A decision support system for the design of cost-effective metropolitan area networks.

摘要

The objective of this thesis was to develop the required tools to solve a relatively comprehensive telecommunications network design optimisation problem. It can be summarised as a Minimum Cost-Flow Capacitated Network Design Problem with multiple facilities, multiple commodities and constrained by performance and survivability requirements. The resulting optimisation model is supported by one mixed-integer/linear mathematical programming formulation and implemented in a 32-bit GUI-based network design tool for automation purposes.;Throughout its developmert, the model was tested and validated with randomly generated design problems. The base case application, from which the design requirements were derived, is the National Defence Headquarters (NDHQ) Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). The area of interest on the NDHQ MAN is the inter-building router backbone, where expensive leased facilities are installed to inter-connect buildings routers. As a result of this thesis, an interactive tool was developed, which provides network design and analysis capabilities. Its impact on the NDHQ MAN was lowered because of the limitations in the data available and significant changes to the network environment, but the results obtained proved very insightful in validating the performance and accuracy of the model.