Method and system of SONET line trace
First Claim
1. A method of ensuring proper communications between two sites in a communications network, wherein the communications network includes a first site having a first Line Terminating Equipment (LTE1) capable of transmitting a SONET optical data signal in optical communication with a second site comprising a second Line Terminating Equipment (LTE2) capable of receiving a SONET optical data signal, and a plurality of Section Terminating Equipment located between the first and second sites, the method comprising the steps of:
- (a) generating a SONET optical data signal at LTE1 comprising a Line Trace byte embedded in a Line Overhead Component of said SONET optical data signal, wherein a user may enable or disable said Line Trace byte;
(b) transmitting said SONET optical data signal along a first optical transmission line;
(c) receiving said SONET optical data signal at LTE2, wherein LTE2 is capable of detecting said Line Trace byte;
(d) acknowledging a presence of said Line Trace byte in said SONET optical data signal received at LTE2 ; and
(e) alerting a network management system if said proper Line Trace byte is not received at LTE2.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention generally relates to a network and method capable confirming proper communications of high data rate optical signals between communications network devices. In particular, the present invention teaches a method of creating a "Line Trace" byte to be placed in the Line Overhead portion of the Transport Overhead of a SONET STS-1 frame optical data signal. Current Line Overhead does not incorporate any Trace functionality. With the increasing use of optical cross-connect switches within a communications network, it is essential for a network service provider to have the flexibility to move Line Terminating Equipment around via the optical switches. Thus, the present invention offers a straightforward, efficient way to achieve this necessary flexibility.
41 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of ensuring proper communications between two sites in a communications network, wherein the communications network includes a first site having a first Line Terminating Equipment (LTE1) capable of transmitting a SONET optical data signal in optical communication with a second site comprising a second Line Terminating Equipment (LTE2) capable of receiving a SONET optical data signal, and a plurality of Section Terminating Equipment located between the first and second sites, the method comprising the steps of:
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(a) generating a SONET optical data signal at LTE1 comprising a Line Trace byte embedded in a Line Overhead Component of said SONET optical data signal, wherein a user may enable or disable said Line Trace byte; (b) transmitting said SONET optical data signal along a first optical transmission line; (c) receiving said SONET optical data signal at LTE2, wherein LTE2 is capable of detecting said Line Trace byte; (d) acknowledging a presence of said Line Trace byte in said SONET optical data signal received at LTE2 ; and (e) alerting a network management system if said proper Line Trace byte is not received at LTE2. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. An optical communications network, wherein data is communicated between a first site and a second site, comprising:
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a first Path Terminating Equipment device located at the first site; a second Path Terminating Equipment device located at the second site; a plurality of optical fibers linking the first site and the second site; a first Line Terminating Equipment (LTE1) capable of transmitting a SONET optical data signal and in communication with the first site, wherein said SONET optical data signal comprises a Line Trace byte located in a Line Overhead component of said SONET optical data signal, and wherein said Line Trace byte may be enabled or disabled by a user; a second Line Terminating Equipment (LTE2) capable of receiving said SONET optical data signal and in communication with the second site, wherein said LTE2 is capable of acknowledging said Line Trace byte; a plurality of Section Terminating Equipment, located along said optical fibers between the first and second sites, wherein said plurality of Section Terminating Equipment includes at least one optical cross-connect switch; and a network management system coupled to said LTE1, said LTE2, and said Section Terminating Equipment, capable of monitoring and controlling communications in the network. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A SONET signal, to provide high rate data transfer between a first site comprising a first Line Terminating Equipment device (LTE1) and a second site comprising a second Line Terminating Equipment device (LTE2) in a communications network, wherein LTE1 is capable of transmitting the SONET signal and LTE2 is capable of receiving the SONET signal, wherein LTE1 and LTE2 are in optical communication along an optical transmission line, and wherein a plurality of Section Terminating Equipment are located between the first and second sites along the transmission line, comprising:
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a Payload portion, comprising a plurality of bytes of data entered by a user at the first site; a Path Overhead portion, comprising a plurality of bytes of data indicating a path linking the first and second sites and network parameters monitored by a network management system, wherein said plurality of Path Overhead bytes further comprises a Path Trace byte, indicating proper communications between Path Terminating Equipment; a Section Overhead portion, comprising a plurality of bytes of data indicating further network parameters monitored by said network management system, wherein said plurality of Section Overhead bytes further comprises a Section Trace byte, indicating proper communications between Section Terminating Equipment; and a Line Overhead portion, comprising a plurality of bytes of data indicating further network parameters monitored by said network management system and the Line Terminating Equipment, wherein said plurality of Line Overhead bytes further comprises a Line Trace byte, indicating proper communications between LTE1 and LTE2, and wherein said Line Trace byte may be enabled or disabled by a user. - View Dependent Claims (11)
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Specification