PACKET ROUTING USING OPTICAL SUPERVISORY CHANNEL DATA FOR AN OPTICAL TRANSPORT SYSTEM

• US 20170093487A1
• Filed: 09/30/2015
• Published: 03/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Juniper Networks Incorporated
• Inventors: Grammel, Gert, Di Mola, Domenico, Alleston, Steven B.
• Granted Patent: US 10,284,290 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/038 using bypasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0773 Network aspects, e.g. central monitoring of transmission parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/0777 Monitoring line amplifier or line repeater equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/021 Reconfigurable arrangements, e.g. reconfigurable optical add/drop multiplexers [ROADM] or tunable optical add/drop multiplexers [TOADM]
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0267 Optical signaling or routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/06 Management of faults, events, alarms or notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0661 by reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/22 Alternate routing
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0073 Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0077 Labelling aspects, e.g. multiprotocol label switching [MPLS], G-MPLS, MPAS
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability

Abstract

In some examples, a network device comprises one or more processors operably coupled to a memory, and a routing unit configured for execution by the one or more processors to route data traffic on a layer 3 network overlaying an optical transport system; receive optical supervisory channel data for an optical supervisory channel of the optical transport system; determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates an event affecting transmission or detection of a signal transported by a wavelength, the wavelength traversing an optical fiber of the optical transport system and underlying a link of the layer 3 network; and reconfigure, in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, a configuration of the network device to modify routing operations of the network device with respect to the data traffic on the layer 3 network.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a network device that routes data traffic on a layer 3 network overlaying an optical transport system, optical supervisory channel data for an optical supervisory channel of the optical transport system;

determining, by the network device, the optical supervisory channel data indicates an event affecting transmission or detection of a signal transported by a wavelength, the wavelength traversing an optical fiber of the optical transport system and underlying a link of the layer 3 network; and

reconfiguring, by the network device in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, a configuration of the network device to modify routing operations of the network device with respect to the data traffic on the layer 3 network.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical supervisory channel comprises an in-fiber supervisory channel that is terminated by optical amplifiers of the optical transport system and is transported by a separate wavelength outside of the amplification band of the optical amplifiers.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises triggering a fast reroute operation to cause the network device to subsequently forward traffic on a bypass label switched path for a label switched path that traverses the link, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises inhibiting, by the network device, a fast reroute operation for a label switched path that traverses the link to inhibit the network device from subsequently forwarding traffic on a bypass label switched path for the label switched path, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises modifying, in a routing database, a routing metric associated with the link.

6. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event comprises determining, by the network device, the optical supervisory channel data indicates transient amplifier spontaneous emissions by an optical amplifier for the optical fiber that amplifies optical signals transported by the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises inhibiting, by the network device in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the transient amplifier spontaneous emissions, a fast reroute operation for a label switched path that traverses the link to inhibit the network device from subsequently forwarding traffic on a bypass label switched path for the label switched path, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

7. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event comprises determining, by the network device, the optical supervisory channel data indicates a transient increase or decrease in signal power for the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises inhibiting, by the network device in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the transient amplifier spontaneous emissions, a fast reroute operation for a label switched path that traverses the link to inhibit the network device from subsequently forwarding traffic on a bypass label switched path for the label switched path, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

8. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event comprises determining, by the network device, the optical supervisory channel data indicates a persistent attenuation in signal power for the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises triggering, by the network device in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the persistent attenuation, a fast reroute operation to cause the network device to subsequently forward traffic on a bypass label switched path for a label switched path that traverses the link, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

9. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event comprises determining, by the network device, the optical supervisory channel data indicates a failure of an optical amplifier for the optical fiber that amplifies optical signals transported by the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises triggering, by the network device in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the persistent attenuation, a fast reroute operation to cause the network device to subsequently forward traffic on a bypass label switched path for a label switched path that traverses the link, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

10. The method of claim 1,

wherein determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event comprises determining, by the network device, the optical supervisory channel data includes fiber attenuation data that describes fiber attenuation for one or more fiber sections of the optical transport system and amplifier data that describes amplifiers for the one or more fiber sections, the method further comprising:

determining, based at least on the fiber attenuation data and the amplifier data, a length of an optical path for the wavelength,

wherein reconfiguring the configuration of the network device comprises modifying, in a routing database and based at least on the length of the optical path for the wavelength, a routing metric associated with the link.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the optical transport system comprises a wavelength-division multiplexing network.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the network device comprises a layer 3 router.

13. The method of claim 1,

wherein the optical supervisory channel data comprises first optical supervisory channel data, the method further comprising:

sending, by the network device to a remote network device that routes data traffic on the layer 3 network, an indication of the event by sending, via the optical supervisory channel, second optical supervisory channel data that indicates the event.

