Systems and methods for mesh restoration in networks due to intra-node faults

• US 10,560,212 B2
• Filed: 05/21/2018
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Al Sayeed, Choudhury A., Richens, Dominic
• Primary Examiner(s): Li, Shi K
• Application Number:
  US15/985,114
• Publication Number:
  US 20190356407A1
• Time in Patent Office: 631 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/021 Reconfigurable arrangements, e.g. reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers [ROADM] or tunable optical add/drop multiplexers [TOADM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0217 Multi-degree architectures, e.g. having a connection degree greater than two
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0268 Restoration of optical paths, e.g. p-cycles
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0272 Transmission of OAMP information
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0275 using an optical service channel
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0284 WDM mesh architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0295 Shared protection at the optical channel (1:1, n:m)
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/006 Fault tolerance and recovery

Abstract

Systems and methods are in a node in a network utilizing a control plane for triggering mesh restoration due to intra-node faults, and include monitoring at least one channel at a degree at a plurality of degrees associated with the node; detecting a fault on the at least one channel, wherein the fault is an intra-node fault upstream of the degree; and transmitting a channel fault indicator downstream of the fault to at least one downstream node along a path of the faulted channel, wherein restoration is triggered based on the channel fault indicator.

Claims

1. A method implemented in a node in a network utilizing a control plane for triggering mesh restoration due to an intra-node fault, the method comprising:

monitoring at least one channel at a degree of a plurality of degrees associated with the node;

detecting a fault on the at least one channel, wherein the fault is an intra-node fault upstream of the degree; and

transmitting a channel fault indicator downstream of the fault to at least one downstream node along a path of the faulted channel, wherein restoration is triggered based on the channel fault indicator,

wherein the fault is an intra-node fault that affects degree-to-degree connectivity and comprises any of a fiber fault, a power failure on a shelf or on active components of an associated degree, and a loss of communication with a control plane processor, and

wherein the channel fault indicator includes information related to the intra-node fault to identify the intra-node fault by the control plane including an identifier of the node and direction information for the degree-to-degree connectivity.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the restoration comprises rerouting the faulted channel exclusive of the fault which is internal to the node.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a rerouted path for the faulted channel can still traverse the node through other non-faulted degrees exclusive of the fault.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of degrees are implemented in separate hardware such that the fault is a partial failure of one part of the separate hardware.

5. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving a second channel fault indicator from an upstream node for a second channel; and

transmitting the second channel fault indicator downstream of the second fault to at least one remaining downstream node along a path of the second faulted channel and suppressing a subsequent channel fault indicator from the node.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein each degree comprises one of i) an Optical Service Channel (OSC) and ii) equipment for signaling over a signaling channel or in-band, for communication to associated adjacent nodes, wherein the transmitting is over the OSC, the signaling channel, or in-band.

7. An apparatus disposed in a node in a network utilizing a control plane for triggering mesh restoration due to an intra-node fault, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to monitor at least one channel at a degree of a plurality of degrees associated with the node;

circuitry configured to detect a fault on the at least one channel, wherein the fault is an intra-node fault upstream of the degree; and

circuitry configured to cause transmission of a channel fault indicator downstream of the fault to at least one downstream node along a path of the faulted channel, wherein restoration is triggered based on the channel fault indicator,

wherein the fault is an intra-node fault that affects degree-to-degree connectivity and comprises any of a fiber fault, a power failure on a shelf or on active components of an associated degree, and a loss of communication with a control plane processor, and

wherein the channel fault indicator includes information related to the intra-node fault to identify the intra-node fault by the control plane including an identifier of the node and direction information for the degree-to-degree connectivity.

8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the restoration comprises rerouting the faulted channel exclusive of the fault which is internal to the node.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein a rerouted path for the faulted channel can still traverse the node through other non-faulted degrees exclusive of the fault.

10. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the plurality of degrees are implemented in separate hardware such that the fault is a partial failure of one part of the separate hardware.

11. The apparatus of claim 7, comprising:

circuitry configured to receive a second channel fault indicator from an upstream node for a second channel; and

circuitry configured to cause transmission of the second channel fault indicator downstream of the second fault to at least one remaining downstream node along a path of the second faulted channel and suppressing a subsequent channel fault indicator from the node.

12. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein each degree comprises one of i) an Optical Service Channel (OSC) and ii) equipment for signaling over a signaling channel or in-band, for communication to associated adjacent nodes, wherein the transmission is over the OSC, the signaling channel, or in-band.

13. An apparatus disposed in a node in a network utilizing a control plane for triggering mesh restoration due to an intra-node fault, the apparatus comprising:

circuitry configured to monitor at least one channel at a degree of a plurality of degrees associated with the node;

circuitry configured to detect a fault on the at least one channel, wherein the fault is an intra-node fault upstream of the degree;

circuitry configured to cause transmission of a channel fault indicator downstream of the fault to at least one downstream node along a path of the faulted channel, wherein restoration is triggered based on the channel fault indicator;

circuitry configured to receive a second channel fault indicator from an upstream node for a second channel; and

circuitry configured to cause transmission of the second channel fault indicator downstream of the second fault to at least one remaining downstream node along a path of the second faulted channel and suppressing a subsequent channel fault indicator from the node.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the restoration comprises rerouting the faulted channel exclusive of the fault which is internal to the node.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein a rerouted path for the faulted channel can still traverse the node through other non-faulted degrees exclusive of the fault.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the plurality of degrees are implemented in separate hardware such that the fault is a partial failure of one part of the separate hardware.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein each degree comprises one of i) an Optical Service Channel (OSC) and ii) equipment for signaling over a signaling channel or in-band, for communication to associated adjacent nodes, wherein the transmission is over the OSC, the signaling channel, or in-band.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the fault is an intra-node fault that affects degree-to-degree connectivity and comprises any of a fiber fault, a power failure on a shelf or on active components of an associated degree, and a loss of communication with a control plane processor.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the channel fault indicator includes information related to the intra-node fault to identify the intra-node fault by the control plane.