Shared mesh signaling algorithm and apparatus
First Claim
1. In an optical mesh network, a controller for providing a 1:
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the controller comprising;
a) a first link for connecting the controller to a control layer of the network to monitor network traffic communicated in a path layer of the network;
b) a second link for connecting the controller to the path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements for providing the associated protection path and working paths;
c) a connection table accessible by the controller, the connection table for having connection information of the network elements associated with the protection path and the working paths, the connection information including a first identity assignable to the protection path and a distinctive second identity assignable to each of the working paths; and
d) a failure indicator for providing the first identity and the second identity relatable to a network failure of the corresponding working path to at least one of the network elements associated with the controller, the failure indicator for insertion into an interrupt driven overhead byte of the network traffic for communication between the network elements;
wherein the failure indicator is communicated in the overhead byte of the network traffic to provide for the establishment of the associated protection path after the network failure has been detected in the corresponding working path.
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Abstract
A shared mesh protection scheme defines an associated protection path when a working connection is established. During the protection path definition, the corresponding protection path information is sent down to a switch card of network elements making up the protection path. Upon detection of the failure, the network elements using an overhead byte message will inform the routing source network element of the connection of the failure in the working path. The overhead bytes used are interrupt driven bytes located in the line and path overhead of network traffic. The routing source node of the connection will then send the corresponding overhead byte messages down the protection path to provide for protection path establishment according to the preloaded data located at the switch card. It should be noted that each connection can have a source and termination element which relates to the source from where the corresponding connection was set-up rather than the direction of the payload transmission. Therefore, once the failure has occurred the source elements will send messages using overhead bytes to the corresponding network elements along the protection path. Accordingly, routing tables located at the switch card of the network elements, set-up when the working path connections were initially established, determine this dynamically allocated protection path environment.
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Citations
50 Claims
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1. In an optical mesh network, a controller for providing a 1:
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the controller comprising;
a) a first link for connecting the controller to a control layer of the network to monitor network traffic communicated in a path layer of the network;
b) a second link for connecting the controller to the path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements for providing the associated protection path and working paths;
c) a connection table accessible by the controller, the connection table for having connection information of the network elements associated with the protection path and the working paths, the connection information including a first identity assignable to the protection path and a distinctive second identity assignable to each of the working paths; and
d) a failure indicator for providing the first identity and the second identity relatable to a network failure of the corresponding working path to at least one of the network elements associated with the controller, the failure indicator for insertion into an interrupt driven overhead byte of the network traffic for communication between the network elements;
wherein the failure indicator is communicated in the overhead byte of the network traffic to provide for the establishment of the associated protection path after the network failure has been detected in the corresponding working path. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the controller comprising;
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22. In an optical mesh network, a method for providing a 1:
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the method comprising the steps of;
a) interconnecting a plurality of network elements for providing the protection path and the working paths in a path layer of the network;
b) monitoring by a control layer the network traffic communicated in the path layer;
c) defining a connection table accessible by the control layer for containing connection information of the network elements associated with the protection path and working paths, the connection information including a first identity assigned to the protection path and a distinctive second identity assigned to each of the working paths;
d) providing a failure indicator having the first identity and the second identity related to a detected network failure of the corresponding working path to at least one of the network elements; and
e) inserting the failure indicator into an interrupt driven overhead byte of the network traffic for communication between the network elements;
wherein the failure indicator is communicated in the overhead byte of the network traffic to provide for the establishment of the associated protection path after the network failure has been detected in the corresponding working path. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the method comprising the steps of;
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49. In an optical mesh network, a computer program product for providing a 1:
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the product comprising;
a) computer readable medium;
b) a first link module stored on the computer readable medium for connecting a controller to a control layer of the network to monitor network traffic communicated in a path layer of the network;
c) a second link module coupled to the first link layer module for connecting the controller to the path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected network elements for providing the associated protection path and working paths;
d) a connection table module coupled to the first link module accessible by the controller, the connection table module for having connection information of the network elements associated with the protection path and the working paths, the connection information including a first identity assignable to the protection path and a distinctive second identity assignable to each of the working paths; and
e) a failure indicator module coupled to the connection table module for providing the first identity and the second identity relatable to a network failure of the corresponding working path to at least one of the network elements associated with the controller, the failure indicator module for inserting a failure message into an interrupt driven overhead byte of the network traffic for communication between the network elements;
wherein the failure message is communicated in the overhead byte of the network traffic to provide for the establishment of the associated protection path after the network failure has been detected in the corresponding working path.
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the product comprising;
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50. A network element for providing an indication of a network failure in an optical mesh network, the network having a 1:
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the network element comprising;
a) a link for connecting the network element to a path layer of the network, the path layer including a plurality of interconnected elements for providing the associated protection path and working paths;
b) a routing table accessible by the network element, the routing table having routing information associated with the protection path and the working path;
c) a first identity assignable to the protection path and a distinctive second identity assignable to each of the working paths, the identities associated with the routing information; and
d) a failure indicator for providing the first identity and the second identity relatable to a network failure of the corresponding working path to at least one of the interconnected elements, the failure indicator for insertion into an interrupt driven overhead byte of network traffic transmitted over the mesh network for communication between the interconnected elements;
wherein the failure indicator is communicated in the overhead byte of the network traffic to help initiate the establishment of the associated protection path after the network failure has been detected in the corresponding working path.
- N shared mesh protection system to define a protection path associated with N working paths, the network element comprising;
Specification