Method and apparatus for automatically provisioning data circuits

• US 6,738,825 B1
• Filed: 07/26/2000
• Issued: 05/18/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Goody, Steven H., Nie, Xiao Pin, Bortolotto, Robert L., Davis, Michael F., Terhune, Daniel Scott, Lau, Carmel Chi Him, Hillard, David A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Barot, Bharat
• Application Number:
  US09/625,662
• Time in Patent Office: 1,392 Days
• Field of Search: 709/200-202, 709/216-217, 709/220-224, 709/238-242, 709/249, 370/235-238, 370/252, 370/254-255, 370/351, 370/355-356, 370/400
• US Class Current: 709/238
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/552 by ensuring the integrity of packets received through redundant connections
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/557 Error correction, e.g. fault recovery or fault tolerance

Abstract

The present invention discloses a method and apparatus for automatically provisioning data stitching circuits within a network element (NE). Data circuits are defined as the interface cards within NE that are receiving a particular data stream. Data stitching circuits are defined as data circuits that are provided with a destination point and a next destination point for each interface card. The NE creates a data-stitching matrix that identifies a path (i.e., destination and next destination) for the data stream to follow. The matrix is used by a cross-connect to reroute the data stream around one or more inoperable interface cards. When interface cards within the NE request to be provisioned into or out of a data stitching circuit the NE automatically updates the data-stitching matrix.

Claims

1. A method for automatically provisioning data streams received by a network element to the devices within the network element that desire to receive the data stream, the method comprising:

requesting provisioning data for each of the devices within the network element;

receiving a response from each device, wherein the response indicates which of the data streams the device wants to receive;

organizing all of the responses so as to create a list of devices for each data stream;

computing a path for each data stream within the network element; and

generating a matrix for each path, wherein for each leg of the path the matrix includes a source point and a destination point.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix also includes for each leg of the path a next point.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving a data stream at the network element and routing the data stream within the network element in accordance with the matrix for the data stream.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising rerouting the data stream within the network element in accordance with the matrix for the data stream in the event that one or more devices within the network element that are defined in the matrix for that data stream become inoperable.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix also includes for each leg of the path a previous point.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the matrix also includes for each leg of the path a next point and a previous point.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining what devices are within the network element.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

determining that additional devices have been added to the network element;

requesting provisioning data from the newly added devices;

receiving a response from each newly added device, wherein the response indicates which of the data streams the newly added device wants to receive; and

updating the path and the matrix for each data stream to reflect those additional devices that desire to receive the data stream.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response from a devise that it no longer desires to receive particular data streams; and

updating the path and the matrix for each data stream to reflect those devices that no longer desire to receive the data stream.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a response from a device within the network element that originally did not want to receive a particular data stream that it desires to receive the particular data stream; and

updating the path and the matrix for the particular data stream to reflect the newly provisioned device.

11. A method for routing data streams received at a network element to the appropriate devices within the network element, the method comprising:

determining devices installed within the network element;

requesting provisioning data from each of the installed devices;

receiving provisioning data from each of the installed devices, wherein the provisioning data includes the data streams the device wants to receive;

computing a path for each data stream within the network element, the path including multiple legs with each leg consisting of a source point and a destination point;

generating a matrix for each path, wherein the matrix includes a next destination point and a previous source point for each applicable leg; and

routing a data stream to the appropriate devices within the network element based on the matrix for the data stream.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said routing a data stream includes:

receiving the data stream at an initial destination point for the network element;

routing the data stream to the appropriate devices within the network element based on the matrix for the data stream; and

transmitting the data stream from a final source point of the network element.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said receiving the data stream includes receiving the data stream from an external source at a telecommunication card within the network element.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said routing the data stream includes routing the data stream to the appropriate interface cards within the network element based on the matrix for the data stream.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said transmitting the data stream includes transmitting the data stream from a telecommunication card within the network element to an external source.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising

determining that at least one of the devices within the network element is inoperable;

and

routing the data stream around the at least one inoperable device based on the matrix.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the devices are interface cards.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the interface cards include telecommunication cards.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the telecommunication cards include Time Division Multiplexed (TDM) and Wavelength Division Multiplexed (WDM) cards.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the telecommunication cards include SONET, SDH and PDH cards.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein the interface cards include data cards.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the data cards include Ethernet, Token Ring and FDDI cards.

23. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for automatically provisioning data streams received by a network element to the devices within the network element that desire to receive the data stream, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for requesting provisioning data for each of the devices within the network element;

a code segment for receiving a response from each device, wherein the response indicates which of the data streams the device wants to receive;

a code segment for organizing all of the responses so as to create a list of devices for each data stream;

a code segment for computing a path for each data stream within the network element; and

a code segment for generating a matrix for each path, wherein for each leg of the path the matrix includes a source point and a destination point.

24. The computer program of claim 23, further comprising a code segment for receiving a data stream at the network element and routing the data stream within the network element in accordance with the matrix for the data stream.

25. The computer program of claim 24, further comprising a code segment for rerouting the data stream within the network element in accordance with the matrix for the data stream in the event that one or more devices within the network element that are defined in the matrix for that data stream become inoperable.

26. The computer program of claim 23, further comprising a code segment for determining what devices are within the network element.

27. The computer program of claim 26, further comprising:

a code segment for determining that additional devices have been added to the network element;

a code segment for requesting provisioning data from the newly added devices;

a code segment for receiving a response from each newly added device, wherein the response indicates which of the data, streams the newly added device wants to receive; and

a code segment for updating the path and the matrix for each data stream to reflect those additional devices that desire to receive the data stream.

28. The computer program of claim 23, further comprising:

a code segment for receiving a response from a devise that it no longer desires to receive particular data streams; and

a code segment for updating the path and the matrix for each data stream to reflect those devices that no longer desire to receive the data stream.

29. The computer program of claim 23, further comprising:

a code segment for receiving a response from a device within the network element that originally did not want to,receive a particular data stream that it desires to receive the particular data stream; and

a code segment for updating the path and the matrix for the particular data stream to reflect the newly provisioned device.

30. A computer program embodied on a computer readable medium for routing data streams received at a network element to the appropriate devices within the network element, the computer program comprising:

a code segment for determining devices installed within the network element;

a code segment for requesting provisioning data from each of the installed devices;

a code segment for receiving provisioning data from each of the installed devices, wherein the provisioning data includes the data streams the device wants to receive;

a code segment for computing a path for each data stream within the network element, the path including multiple legs with each leg consisting of a source point and a destination point;

a code segment for generating a matrix for each path, wherein the matrix includes a next destination point and a previous source point for each applicable leg; and

a code segment for routing a data stream to the appropriate devices within the network element based on the matrix for the data stream.

31. The computer program of claim 30, further comprising

a code segment for determining that at least one of the devices within the network element is inoperable; and

a code segment for routing the data stream around the at least one inoperable device based on the matrix.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein said code segment for routing a data stream routing the data stream to the appropriate interface cards within the network element based on the matrix for the data stream.

33. A network element capable of automatically provisioning a data circuit, the network element including

a plurality of interface cards for receiving and transmitting data streams;

a cross-connect for connecting each of the plurality of interface cards to each other;

a backplane for connecting each of the plurality of interface cards to the cross-connect; and

a control unit for controlling the operation of the network element including

requesting and receiving provisioning data from the plurality of interface cards,

defining a data circuit based on the interface cards wishing to receive a particular data stream,

determining a path for the particular data stream to follow in order to traverse each interface card within the data circuit,

defining the path in a matrix for the cross-connect to use in routing the data stream, wherein the matrix includes for each port of the cross-connect associated with an interface card that is part of the data circuit a source port and a destination port, and

storing the matrix.

34. The network element of claim 33, wherein said plurality of interface cards include SONET cards.

35. The network element of claim 33, wherein said plurality of interface cards include Ethernet cards.

36. The network element of claim 33, wherein the matrix additionally includes a next destination port for the applicable ports.

37. The network element of claim 33, wherein the matrix additionally includes a previous port for the applicable ports.

38. The network element of claim 33, wherein the cross-connect utilizes the matrix to route data streams around inoperable interface cards.

39. An apparatus for generating a matrix that defines how a data stream should be routed within a network element, the apparatus comprising:

means for obtaining provisioning data from a plurality of interface cards;

means for defining a data circuit based on the obtained provisioning data as those interface cards desiring to receive the data stream;

means for determining an order for the data stream to traverse all the interface cards within the data circuit; and

means for generating the matrix based on the order.

40. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said means for determining an order includes means for providing a next destination point for those interface cards that have at least two interface cards following in the order.

41. The apparatus of claim 39, wherein said means for determining an order includes means for providing a prior point for those interface cards that have received the data stream from an interface card within the data stitch.