Unified Network Management of Hybrid Fiber Coaxial (HFC) Network

• US 20120257893A1
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Published: 10/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/05/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avago Technologies International Sales Pte Limited (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Broadcom Corporation (Broadcom, Inc.)
• Inventors: Boyd, Edward Wayne, Bahm, Ernie, Danzig, Joel I., Gardner, Rennie, Davis, Lawrence Drew
• Granted Patent: US 8,977,126 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/58
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/27 Arrangements for networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/2801 Broadband local area networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0226 Mapping or translating multiple network management protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0067 Provisions for optical access or distribution networks, e.g. Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GE-PON), ATM-based Passive Optical Network (A-PON), PON-Ring
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0079 Operation or maintenance aspects

Abstract

Embodiments enable a network operator to use any (and a single) network management system (NMS) that it desires to manage a network having mixed fiber to the home optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems. For example, embodiments enable a cable company operator to use a DOCSIS (Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification) NMS (which the cable company already uses to manage its DOCSIS network) to manage such mixed network, by a simple addition of a DOCSIS Mediation Layer (DML) module between the NMS and the optical line terminal (OLT). On the other hand, embodiments enable a telephone company operator to use a standard EPON (Ethernet Passive Optical Network) OLT NMS with minor OLT and OAM (Operations, Administration, and Maintenance) protocol modifications to manage the same mixed network.

Claims

1. A system for unified management of fiber connected optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems (CMs) in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, comprising:

a network management system (NMS) having a host interface operable to issue a management command to a fiber connected ONU or to a coaxial connected CM of the HFC;

an Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) optical line terminal (OLT) module, coupled to the NMS, that generates an EPON Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) message based on the management command issued by the NMS; and

a coaxial media converter (CMC), coupled to the CM, that receives the EPON OAM message when it is issued for the CM and that converts the EPON OAM message to a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) OAM message.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the host interface uses a common management command format whether issuing the management command to the fiber connected ONU or the coaxial connected CM.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the common management command format includes a label field to indicate whether the management command is intended for the fiber connected ONU or the coaxial connected CM.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the host interface is further operable to issue the management command to the CMC, and wherein the host interface uses the common management command format when issuing the management command to the CMC.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the EPON OAM message includes a CM context field when the management command issued by the NMS is intended for the CM.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the CMC terminates an EPON OAM logical link with the EPON OLT module.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the CM supports a DOCSIS OAM protocol.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the NMS and the OLT module are located in separate sub-systems.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the NMS and the EPON OLT module are integrated in an OLT system.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the NMS is a standard EPON OLT NMS.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the NMS is a proprietary EPON OLT NMS.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the NMS is a non-EPON OLT NMS.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising:

an OLT mediation module that translates between the non-EPON OLT NMS and the EPON OLT module.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the NMS is a DOCSIS NMS, and wherein the OLT mediation module includes a DOCSIS mediation layer (DML) module.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the OLT mediation module is integrated within the EPON OLT module.

16. A method for enabling unified management of fiber connected optical network units (ONUs) and coaxial connected cable modems (CMs) in a hybrid fiber coaxial (HFC) network, comprising:

receiving a management command from a network management system (NMS), the management command intended for a fiber connected ONU or to a coaxial connected CM of the HFC;

generating an Ethernet Passive Optical Network (EPON) Operations, Administration, and Maintenance (OAM) message based on the management command, wherein the EPON OAM message includes a CM context field when the management command is intended for the coaxial connected CM; and

sending the EPON OAM message to a coaxial media converter (CMC) that serves the CM when the management command is intended for the coaxial connected CM.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the management command has a common format whether intended for the fiber connected ONU or the coaxial connected CM.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the NMS is a non-EPON OLT NMS, the method further comprising:

translating the management command from the NMS to an EPON Optical Line Terminal (OLT) host interface command.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

converting the EPON OAM message to a Data Over Cable Service Interface Specification (DOCSIS) OAM message.

20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending the EPON OAM message directly to the fiber connected ONU when the management command is intended for the fiber connected ONU.