Method of establishing logical connections in a synchronous digital communications network, as well as network elements and management system

• US 6,205,121 B1
• Filed: 09/10/1998
• Issued: 03/20/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 09/12/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Alcatel SA (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Heuer, Volkmar
• Primary Examiner(s): Pham, Chi H.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YAO, KWANG BIN
• Application Number:
  US09/150,997
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: 370/395, 370/397, 370/398, 370/399, 370/406, 370/409, 370/410, 370/422, 370/424, 370/426, 370/466, 370/467, 370/469, 370/473, 370/474, 370/389, 370/392, 370/250, 370/252, 370/253, 370/254, 370/255, 370/256
• US Class Current: 370/250
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0075 Connection-oriented
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0098 Traffic aspects, e.g. arbitration, load balancing, smoothing, buffer management
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1617 carrying packets or ATM cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0478 Provisions for broadband connections

Abstract

A method of establishing logical connections in a synchronous communications network (SDH) comprising a plurality of at least partially interconnected network elements (NE1, NEn; CC1-CC3) and designed for the transmission of data packets containing a destination address involves monitoring destination addresses of the data packets to be transmitted, determining the traffic volume between the individual network elements (NE1, NEn; CC1-CC3) with the aid of the destination addresses, and determining an optimized configuration of logical connections based on the traffic volume and existing logical connections. In this manner, the communications network is adapted to the current traffic situation, and the transmission capacities of the network are utilized in the best possible manner. The monitoring is advantageously done in at least part of the network elements, while the determination of the traffic volume and the optimized configuration is performed by a central management system (TMN).

Claims

1. A method of establishing a virtual connection in a Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) communications network comprising a plurality of at least partly interconnected network elements designed for the transmission of data packets, each structured in accordance with the Internet Protocol (IP) and containing a destination address, said virtual connection being established by use of SDH virtual containers, said method comprising the steps of:

in at least one of said network elements, monitoring the destination addresses of the data packets to be transmitted;

determining respective current traffic volumes among pairs of individual network elements with the aid of the destination addresses;

determining an optimized configuration of virtual connections to be established, based on the traffic volume and existing virtual connections, said optimized configuration comprising at least one of;

new virtual connections which are not yet established, virtual connections of different capacity as compared to existing ones, and any existing virtual connections which are no longer required; and

updating the virtual connections in the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy communications network to the optimized configuration by switching virtual containers of the SDH transmission system through the network, said virtual containers being representative of the virtual connections to be established.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising performing said determining of the optimized configuration and said updating of the virtual connections at periodic time intervals.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising

considering experience gained in cyclically occurring traffic situations during said step of determining the optimized configuration.

4. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the communications network includes a central management system (TMN), and updating is made by said central management system, by sending instructions (ANW) to affected network elements to switch the virtual containers, representative of the virtual connections to be established, through the network.

5. A network element for a Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) communications network having a central management system, said network element being designed for the transmission of data packets, each structured in accordance with the Internet Protocol (IP) and containing a destination address, said network element comprising:

a first interface adapted to receive said data packets structured in accordance with the Internet Protocol;

an IP address monitor for monitoring the destination addresses of the data packets to be transmitted;

means for packetizing the data packets to be transmitted into virtual containers of the SDH transmission system, said virtual containers being representative of existing virtual connection; and

a second interface to said central management system for notifying the management system of results of the monitoring of the destination addresses and for receiving instructions relating to virtual connections to be switched by the network element.

6. A method of establishing a virtual connection in a digital Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) comprising a plurality of at least partly interconnected network elements designed for the transmission of data packets, each structured in accordance with the Internet Protocol (IP) and containing a destination address, said virtual connection being established by use of virtual tributaries of the SONET transmission system, said method comprising the steps of:

in at least one of said network elements, monitoring the destination addresses of the data packets to be transmitted;

determining respective current traffic volumes among pairs of individual network elements with the aid of the destination addresses;

determining an optimized configuration of virtual connections to be established, based on the traffic volume and existing virtual connections, said optimized configuration comprising at least one of;

new virtual connections which are not yet established, virtual connections of different capacity as compared to existing ones, and any existing virtual connections which are no longer required; and

updating the virtual connections in the SONET communications network with the optimized configuration by switching virtual tributaries of the SONET transmission system through the network, said virtual tributaries being representative of the virtual connections to be established.

7. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising performing said determining of the optimized configuration and said updating of the virtual connections at periodic time intervals.

8. A method as claimed in claim 6, further comprising

considering experience gained in cyclically occurring traffic situations during said step of determining the optimized configuration.

9. A method as claimed in claim 6 wherein the communications network includes a central management system (TMN) and updating is made by said central management system of the synchronous digital communications network by sending instructions (ANW) to affected network elements to switch the virtual tributaries, representative of the virtual connections to be established, through the network.

10. A network element for a digital Synchronous Optical Network (SONET) communications network having a central management system (TMN), said network element being designed for the transmission of data packets, each structured in accordance with the Internet Protocol (IP) and containing a destination address, said network element comprising:

a first interface adapted to receive said data packets structured in accordance with the Internet Protocol;

an IP address monitor for monitoring the destination addresses of the data packets to be transmitted;

means for packetizing the data packets to be transmitted into virtual tributaries of the SONET system, said virtual tributaries being representative of existing virtual connections; and

a second interface to said central management system (TMN) for notifying the management system of results of the monitoring of the destination addresses and for receiving instructions relating to virtual connections to be switched by the network element.