Modular network element architecture

• US 20190327188A1
• Filed: 04/23/2018
• Published: 10/24/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/23/2018
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Inventors: Rivaud, Daniel, Duncan, Ian, Mayenburg, Anthony J., Tierney, James, Shearman, Simon J. E.
• Application Number:
  US15/959,746
• Publication Number:
  US 20190327188A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/12 Discovery or management of network topologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0864 Round trip delays
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 43/0876 Network utilisation, e.g. volume of load or congestion level
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/40 Constructional details, e.g. power supply, mechanical construction or backplane

Abstract

A modular network element includes one or more lineboxes which are a hybrid between a rack mounted module and a line module which is inserted in a chassis; one or more linebox carriers which are rack mountable and configured to selectively receive the one or more lineboxes and provide power connectors and data connectors thereto; and a core chassis including one or more switch modules, one or more controller modules, and a set of connectors located at the rear for cabling to the power connectors and the data connectors on the one or more linebox carriers.

Claims

1. A modular network element, comprising:

one or more lineboxes which are a hybrid between a rack mounted module and a line module which is inserted in a chassis;

one or more linebox carriers which are rack mountable and configured to selectively receive the one or more lineboxes and provide power connectors and data connectors thereto; and

a core chassis comprising one or more switch modules, one or more controller modules, and a set of connectors located at the rear for cabling to the power connectors and the data connectors on the one or more linebox carriers.

2. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein the one or more lineboxes comprise a plurality of faceplate ports connected to fabric circuitry communicatively coupled to the one or more switch modules via the cabling;

and

wherein the one or more switch modules are connected to one another and the one or more controller modules via a midplane or cables.

3. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein the cabling comprises one or more of electrical cabling with a plurality of pairs of coaxial cable and optical cabling.

4. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein each cable between a linebox and the core chassis comprises a plurality of bundles each having a plurality of links and a number of the plurality of bundles is based on a number of the one or more switch modules.

5. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein a chassis management protocol is implemented between the one or more lineboxes and the core chassis, and wherein the one or more lineboxes and the core chassis are managed as a single entity.

6. The modular network element of claim 5, wherein the chassis management protocol implements, between the one or more lineboxes and the core chassis, timing synchronization, presence, status, ownership, interrupts, reset, power, and position identification.

7. The modular network element of claim 5, wherein the one or more controller modules provide power and connectivity to circuitry on each linebox for establishing the chassis management protocol to power the linebox on and off.

8. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein the core chassis comprises an access panel that supports the core chassis and each of the one or more lineboxes.

9. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more lineboxes comprises a display which provides a virtual slot number based on a relative position in a rack.

10. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein the one or more lineboxes comprises a plurality of lineboxes with at least two lineboxes having a different pitch.

11. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein the one or more lineboxes comprises a plurality of lineboxes with at least two lineboxes having one or more of a different number of faceplate ports and a different type of pluggable optics.

12. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein the one or more lineboxes each comprise an Ethernet switch which connect to another Ethernet switch in the one or more switch modules.

13. The modular network element of claim 1, wherein the one or more linebox carriers comprise retractable pins with a spring-loaded mechanism that grabs into holes in rails on a rack and which has a push to disengage mechanism enabling front-only access to the rack.

14. The modular network element of claim 13, wherein the one or more linebox carriers have slack in the cabling to the core chassis allowing movement up and down the rack.

15. A method of deploying a modular network element, the method comprising:

connecting a linebox slot carrier to a rack;

providing a linebox in the linebox slot carrier, wherein the linebox is a hybrid between a rack mounted module and a line module which is inserted in a chassis, and wherein the linebox slot carrier connects the linebox to power connectors and data connectors; and

providing a core chassis comprising one or more switch modules, one or more controller modules, and a set of connectors located at the rear with cabling to the power connectors and the data connectors on the linebox slot carrier.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing a second linebox to a second linebox slot carrier responsive to increase capacity of the modular network element.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the second linebox is added to the core chassis in-service.

19. The modular network element of claim 17, wherein the one or more lineboxes comprise a plurality of lineboxes collectively forming a mesh therebetween via the data connectors, and wherein one of the plurality of lineboxes is designated as a primary linebox for implementing a virtual controller of the modular network element via the processor.

20. The modular network element of claim 17, wherein a core chassis is added in-service to increase capacity of the modular network element, wherein the core chassis comprises one or more switch modules, one or more controller modules, and a set of connectors located at the rear for cabling to the power connectors and the data connectors on the one or more linebox carriers.

18. A modular network element, comprising:

one or more lineboxes which are a hybrid between a rack mounted module and a line module which is inserted in a chassis, each of the one or more lineboxes comprising a plurality of faceplate ports connected to fabric circuitry and a processor; and

one or more linebox carriers which are rack mountable and configured to selectively receive the one or more lineboxes and provide power connectors and data connectors thereto.