Robust mesh transport network comprising conjoined rings

• US 20030063617A1
• Filed: 10/31/2002
• Published: 04/03/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 07/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bay Microsystems, Inc. (Vcinity, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Bay Microsystems, Inc. (Vcinity, Inc.)
• Inventors: Srivivasan, Santhanam, Raguram, Sasisekharan, Limaye, Pradeep Shrikrishna
• Granted Patent: US 8,625,411 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/406
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0042 Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/006 Fault tolerance and recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/085 for ring networks, e.g. SDH/SONET rings, self-healing rings, meashed SDH/SONET networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/4637 Interconnected ring systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/00 Network arrangements, protocols or services for addressing or naming

Abstract

A mesh network architecture is disclosed whose protected services can be restored quickly after the failure of a network element (i.e., a network node, a network transmission facility). Furthermore, the protected services can be restored after all single and most multiple network-element failures as quickly as a ring network can recover from a single network-element failure. And still furthermore, the illustrative embodiment is also advantageous in that it can be administered and maintained, for most purposes, as a collection of distinct ring networks. Embodiments of the present invention can use any protocol or transmission technology (e.g., wavelength division multiplexing, SONET/SDH, ATM, etc.). Furthermore, embodiments of the present invention distinguish between the transport function, the provisioning function, and the fault notification functions of a network and provide that each of the functions can be accomplished by different networks using different protocols.

Claims

1. A telecommunications system comprising:

a mesh transport network that comprises a plurality of nodes and a plurality of communications links, wherein said mesh transport network defines a first address space, wherein each of said plurality of nodes has a unique address in said first address space and a unique address in at least one ring network, and wherein each of said plurality of communications links is associated with at least one ring network; and

a provisioning network that is logically distinct from said mesh transport network for controlling said plurality of nodes.

2. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein said provisioning network is at least partially physically distinct from said mesh transport network and has the same topology as said mesh transport network.

3. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein said provisioning network is at least partially physically distinct from said mesh transport network and has a different topology than said mesh transport network.

4. The telecommunications network of claim 1 wherein said mesh transport network uses wavelength division multiplexing.

5. The telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising a fault notification network that is logically unified with said provisioning network.

6. The telecommunications network of claim 1 further comprising a fault notification network that is logically distinct from said mesh transport network for notifying at least one of said plurality of nodes of a fault in said mesh transport network.

7. The telecommunications network of claim 6 wherein said fault notification network is at least partially physically distinct from said mesh transport network and has the same topology as said mesh transport network.

8. The telecommunications network of claim 6 wherein said fault notification network is at least partially physically distinct from said mesh transport network and has a different topology than said mesh transport network.

9. The telecommunications network of claim 6 wherein said fault notification network is at least partially physically distinct from said provisioning network and has the same topology as said provisioning network.

10. The telecommunications network of claim 6 wherein said fault notification network is at least partially physically distinct from said provisioning network and has a different topology than said provisioning network.

11. The telecommunications network of claim 6 wherein said fault notification network uses SONET/SDH.

12. The telecommunications network of claim 6 wherein said provisioning network uses the Internet Protocol.

13. A telecommunications system comprising:

a mesh transport network that comprises a plurality of nodes, wherein said mesh transport network defines an address space, wherein each of said plurality of nodes has a unique address in said first address space, and wherein each of said plurality of nodes also has a unique address in at least one ring network; and

a fault notification network that is logically distinct from said mesh for notifying at least one of said plurality of nodes of a fault in said mesh transport network.

14. The telecommunications system of claim 13 wherein a notification of a fault in said mesh transport network comprises an indicium of which ring networks are affected by said fault.

15. The telecommunications system of claim 13 wherein a notification of a fault in said mesh transport network comprises an indicium of the surviving extent of at least one ring network.

16. The telecommunications system of claim 13 wherein said fault notification network is at least partially physically distinct from said mesh transport network and has the same topology as said mesh transport network.

17. The telecommunications network of claim 13 wherein said fault notification network is at least partially physically distinct from said mesh transport network and has a different topology than said mesh transport network.

18. The telecommunications network of claim 13 wherein said mesh transport network uses wavelength division multiplexing and said fault notification network uses SONET/SDH.

19. The telecommunications network of claim 13 further comprising a provisioning network that is logically distinct from said mesh transport network for controlling said plurality of nodes.

20. The telecommunications network of claim 19 wherein said provisioning network is at least partially physically distinct from said mesh transport network and has a different topology than said mesh transport network.