14. A network device comprising:

one or more processors operably coupled to a memory;

a routing unit configured for execution by the one or more processors to;

route data traffic on a layer 3 network overlaying an optical transport system;

receive optical supervisory channel data for an optical supervisory channel of the optical transport system;

determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates an event affecting transmission or detection of a signal transported by a wavelength, the wavelength traversing an optical fiber of the optical transport system and underlying a link of the layer 3 network; and

reconfigure, in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, a configuration of the network device to modify routing operations of the network device with respect to the data traffic on the layer 3 network.

15. The network device of claim 14, wherein the optical supervisory channel comprises an in-fiber supervisory channel that is terminated by optical amplifiers of the optical transport system and is transported by a separate wavelength outside of the amplification band of the optical amplifiers.

16. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a fast reroute unit,

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device, the fast reroute unit is configured to trigger a fast reroute operation to cause the network device to subsequently forward traffic on a bypass label switched path for a label switched path that traverses the link, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

17. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a fast reroute unit,

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device the routing unit is configured to inhibit the fast reroute unit from performing a fast reroute operation for a label switched path that traverses the link to inhibit the network device from subsequently forwarding traffic on a bypass label switched path for the label switched path, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

18. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a routing database,

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device the routing unit is configured to modify, in the routing database, a routing metric associated with the link.

19. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a fast reroute unit,

wherein to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, the routing unit is configured to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates transient amplifier spontaneous emissions by an optical amplifier for the optical fiber that amplifies optical signals transported by the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device the routing unit is configured to, in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the transient amplifier spontaneous emissions, inhibit the fast reroute unit from performing a fast reroute operation for a label switched path that traverses the link to inhibit the network device from subsequently forwarding traffic on a bypass label switched path for the label switched path, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

20. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a fast reroute unit,

wherein to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, the routing unit is configured to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates a transient increase or decrease in signal power for the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device the routing unit is configured to, in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the transient amplifier spontaneous emissions, inhibit the fast reroute unit from performing a fast reroute operation for a label switched path that traverses the link to inhibit the network device from subsequently forwarding traffic on a bypass label switched path for the label switched path, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

21. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a fast reroute unit,

wherein to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, the routing unit is configured to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates a persistent attenuation in signal power for the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device, the fast reroute unit is configured to trigger, in response to the routing unit determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the persistent attenuation, a fast reroute operation to cause the network device to subsequently forward traffic on a bypass label switched path for a label switched path that traverses the link, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

22. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a fast reroute unit,

wherein to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, the routing unit is configured to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates a failure of an optical amplifier for the optical fiber that amplifies optical signals transported by the wavelength traversing the optical fiber, and

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device, the fast reroute unit is configured to trigger, in response to the routing unit determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the persistent attenuation, a fast reroute operation to cause the network device to subsequently forward traffic on a bypass label switched path for a label switched path that traverses the link, wherein the bypass label switched path bypasses the link.

23. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a routing database,

wherein to determine the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, the routing unit is configured to determine the optical supervisory channel data includes fiber attenuation data that describes fiber attenuation for one or more fiber sections of the optical transport system and amplifier data that describes amplifiers for the one or more fiber sections,

wherein the routing unit is further configured to determine, based at least on the fiber attenuation data and the amplifier data, a length of an optical path for the wavelength,

wherein to reconfigure the configuration of the network device the routing unit is configured to modify, in the routing database and based at least on the length of the optical path for the wavelength, a routing metric associated with the link.

24. The network device of claim 14, wherein the optical transport system comprises a wavelength-division multiplexing network.

25. The network device of claim 14, wherein the network device comprises a layer 3 router.

26. The network device of claim 14,

wherein the optical supervisory channel data comprises first optical supervisory channel data,

wherein the routing unit is further configured to send, to a remote network device that routes data traffic on the layer 3 network, an indication of the event by sending, via the optical supervisory channel, second optical supervisory channel data that indicates the event.

27. The network device of claim 14, further comprising:

a dense wavelength-division multiplexing-capable interface card configured to terminate the optical supervisory channel and provide the optical supervisory data to the routing unit.

28. A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions for causing one or more programmable processors to:

receive, by a network device that routes data traffic on a layer 3 network overlaying an optical transport system, optical supervisory channel data for an optical supervisory channel of the optical transport system;

determine, by the network device, the optical supervisory channel data indicates an event affecting transmission or detection of a signal transported by a wavelength, the wavelength traversing an optical fiber of the optical transport system and underlying a link of the layer 3 network; and

reconfigure, by the network device in response to determining the optical supervisory channel data indicates the event, a configuration of the network device to modify routing operations of the network device with respect to the data traffic on the layer 3 network.