Synchronization of optical protection switching and loading of path specific characteristics

• US 10,063,313 B1
• Filed: 02/28/2017
• Issued: 08/28/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Al Sayeed, Choudhury A., Bownass, Dave C., Hennigar, Darren, Bhatnagar, Vipul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pascal, Leslie C
• Application Number:
  US15/444,432
• Publication Number:
  US 20180248617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 546 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/032 using working and protection systems H04J14/0287 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/029 Dedicated protection at the optical multiplex section (1+1)
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/006 Fault tolerance and recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/14 Monitoring arrangements for SDH/SONET rings H04J3/085
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 Testing; Monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0088 Signalling aspects

Abstract

Systems and methods describe synchronizing optical protection switching with an Optical Protection Switch (OPS) including a splitter on a transmit side to both a first fiber path and a second fiber path and a receive switch and monitoring port on a receive side with the receive switch set to only one of the first fiber path and the second fiber path. A method includes, responsive to detection of a fault on the first fiber path, generating a link Forward Defect Indication (FDI) and transmitting the link FDI over a messaging channel downstream; and utilizing the link FDI to generate an Optical Protection Switch Indicator (OPSI) status used by the OPS to cause a switch of the receive switch to the second fiber path.

Claims

1. A method of synchronizing optical protection switching with an Optical Protection Switch (OPS) including a splitter on a transmit side to both a first fiber path and a second fiber path, and a receive switch and monitoring port on a receive side with the receive switch set to only one of the first fiber path and the second fiber path, the method comprising:

responsive to detection of a fault on the first fiber path, generating a link Forward Defect Indication (FDI) and transmitting the link FDI over a messaging channel downstream; and

utilizing the link FDI to generate an Optical Protection Switch Indicator (OPSI) status used by the OPS to cause a switch of the receive switch to the second fiber path.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

utilizing the OPSI status to load path specific parameters associated with the second fiber path.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the path specific parameters comprise settings on transceivers for any of Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD), Dynamic Group Delay (DGD), Polarization Dependent Loss (PDL), line and baud rate, viable modulation formats, and transmit power to be used for the second fiber path.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring power by the monitoring port and utilizing the OPSI status to indicate a change in gain of a pre-amplifier based on a measured power difference.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein, in a transmit direction, the path specific parameters comprise one or more of amplifier gain and actuator settings for each path, wherein the path specific parameters are saved during installation, and wherein the path specific parameters are loaded based on the OPSI status.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

preventing a switch of the receive switch at a local node responsive to the detection of the fault and performing the switch of the receive switch based on the OPSI status.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the OPSI status at a far end node and triggering a switch of the receive switch therein to a port noted in the OPSI status such that both a local node and the far end node are synchronized and on the second fiber path.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the monitoring port is utilized for the detection and the OPSI status is used for the switch of the receive switch.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the messaging channel comprises one of an Optical Supervisory Channel (OSC) and General Communication Channel (GCC) bytes in overhead.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection is from a receiving node on the first fiber path and the receiving node generates the link FDI and the OPSI status.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the detection is from an intermediate node on the first fiber path, and the intermediate node generates the link FDI and a receiving node generates the OPSI status.

12. An optical network with at least two nodes configured to synchronize optical protection switching with an Optical Protection Switch (OPS), the optical network comprising:

a first node including a first OPS and a second node including a second OPS, each of the first OPS and the second OPS includes a splitter on a transmit side to both a first fiber path and a second fiber path, and a receive switch and monitoring port on a receive side with the receive switch set to only one of the first fiber path and the second fiber path,

wherein the first node is configured to, responsive to detection of a fault on the first fiber path, generate a link Forward Defect Indication (FDI) and transmit the link FDI over a messaging channel downstream, and utilize the link FDI to generate an Optical Protection Switch Indicator (OPSI) status used by the first OPS to cause a switch of the receive switch to the second fiber path.

13. The optical network of claim 12, wherein the first node is further configured to utilize the OPSI status to load path specific parameters associated with the second fiber path.

14. The optical network of claim 13, wherein the path specific parameters comprise settings on transceivers for any of Polarization Mode Dispersion (PMD), Dynamic Group Delay (DGD), Polarization Dependent Loss (PDL), required line and baud rate, viable modulation formats, and transmit power to be used for the second fiber path.

15. The optical network of claim 13, wherein the first node is further configured to monitor power by the monitoring port and utilizing the OPSI status to indicate a change in gain of a pre-amplifier based on a measured power difference.

16. The optical network of claim 12, wherein the first node is further configured to prevent a switch of the receive switch at a local node responsive to the detection of the fault and performing the switch of the receive switch based on the OPSI status.

17. The optical network of claim 12, wherein the second node is configured to receive the OPSI status and trigger a switch of the receive switch therein to a port noted in the OPSI status such that both the first node and the second node are synchronized and on the second fiber path.

18. The optical network of claim 12, wherein the monitoring port is utilized for the detection and the OPSI status is used for the switch of the receive switch.

19. The optical network of claim 12, wherein the messaging channel comprises one of an Optical Supervisory Channel (OSC) and General Communication Channel (GCC) bytes in overhead.

20. An optical node configured to synchronize optical protection switching of an Optical Protection Switch (OPS) with another node, the optical node comprising:

the OPS including a splitter on a transmit side to both a first fiber path and a second fiber path, and a receive switch and monitoring port on a receive side with the receive switch set to only one of the first fiber path and the second fiber path;

a shelf processor communicatively coupled to the OPS; and

a messaging channel system,

wherein the optical node is configured to, responsive to detection of a fault on the first fiber path, generate a link Forward Defect Indication (FDI) and transmit the link FDI over the messaging channel system downstream, and utilize the link FDI to generate an Optical Protection Switch Indicator (OPSI) status used by the OPS to cause a switch of the receive switch to the second fiber path.