Network switch and optical transponder connectivity verification for wavelength division multiplexing network

• US 10,608,774 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2018
• Issued: 03/31/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 07/27/2018
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Tse, Simon, Birk, Martin, Vachhani, Shweta, Tse, Kathleen
• Primary Examiner(s): Vanderpuye, Kenneth N
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanchez, Dibson J
• Application Number:
  US16/047,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20200036467A1
• Time in Patent Office: 613 Days
• Field of Search: 398 1- 38, 398 43-103
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/25 Arrangements specific to fibre transmission
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/02 Wavelength-division multiplex systems
• 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 14/02122 Colourless, directionless or contentionless [CDC] arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0016 using wavelength multiplexing or demultiplexing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0079 Operation or maintenance aspects

Abstract

Devices, computer-readable media and methods are disclosed for verifying that an optical transmit/receive device is correctly installed. For example, a processing system including at least one processor may activate a first light source of an optical transmit/receive device of a telecommunication network and detect a receiving of a light from the first light source at a port of an optical add/drop multiplexer of the telecommunication network. The processing system may then verify the optical transmit/receive device and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match a network provisioning order, when the receiving of the light from the first light source is detected, and may generate an indication that the optical transmit/receive device is correctly installed, when the optical transmit/receive device and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

activating, by a processing system including at least one processor, a first light source of an optical transmit/receive device of a telecommunication network, wherein the processing system includes the optical transmit/receive device, and wherein the first light source is activated by the optical transmit/receive device in response to the optical transmit/receive device being powered on;

detecting, by the processing system, a receiving of a light from the first light source at a port of an optical add/drop multiplexer of the telecommunication network via a notification from the optical add/drop multiplexer, wherein the optical transmit/receive device comprises a transponder coupled to the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer and to a network switch;

activating a second light source at one of;

the optical transmit/receive device or the network switch;

detecting a receiving of a light from the second light source at a different one of;

the optical transmit/receive device or the network switch;

verifying, by the processing system, the optical transmit/receive device and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match a network provisioning order, in response to the detecting of the receiving of the light from the first light source, wherein the verifying further comprises;

verifying the optical transmit/receive device and the network switch match the network provisioning order, when the receiving of the light from the second light source is detected; and

generating, by the processing system, an indication that the optical transmit/receive device is correctly installed, when both;

the optical transmit/receive device and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order; and

the optical transmit/receive device and the network switch match the network provisioning order.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

activating a third light source at the different one of;

the optical transmit/receive device or the network switch; and

detecting a receiving of a light from the third light source at the one of;

the optical transmit/receive device or the network switch.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the verifying further comprises:

verifying that the optical transmit/receive device and the network switch match the network provisioning order, when both;

the receiving of the light from the second light source is detected; and

the receiving of the light from the third light source is detected.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the indication comprises at least one of:

an entry in a network provisioning system;

a visual indication or an audio indication via at least one of;

the optical transmit/receive device;

the optical add/drop multiplexer;

the network switch;

or

a device of a network technician.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

routing a light from a fourth light source of the telecommunication network to the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer; and

detecting a receiving of the light from the fourth light source at the optical transmit/receive device, wherein the verifying comprises;

verifying that the optical transmit/receive device and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order, when both;

the receiving of the light from the first light source is detected; and

the receiving of the light from the fourth light source is detected.

6. A method comprising:

activating, by a processing system including at least one processor, a first light source of an optical transponder of a telecommunication network, wherein the processing system includes the optical transponder, and wherein the first light source is activated by the optical transponder in response to the optical transponder being powered on;

detecting, by the processing system, a receiving of a light from the first light source at a network switch of the telecommunication network via a notification from the network switch;

activating a second light source at the optical transponder;

detecting a receiving of a light from the second light source at a port of an optical add/drop multiplexer of the telecommunication network;

verifying, by the processing system, the optical transponder and the network switch match a network provisioning order, in response to the detecting of the receiving of the light from the first light source, wherein the verifying further comprises;

verifying the optical transponder and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order, when the receiving of the light from the second light source is detected; and

generating, by the processing system, an indication that the optical transponder is correctly installed, when both;

the optical transponder and the network switch match the network provisioning order; and

the optical transponder and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

activating a third light source at the network switch; and

detecting a receiving of a light from the third light source at the optical transponder.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the verifying comprises:

verifying that the optical transponder and the network switch match the network provisioning order, when both;

the receiving of the light from the first light source is detected; and

the receiving of the light from the third light source is detected.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

routing a light from a fourth light source of the telecommunication network to the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer; and

detecting a receiving of the light from the fourth light source at the optical transponder, wherein the verifying comprises;

verifying that the optical transponder and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order, when both;

the receiving of the light from the second light source is detected; and

the receiving of the light from the fourth light source is detected.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the indication comprises at least one of:

an entry in a network provisioning system;

a visual indication or an audio indication via at least one of;

the optical transponder;

the network switch;

the optical add/drop multiplexer;

or

a device of a network technician.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by a processing system including at least one processor, cause the processing system to perform operations, the operations comprising:

activating a first light source of an optical transponder of a telecommunication network, wherein the processing system includes the optical transponder, and wherein the first light source is activated by the optical transponder in response to the optical transponder being powered on;

detecting a receiving of a light from the first light source at a network switch of the telecommunication network via a notification from the network switch;

activating a second light source at the optical transponder;

detecting a receiving of a light from the second light source at a port of an optical add/drop multiplexer of the telecommunication network;

verifying the optical transponder and the network switch match a network provisioning order, in response to the detecting of the receiving of the light from the first light source, wherein the verifying further comprises;

verifying the optical transponder and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order, when the receiving of the light from the second light source is detected; and

generating an indication that the optical transponder is correctly installed, when both;

the optical transponder and the network switch match the network provisioning order; and

the optical transponder and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

activating a third light source at the network switch; and

detecting a receiving of a light from the third light source at the optical transponder.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 12, wherein the verifying comprises:

verifying that the optical transponder and the network switch match the network provisioning order, when both;

the receiving of the light from the first light source is detected; and

the receiving of the light from the third light source is detected.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise:

routing a light from a fourth light source of the telecommunication network to the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer; and

detecting a receiving of the light from the fourth light source at the optical transponder, wherein the verifying comprises;

verifying that the optical transponder and the port of the optical add/drop multiplexer match the network provisioning order, when both;

the receiving of the light from the second light source is detected; and

the receiving of the light from the fourth light source is detected.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11, wherein the indication comprises at least one of:

an entry in a network provisioning system;

a visual indication or an audio indication via at least one of;

the optical transponder;

the network switch;

the optical add/drop multiplexer;

or

a device of a network technician.