Method and System for Designing a Network

• US 20090028559A1
• Filed: 07/26/2007
• Published: 01/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Knowledge Ventures, L.P. (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Kaiyan, Ou, Canhui, Li, Jian
• Application Number:
  US11/828,674
• Publication Number:
  US 20090028559A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/45
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0227 Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0238 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-many, e.g. multicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0241 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-one, e.g. unicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0278 WDM optical network architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/028 WDM bus architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0283 WDM ring architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/145 involving simulating, designing, planning or modelling of a network
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/12 Shortest path evaluation
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/1287 with disjoint nodes

Abstract

A design of a network is determined to connect a plurality of central offices (COs) to a video hub office (VHO) using a plurality of fiber path pairs, respectively. In the design, each of the fiber path pairs is a lowest-cost, node-disjoint path pair between its respective one of the COs and the VHO independent of a cost of adding new fiber to the network. The design is modified to reduce the cost of adding new fiber to the network by re-routing traffic from at least one of the fiber path pairs to at least one other fiber path pair.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

determining a design of a network to connect a plurality of central offices (COs) to a video hub office (VHO) using a plurality of fiber path pairs, respectively, wherein each of the fiber path pairs is a lowest-cost, node-disjoint path pair between its respective one of the COs and the VHO independent of a cost of adding new fiber to the network;

modifying the design to reduce the cost of adding new fiber to the network by re-routing traffic from at least one of the fiber path pairs to at least one other fiber path pair; and

outputting the modified design.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said modifying the design comprises:

(a) selecting a fiber span that has an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design;

(b) selecting a CO from those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span; and

(c) re-routing the CO with the VHO using a different fiber path pair that reduces the cost adding new fiber to the network.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said modifying the design further comprises:

(d) repeating (b) and (c) for at least another CO from those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein (d) comprises repeating (b) and (c) until the associated cost of adding new fiber to the fiber span is zero.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein said selecting the CO is ordered by an increasing needed fiber value of those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span.

6. The method of claim 2 wherein said modifying the design further comprises:

(e) repeating (a), (b), (c) and (d) for each other fiber span having an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein said selecting the fiber span is ordered by an increasing difference between a needed fiber value and a spare fiber value of fiber spans having an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design.

8. The method of claim 2 wherein said re-routing the CO comprises selecting the different path pair to be a shortest path pair between the CO and the VHO that does not traverse the fiber span and does not lead to a new cost of adding new fiber.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

deploying the modified design of the network.

10. A computer-readable medium encoded with a computer program, the computer program to cause a computer system to perform acts of:

determining a design of a network to connect a plurality of central offices (COs) to a video hub office (VHO) using a plurality of fiber path pairs, respectively, wherein each of the fiber path pairs is a lowest-cost, node-disjoint path pair between its respective one of the COs and the VHO independent of a cost of adding new fiber to the network;

modifying the design to reduce the cost of adding new fiber to the network by re-routing traffic from at least one of the fiber path pairs to at least one other fiber path pair; and

outputting the modified design.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein said modifying the design comprises:

(a) selecting a fiber span that has an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design;

(b) selecting a CO from those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span; and

(c) re-routing the CO with the VHO using a different fiber path pair that reduces the cost adding new fiber to the network.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein said modifying the design further comprises:

(d) repeating (b) and (c) for at least another CO from those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein (d) comprises repeating (b) and (c) until the associated cost of adding new fiber to the fiber span is zero.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein said selecting the CO is ordered by an increasing needed fiber value of those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein said modifying the design further comprises:

(e) repeating (a), (b), (c) and (d) for each other fiber span having an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 wherein said selecting the fiber span is ordered by an increasing difference between a needed fiber value and a spare fiber value of fiber spans having an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 11 wherein said re-routing the CO comprises selecting the different path pair to be a shortest path pair between the CO and the VHO that does not traverse the fiber span and does not lead to a new cost of adding new fiber.

18. A computer system programmed to perform acts of:

determining a design of a network to connect a plurality of central offices (COs) to a video hub office (VHO) using a plurality of fiber path pairs, respectively, wherein each of the fiber path pairs is a lowest-cost, node-disjoint path pair between its respective one of the COs and the VHO independent of a cost of adding new fiber to the network;

modifying the design to reduce the cost of adding new fiber to the network by re-routing traffic from at least one of the fiber path pairs to at least one other fiber path pair; and

outputting the modified design.

19. The computer system of claim 18 wherein said modifying the design comprises:

(a) selecting a fiber span that has an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design;

(b) selecting a CO from those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span; and

(c) re-routing the CO with the VHO using a different fiber path pair that reduces the cost adding new fiber to the network.

20. A system comprising:

a video hub office (VHO);

a plurality of central offices (COs); and

a network to connect the plurality of COs to the VHO, the network being designed by;

determining a design of a network to connect a plurality of central offices (COs) to a video hub office (VHO) using a plurality of fiber path pairs, respectively, wherein each of the fiber path pairs is a lowest-cost, node-disjoint path pair between its respective one of the COs and the VHO independent of a cost of adding new fiber to the network;

modifying the design to reduce the cost of adding new fiber to the network by re-routing traffic from at least one of the fiber path pairs to at least one other fiber path pair.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein said modifying the design comprises:

(a) selecting a fiber span that has an associated cost of adding new fiber in the design;

(b) selecting a CO from those of the COs whose fiber path pairs traverse the fiber span; and

(c) re-routing the CO with the VHO using a different fiber path pair that reduces the cost adding new fiber to the network.