MONITORING OF IP MULTICAST DELIVERY OVER AN OPTICAL NETWORK

• US 20160380857A1
• Filed: 06/23/2015
• Published: 12/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel-Lucent USA, Inc. (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Wang, Shengqiang, Sharma, Ranjan
• Granted Patent: US 9,800,960 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/185 with management of multicast group membership
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1863 comprising mechanisms for improved reliability, e.g. status reports arrangements for detecting or preventing errors by carrying supervisory signal the return channel H04L1/16
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/06 Generation of reports
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0835 One way packet loss
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• 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 2011/0047 Broadcast; Multicast
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0083 Testing; Monitoring

Abstract

Apparatus and method for monitoring IP multicast delivery. One embodiment comprises an Optical Line Termination (OLT) device that includes a Network Termination (NT) device that connects to a core network, and a plurality of Line Termination (LT) devices that connect to an optical distribution network. The NT device generates an IP multicast monitoring stream directed to a group address, and transmits the monitoring stream to the LT devices. The LT devices then monitor for packets directed to the group address. When an LT device detects a loss of one or more packets directed to the group address, the LT device reports packet loss for the IP multicast monitoring stream to the NT device.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

an Optical Line Termination (OLT) device comprising;

a Network Termination (NT) device configured to connect to a core network; and

a plurality of Line Termination (LT) devices configured to connect to optical fibers of an optical distribution network;

the NT device includes a monitoring device configured to generate an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast monitoring stream directed to a group address, and to transmit the IP multicast monitoring stream to the LT devices;

the LT devices are configured to monitor for packets directed to the group address;

an LT device is configured to detect a loss of at least one packet directed to the group address, and to report packet loss for the IP multicast monitoring stream to the monitoring device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

after reporting the packet loss, the LT device is configured to detect that packets directed to the group address are successfully received over a time interval, and to report to the monitoring device that the packet loss detected by the LT device has ended.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the monitoring device is configured to send a control message to the LT devices indicating the group address for the IP multicast monitoring stream.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the IP multicast monitoring stream is unencrypted; and

each of the packets of the IP multicast monitoring stream includes a sequence number and a timestamp.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the LT device is configured to forward the IP multicast monitoring stream over an optical fiber to an Optical Network Termination (ONT) device at a customer premises, to receive a message from the ONT device indicating packet loss for the IP multicast monitoring stream detected by the ONT device, and to report the packet loss detected by the ONT device to the NT device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

the LT device is configured to receive a message from the ONT device indicating that the packet loss has ended for the IP multicast monitoring stream, and to report that the packet loss detected by the ONT device has ended.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 wherein:

an interface between the LT devices and the ONT device comprises an ONT Management and Control Interface (OMCI) defined by the International Telegraph Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T); and

the OMCI includes a new attribute for indicating the group address for the IP multicast monitoring stream, and a new attribute for indicating the packet loss detected by the ONT device.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein:

the NT device connects to the LT device over a plurality of links; and

the monitoring device is configured to transmit the IP multicast monitoring stream to the LT device over each link one at a time for a defined interval.

9. A method for monitoring Internet Protocol (IP) multicast delivery in an Optical Line Termination (OLT) device, wherein the OLT device includes a Network Termination (NT) device configured to connect to a core network, and a plurality of Line Termination (LT) devices configured to connect to optical fibers of an optical distribution network, the method comprising:

generating, at the NT device, an IP multicast monitoring stream directed to a group address;

transmitting the IP multicast monitoring stream from the NT device to the LT devices;

monitoring for packets directed to the group address at the LT devices;

detecting a loss of at least one packet directed to the group address at an LT device; and

reporting packet loss for the IP multicast monitoring stream detected at the LT device to the NT device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein:

after reporting the packet loss, the method further comprises;

detecting, at the LT device, that packets directed to the group address are successfully received over a time interval; and

reporting, from the LT device to the NT device, that the packet loss detected by the LT device has ended.

11. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

sending a control message from the NT device to the LT devices indicating the group address for the IP multicast monitoring stream.

12. The method of claim 9 wherein:

the IP multicast monitoring stream is unencrypted; and

each of the packets of the IP multicast monitoring stream includes a sequence number and a timestamp.

13. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

forwarding the IP multicast monitoring stream from the LT device over an optical fiber to an Optical Network Termination (ONT) device at a customer premises;

receiving, at the LT device, a message from the ONT device indicating packet loss for the IP multicast monitoring stream detected by the ONT device; and

reporting, from the LT device to the NT device, the packet loss detected by the ONT device.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving, at the LT device, a message from the ONT device indicating that the packet loss has ended for the IP multicast monitoring stream; and

reporting, from the LT device to the NT device, that the packet loss detected by the ONT device has ended.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein:

an interface between the LT devices and the ONT device comprises an ONT Management and Control Interface (OMCI) defined by the International Telegraph Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T); and

the OMCI includes a new attribute for indicating the group address for the IP multicast monitoring stream, and a new attribute for indicating the packet loss detected by the ONT device.

16. The method of claim 9 wherein the NT device connects to the LT device over a plurality of links, and further comprising:

transmitting the IP multicast monitoring stream from the NT device to the LT device over each link one at a time for a defined interval.

17. An apparatus comprising:

an Optical Network Termination (ONT) device at a customer premises that connects with an Optical Line Termination (OLT) device over an optical fiber;

the ONT device configured to monitor for packets of an Internet Protocol (IP) multicast monitoring stream that are directed to a group address, to detect a loss of at least one packet directed to the group address, and to transmit a message to the OLT device indicating packet loss for the IP multicast monitoring stream.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

after indicating the packet loss, the ONT device is configured to detect that packets directed to the group address are successfully received over a time interval, and to transmit a message to the OLT device indicating that the packet loss has ended for the IP multicast monitoring stream.

19. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

the ONT device is configured to receive a control message from the OLT device indicating the group address for the IP multicast monitoring stream.

20. The apparatus of claim 17 wherein:

an interface between the ONT device and the OLT device comprises an ONT Management and Control Interface (OMCI) defined by the International Telegraph Union Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T); and

the OMCI includes a new attribute for indicating the group address for the IP multicast monitoring stream, and a new attribute for indicating the packet loss detected by the ONT device.