Nonblocking Networks for Fast Packet Switching

We define and study an extension of the classical theory of nonblocking networks that is applicable to multirate circuit and fast packet/ATM switching systems. We determine conditions under which the Clos, Cantor and Bene ?> networks are strictly nonblocking. We also determine conditions under which the Bene ?> network and variants of the Cantor and Clos networks are rearrangeable. We find that strictly nonblocking operation can be obtained for multirate traffic with essentially the same complexity as in the classical context.