources and unavailability for the dedicated-path protection, we develop integer linear programming (ILP) models, to minimize the overall timeslot consumption in QKD optical networks. Additionally, we propose two novel algorithms for timeslot and availability management as minimum timeslot consumption (MTC) algorithm, and maximum availability (MA) algorithm to reduce the timeslot consumption. Simulations indicate that the ILP model based solution achieves the lowest timeslot consumption, however, it requires considerably more processing time compared to the proposed MTC and MA algorithms. Moreover, the MTC and MA algorithms outperform conventional dedicated-path protection (CDP) and fixed routing (FR) algorithms in reducing total timeslot consumption and improving average unavailability.