PRINCIPAL RESEARCH INTERESTS

  • Optical and Packet Layer Restoration Algorithms and Methods
  • Automation of Network Management and Operations
  • Transport Network Architectures
  • Network Design Optimization
  • Probabilistic Network Availability and Performance Analysis

Dr. Robert Doverspike
Director, Network Evolution Strategies, LLC. 

​R.D.DoverspikeConsulting@gmail.com

   AWARDS and Professional Activity

  • INFORMS Fellow
  • IEEE Fellow
    ​citation: "for contributions to architectures, modeling, and optimization of telecommunication networks"). Select here for awards video.
  • Program Chair, Optical Fiber Communications (OFC) conference
  • IEEE ComSoc representative on the OFC ​Steering Committee
  • Over 100 publications in quality journals and proceedings
  • 35 patents (partial list below; full list above)
  • Co-author & Mentor of Best (student) paper award, SIGMETRICS 2011
  • Best Paper Award, IEEE LANMAN Workshop, 2008
  • Best Paper Award, Network and Parallel Computing (NPC) Conference, 2007
  • Finalist INFOCOM Best Paper Competition (2002)
  • INFORMS Prize – Member of executive award team (Bellcore 1995)
  • Operations Research Meritorious Awards (2001 and 2002)
  • Two Bellcore President's Awards
  • ​Bellcore Distinguished Member of Technical Staff

Full Publication List

   35 PATENTS (Some select ones listed below)

  • OPTICAL LAYER QUASI-CENTRALIZED RESTORATION. Inventors = R. Doverspike. U.S. Patent Number 6,097,696. Aug 1, 2000.
  • METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR FAST RESTORATION IN A MESH NETWORK OF OPTICAL CROSS CONNECTS. Inventors = R. Doverspike, G. Sahin; J. Strand, R. Tkach. U.S. Patent Number 6,970,417. 11/29/2005.
  • METHOD FOR SELECTING A RESTORATION PATH IN A MESH NETWORK. Inventors = R. Doverspike, C. Kalmanek, G. Li. U.S. Patent Number 6,982,951. 1/3/2006.
  • METHOD FOR UNIDIRECTIONAL AND BIDIRECTIONAL LABEL SWITCHED PATH SETUP IN A LABEL SWITCHED NETWORK. Inventors = R. Doverspike, C. Kalmanek, G. Li, J. Yates. Patent Number 7,298,700, 11/20/2007.
  • LINK SELECTION SCHEMES FOR AVOIDING CHANNEL CONTENTION. Inventors = B. Cortez, R. Doverspike, R. Sinha, J. Strand, F. Yu. U.S. Patent Number 7,450,516. 11/11/2008.
  • ​METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR AUTOMATED PROVISIONING FOR CUSTOMER PREMISES TRANSPORT EQUIPMENT. Inventors = R. Doverspike, C. Kalmanek, M. Martinez-Heath, K. Ramakrishnan, David Yang. U.S. Patent Number 7,599,373. 10/6/2009.
  • ​SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ROUTING PACKET TRAFFIC. Inventors = R. Doverspike, G. Li, D. Wang. U.S. Patent Number 7,613,135. 11/3/2009.

   TOP PUBLICATION CITATIONS - I have over 2000 citations to my publications

     (*Source: Google Scholar June 2015). Top ones:

  1. 714 Citations. Optical fiber telecommunications VB: systems and networks: Chapter 13: Commercial optical networks, overlay networks and services, R. Doverspike and P. Magill,  Elsevier 2008.
  2. 217 Citations. Efficient distributed path selection for shared restoration connections,​ G. Li, D. Wang, C. Kalmanek, R. Doverspike,  IEEE Conference on Computer Communication (INFOCOM) 2002, New York (also appears in Special Issue of IEEE Transactions on Networking, Vol. 11 (5), Oct 2003. pp 761-771.)
  3. 201 Citations. Network planning with random demand, S. Sen, R. D. Doverspike, S. Cosares, Telecommunications Systems, Vol. 3 (1), 1994, pp. 11-30.
  4. 150 Citations. Challenges for MPLS in optical network restoration, R. Doverspike, J. Yates, IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol. 39 (2), February 2001, pp. 89-97.
  5. 101 Citations. Efficient distributed restoration path selection for shared mesh restoration, G. Li, D. Wang, C. Kalmanek, R. Doverspike, IEEE Transactions on Networking, Vol. 11 (5), Oct 2003, pp 761-771.
  6. 92 Citations. Fiber span failure protection in mesh optical networks,​ G. Li, R. Doverspike, C. Kalmanek, Proceedings of SPIE, 2001. (also appears in Optical Networks Magazine, Vol. 3, (3), May/June 2002, pp 21-31.).
  7. 80 Citations. Network Design and Architectures for Highly Dynamic Next-Generation IP-Over-Optical Long Distance Networks, A. Chiu, G. Choudhury, G. Clapp, R, Doverspike, et. al., Journal of Lightwave Technology, Vol. 27, (12), pp. 1878-1890, 2009.
  8. 79 Citations. Comparison of capacity efficiency of DCS network restoration routing techniques, R. Doverspike, B. J. Wilson, Journal of Network and Systems Management, Vol. 2 (2), 1994, pp. 95-123.
  9. 78 Citations. Fast restoration in a mesh network of optical cross-connects, R. Doverspike, G. Sahin, J. Strand, R. Tkach, OFC, San Diego, CA, February 1999.
  10. 76 Citations. Experiments in fast restoration using GMPLS in optical/electronic mesh networks,​ G. Li, J. Yates, R. Doverspike, D. Wang, OFC, Anaheim, CA, March 2001.
  11. 63 Citations. Optical Layer Quasi-Centralized Restoration, R. Doverspike, US Patent # 6097696, 2000.
  12. 62 Citations. Architectures and Protocols for Capacity-Efficient, Highly-Dynamic and Highly-Resilient Core Networks, A. Chiu, G. Choudhury, G. Clapp, R. Doverspike, et. al., JOCN, Vol. 4 (1), Jan, 2012, pp. 1–14.
  13. 47 Citations. Bandwidth on Demand for Inter-Data Center Communication, A. Mahimkar, A. Chiu, R. Doverspike, et. al., ACM SIGCOMM HotNets Workshop, Boston, MA, Nov 2011.
  14. 46 Citations. Traffic Types and Growth in Backbone Networks, A. Gerber, R. Doverspike, OFC , Los Angeles, CA, March 2011.
  15. 46 Citations. Method For Selecting A Restoration Path In A Mesh Network, R. Doverspike, C. Kalmanek, G. Li.,  US Patent # 6982951, 2006.                   
  16. 44 Citations. Improved survivability with multi-layer dynamic routing,​ K. Krishnan, R. Doverspike, C. Pack, IEEE Communications Magazine, Vol. 33 (7), July 1995, pp. 62-69.
  17. 43 Citations. Doverspike, R., S. Phillips, J. Westbrook, "Future Transport Network Architectures," IEEE Communications Magazine, August, Vol. 37 (8), pp. 96-101, 1999.
  18. 35 Citations. Importance Of Wavelength Conversion In An Optical Network, R. Doverspike, J. Strand, G. Li, Optical Networks Magazine, Vol 2 (3), May/June 2001, pp. 33-44.
  19. 33 Citations. Network Architecture for Joint Failure Recovery and Traffic Engineering, M. Suchara, D. Xu, R. Doverspike, D. Johnson, J. Rexford, SIGMETRICS , San Jose, CA, June,  2011. (Won “Best Student Paper” Award for Conference).
  20. 32 Citations. Handling IP Traffic Surges via Optical Layer Reconfiguration, P. Pongpaibool, R. Doverspike, M. Roughan, J. Gottlieb, OFC, Anaheim, CA, March 2002.

