Method for routing information over a network

• US 20050201380A1
• Filed: 02/09/2005
• Published: 09/15/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ali Najib Saleh, Haig Michael Zadikian, Vahid Parsi, Zareh Baghdasarian
• Original Assignee: Ali Najib Saleh, Haig Michael Zadikian, Vahid Parsi, Zareh Baghdasarian
• Inventors: Parsi, Vahid, Baghdasarian, Zareh, Zadikian, Haig Michael, Saleh, Ali Najib
• Granted Patent: US 7,424,035 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/395.200
• 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: H04L 45/02 Topology update or discovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/04 Interdomain routing, e.g. hierarchical routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/28 using route fault recovery
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/32 Flooding denial of service attacks H04L63/1458
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/62 Wavelength based optical switching H04Q11/0062
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0098 Mesh

Abstract

A method of operating an optical network is described. The network includes a number of nodes connected by a number of links. A method according to the present invention provisions a virtual path between a first and a second one of the plurality of nodes by: identifying the first and the second nodes, discovering a physical path from the first node to the second node, and establishing the virtual path. The method discovers a physical path from the first node to the second node by automatically identifying nodes forming the physical path. The method establishes the virtual path by configuring a set of connections between the nodes forming the physical path.

Claims

1-37. -37. (canceled)

38. A method comprising:

provisioning at least a portion of a virtual path, comprising

transmitting a request message from a first node of a network to a second node of said network,

receiving a response message at said first node, in response to said request message, and

configuring at least one physical connection in response to said receiving said response message.

39. The method of claim 38, wherein

said at least one physical connection is between said first node and said second node.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein

a first physical path comprises said at least one physical connection, and

said first physical path comprises said first node and said second node.

41. The method of claim 38, further comprising:

receiving an incoming request message from a first intermediary node comprising a first physical path between said source node and said destination node, wherein

said at least one physical connection is between said first intermediary node and said second intermediary node.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein

said request message is transmitted to a second intermediary node,

said first physical path comprises said second intermediary node;

said response message is received from said second intermediary node;

said at least one physical connection is configured between said first intermediary node and said second intermediary node.

43. The method of claim 42, wherein

said receiving said request message comprises receiving said request message on a first intermediary link corresponding to said first intermediary node;

said receiving said response message comprises receiving said response message on a second intermediary link corresponding to said second intermediary node; and

said provisioning further comprises

allocating bandwidth on said first intermediary link and said second intermediary link once said request message has been received; and

committing said bandwidth to said virtual path once said response message has been received.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein said provisioning further comprises:

allocating bandwidth on a third intermediary link corresponding to a third intermediary node comprising a second physical path between said source node and said destination node once said request message has been received; and

de-allocating said bandwidth on said third intermediary link once said response message has been received.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said provisioning further comprises:

maintaining topology data at said first node, wherein

said topology data represents a topology of at least a portion of said network.

46. The method of claim 45, further comprising:

using said topology data to accomplish said provisioning.

47. The method of claim 46, wherein said provisioning further comprises:

identifying said second intermediary node and said third intermediary node using said topology data once said request message has been received.

48. The method of claim 42, further comprising:

detecting a failure within said network, wherein said failure affects said virtual path; and

restoring said virtual path following said failure, wherein said restoring comprises said provisioning.

49. An apparatus comprising:

means for provisioning at least a portion of a virtual path between a source node and a destination node of said network using topology data, wherein said means for provisioning comprises;

means for receiving a request message from a first intermediary node comprising a first physical path between said source node and said destination node;

means for transmitting a copy of said request message to a second intermediary node comprising said first physical path;

means for receiving a response message from said second intermediary node in response to said request message; and

means for configuring at least one physical connection between said first intermediary node and said second intermediary node in response to said response message.

50. The apparatus of claim 49, wherein

means for maintaining said topology data.

51. The apparatus of claim 50, wherein

said means for receiving said request message comprises means for receiving said request message on a first intermediary link corresponding to said first intermediary node;

said means for receiving said response message comprises means for receiving said response message on a second intermediary link corresponding to said second intermediary node; and

said means for provisioning further comprises

means for allocating bandwidth on said first intermediary link and said second intermediary link once said request message has been received; and

means for committing said bandwidth to said virtual path once said response message has been received.

52. The apparatus of claim 51, wherein said means for provisioning further comprises:

means for allocating bandwidth on a third intermediary link corresponding to a third intermediary node comprising a second physical path between said source node and said destination node once said request message has been received; and

means for de-allocating said bandwidth on said third intermediary link once said response message has been received.

53. The apparatus of claim 52, wherein said means for provisioning further comprises:

means for identifying said second intermediary node and said third intermediary node using said data once said request message has been received.

54. The apparatus of claim 50, further comprising:

means for detecting a failure within said network associated with said virtual path; and

means for restoring said virtual path following said failure, wherein said means for restoring comprises said means for provisioning.

55. A computer program product encoded in computer readable media, the computer program product comprising:

a first set of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to provision at least a portion of a virtual path between a source node and a destination node of said network using said data, wherein said first instructions comprise;

a first subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to receive a request message from a first intermediary node comprising a first physical path between said source node and said destination node;

a second subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to transmit a copy of said request message to a second intermediary node comprising said first physical path;

a third subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to receive a response message from said second intermediary node in response to said request message; and

a fourth subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to configure at least one physical connection between said first intermediary node and said second intermediary node in response to said receiving said response message.

56. The computer program product of claim 55, wherein

second instructions, executable by a processor, configured to maintain data representing a topology of a network.

57. The computer program product of claim 56, wherein

said first subset of instructions comprises a first sub-subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to receive said request message on a first intermediary link corresponding to said first intermediary node;

said third subset of instructions comprises a first sub-subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to receive said response message on a second intermediary link corresponding to said second intermediary node; and

said first set of instructions further comprises

a fifth subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to allocate bandwidth on said first intermediary link and said second intermediary link once said request message has been received; and

a sixth subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to commit said bandwidth to said virtual path once said response message has been received.

58. The computer program product of claim 57, wherein said first set of instructions further comprises:

a seventh subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to allocate bandwidth on a third intermediary link corresponding to a third intermediary node comprising a second physical path between said source node and said destination node once said request message has been received; and

a eighth subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to de-allocate said bandwidth on said third intermediary link once said response message has been received.

59. The computer program product of claim 58, wherein said first set of instructions further comprises:

a ninth subset of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to identify said second intermediary node and said third intermediary node using said data once said request message has been received.

60. The computer program product of claim 56, further comprising:

a third set of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to detect a failure within said network associated with said virtual path; and

a fourth set of instructions, executable by said processor, configured to restore said virtual path following said failure, wherein said fourth set of instructions comprises said first set of instructions.