Multi-Component Compatible Data Architecture

• US 20080075124A1
• Filed: 04/20/2007
• Published: 03/27/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Futurewei Technologies Incorporated (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: FOURCAND, Serge Francois
• Granted Patent: US 7,675,945 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 370/503
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1611 Synchronous digital hierarchy [SDH] or SONET H04J3/1664 takes precedence for interactions with OTN

Abstract

A backbone network, comprising a first switch comprising a first port configured to communicate a data stream via an Ethernet interface, and a second port configured to communicate the data stream via a SONET/SDH interface, and a second switch comprising a third port configured to receive the data stream from the first switch via the Ethernet interface, wherein the first switch and the second switch are synchronized.

Claims

1. A backbone network, comprising:

a first switch comprising a first port configured to communicate a data stream via an Ethernet interface, and a second port configured to communicate the data stream via a SONET/SDH interface; and

a second switch comprising a third port configured to receive the data stream from the first switch via the Ethernet interface,

wherein the first switch and the second switch are synchronized.

2. The network of claim 1, wherein the first switch and the second switch are phase-aligned.

3. The network of claim 1, further comprising a third switch comprising a fourth port configured to receive the data stream from the first switch via the SONET/SDH interface, wherein the first switch and the third switch are synchronized.

4. The network of claim 3, wherein the first switch and the third switch are phase-aligned.

5. The network of claim 4, wherein the Ethernet interface has a first delay and the SONET/SDH interface has a second delay, and wherein the first delay is not equal to the second delay.

6. The network of claim 1:

wherein the second switch further comprises a fourth port configured to communicate the data stream via a second Ethernet interface,

wherein the network further comprises a third switch comprising a fifth port configured to receive the data stream from the second switch via the second Ethernet interface, and

wherein the third switch is synchronized with the second switch.

7. The network of claim 1:

wherein the second switch further comprises a fourth port configured to communicate the data stream via a second SONET/SDH interface,

wherein the network further comprises a third switch comprising a fifth port configured to receive the data stream from the second switch via the second SONET/SDH interface, and

wherein the third switch is synchronized with the second switch.

8. The network of claim 7:

wherein the second switch further comprises a sixth port configured to communicate the data stream via a second Ethernet interface,

wherein the network further comprises a fourth switch comprising a seventh port configured to receive the data stream from the second switch via the second Ethernet interface, and

wherein the fourth switch is synchronized with the second switch.

9. The network of claim 8, wherein the third switch and the fourth switch are phase-aligned with the second switch.

10. A network component comprising:

a first port configured to communicate a first data stream over an Ethernet interface, the first data stream comprising a first Ethernet packet data and a first time division multiplexed data;

a second port configured to communicate a second data stream over a SONET/SDH interface, the second data stream comprising a second Ethernet packet data and a second time division multiplexed data;

a switching fabric coupled to the first port and the second port and configured to communicate at least some the first data stream and the second data stream between the first port and the second port,

wherein the Ethernet packet data and the time division multiplexed data are not encapsulated.

11. The network component of claim 10, wherein the first time division multiplexed data is the same as the second time division multiplexed data.

12. The network component of claim 10, wherein the switching fabric comprises a first switching fabric configured to switch the first time division multiplexed data and the second time division multiplexed data, and a second switch fabric configured to switch the first Ethernet packet data and the second Ethernet packet data.

13. The network component of claim 10, wherein the first port is configured to receive the first data stream over the Ethernet interface and the second port is configured to send the second data stream over the SONET/SDH interface.

14. The network component of claim 10, wherein the second port is configured to receive the first data stream over the SONET/SDH interface and the first port is configured to send the second data stream over the Ethernet interface.

15. The network component of claim 10, farther comprising a clock, wherein the clock is frequency-synchronized and phase-aligned to a clock in a device in communication with the network component through the Ethernet interface or the SONET/SDH interface.

16. A network comprising:

a first line card configured to send a data stream via an Ethernet interface, wherein the data stream comprises an Ethernet packet data and a time division multiplexed data;

a second line card configured to receive the data stream via the Ethernet interface;

a third line card configured to send the data stream via a SONET/SDH interface; and

a fourth line card configured to receive the data stream via the SONET/SDH interface,

wherein the first line card, the second line card, the third line card, and the fourth line card are synchronized to an absolute time.

17. The network of claim 16, wherein the second line card and the fourth line card are phase-aligned.

18. The network of claim 16, further comprising:

a fifth line card configured to receive the data stream from the second line card via the Ethernet interface and send the data stream via a second SONET/SDH interface;

a switch configured to receive the data stream from the fifth line card via the second SONET/SDH interface, process the data stream, and send the data stream via a third SONET/SDH interface; and

a sixth line card configured to receive the data stream from the switch via the third SONET/SDH interface and send the data stream via a second Ethernet interface,

wherein the fifth line card, the switch, and the sixth line card, are located between the first line card and the second line card.

19. The network of claim 18, further comprising:

a seventh line card configured to receive the data stream from the switch via a fourth SONET/SDH Ethernet interface; and

an eighth line card configured to receive the data stream from the seventh line card via fifth SONET/SDH interface,

wherein the seventh line card is located between the switch and the eighth line card,

wherein the eighth line card is synchronized to an absolute time, and

wherein the reception of the data stream at the second line card, the fourth line card, the sixth line card and the eighth line card are phase-aligned.

20. The backbone network of claim 16, wherein the data stream farther comprises high priority flow data and at least one idle bit subsequent to the high priority flow, wherein a quantity of idle bits is adjusted according to a size of a SONET/SDH payload.