​​​​​​   EDUCATION

  • Ph.D. Mathematics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1979); Thesis Advisor: Carlton Lemke; Thesis Title: "A Cone Approach to the Linear Complementarity Problem"
  • M.S. Mathematics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (1976)
  • B.A. Mathematics, University of Colorado (1974)

 

   ​PROFESSIONAL (a few highlights)

   Note that all accomplishments are documented by publications (see full publication list above)

  • Network Evolution Strategies Consulting - ​OSS Architect, Google ('15 - present)
    • ​​Built GFaudit: Google Fiber’s (GFiber) first network discovery tool for their metro backbone network and audit tool for their evolving Network - Data Base of Record (N-DBoR)
      • Used by Operations to correct previously high error rate in N-DBoR in 9 metro areas
    • Modeled and built the network load module of the Configuration Engine that automates the instantiation of devices in GFiber metro backbone network
    •  Developed the initial architecture for Fault Management and Root Cause Analysis (RCA)in GFiber access network
  • Executive Director, Network Evolution Research - AT&T ('97 - '15)
    • ​Pioneered a research program to study the optimization of inter-layer integration and restoration of IP-over-Optical-Layer networks
    • ​Leveraged SDN capabilities to pioneer the concept of the “hands-free” network by enabling “just-in-time” provisioning across multiple network layers
      • used to significantly reduce manual operations, plus enable more rapidly configurable networks. 
    • Developed a wireless access architecture for residential Wireless Broadband Service
      • Did a business case study that optimized how to cover neighborhoods in a metro to maximize profit: by deciding 1) where to install small-cells/WiFi to achieve CoS/QoS and 2) how to install wireless backhaul (fiber path, point-to-point radio, or leased Ethernet service).  The problem is so complex that we used advanced meta-heuristics to solve.
    • Pioneered optimal, multi-layer, network design/routing/planning tools - examples:
      • The Hawkeye  tool optimally routes high-speed circuits over fiber-diverse paths in AT&T's long-distance multi-layer, multi-vendor optical network - enabled a 7:1 reduction in planning staff
      • The Metro IPAG Network Design (MIND) tool is used extensively to optimize and plan AT&T’s Metro Ethernet networks in over 100 metropolitan areas. In addition to providing Enterprise Ethernet services, this network is one of the largest providers of Cell-site Backhaul in the USA.
    • Led the DARPA CORONET project for AT&T
      • Pioneered the architecture for next-generation IP/Optical networks (at 7 years, one of the longest running DARPA projects)
      • ​In Phase III of CORONET I pioneered the concept of a new service driver for Bandwidth-on-Demand (BoD) for high  speed optical connections by linking inter-city network control with that of large data center Orchestrators and Hypervisors.
      • As a Proof-of-Concept (PoC) of BoD, I pioneered a very successful SWAN-C&M (SDN Wide Area Network- Control and Management) capability in my lab in Middletown, NJ.
    • Led the network availability (performability) study & recommendations that enabled AT&T to extend its U-verse backbone to serve the SouthEast region (and achieve 5-9's availability)
    • Performed the network optimization studies that proved-in & deployed the first large-scale, long-distance optical networkwith mesh restoration
    • Invented an optical network restoration method called Robust Optical Layer End-to-end Cross-connection (ROLEX) which was successfully licensed plus formed the optical restoration methodology in DARPA CORONET
  • Distinguished Member of Technical Staff - Bellcore ('84 - '97)
    • Bellcore Technical Lead on multiple DARPA network projects (ATDnet, MONET)
    • Principal contributor and editor of the (ANSI) T1.A1 Standards on Network Survivability Performance - This was used to analyze FCC outage data and is still in use.
    • Multiplex Bundling Optimization Problem & Network Design and Planning for Regional Bell Operating Company (RBOC) Metro Networks
      • My paper on this topic was the first paper ever published in the Telecommunications Section of the Operation Research Journal
  • Member of Technical Staff - Bell Labs (the ORIGINAL Bell-System) ('79 - '84)
    • ​Developed network simulation study tool for DS-1 "hubbing" in metro networks.
      • Results were used to recommend deployment of the world's first Digital Cross-Connect System (DACS-I/II) in Bell-System metro networks in 1981. 
        ​