Method and system for detecting network elements in an optical communications network
First Claim
1. A method of detecting network elements in an optical communications network, the method comprising:
- at an initiating network element;
generating a neighbor discovery message including a requested hierarchy level at which neighbor discovery is requested; and
,transmitting the neighbor discovery message downstream along the optical communications network;
at a downstream network element;
receiving the neighbor discovery message;
determining if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level;
generating a responding neighbor discovery message if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level;
transmitting the responding neighbor discovery message to the initiating network element; and
transmitting a don'"'"'t care message downstream along the optical communications network upon the downstream network element determining that the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a method of detecting network elements in an optical communications network. The method includes an initiating network element generating a neighbor discovery message including a requested hierarchy level at which neighbor discovery is requested and transmitting the neighbor discovery message downstream along the optical communications network. A downstream network element receives the neighbor discovery message, determines if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level. The downstream network element generates a responding neighbor discovery message if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level and transmits the responding neighbor discovery message to the initiating network element. Alternate embodiments include a system and storage medium for implementing the method.
56 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method of detecting network elements in an optical communications network, the method comprising:
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at an initiating network element; generating a neighbor discovery message including a requested hierarchy level at which neighbor discovery is requested; and
,transmitting the neighbor discovery message downstream along the optical communications network; at a downstream network element; receiving the neighbor discovery message; determining if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level; generating a responding neighbor discovery message if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level; transmitting the responding neighbor discovery message to the initiating network element; and transmitting a don'"'"'t care message downstream along the optical communications network upon the downstream network element determining that the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. An optical communications network, comprising:
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an initiating network element; said initiating network element generating a neighbor discovery message, the neighbor discovery message including a requested hierarchy level at which neighbor discovery is requested; and said initiating network element transmitting the neighbor discovery message downstream along the optical communications network; a downstream network element in communication with said initiating network element; said downstream network element receiving the neighbor discovery message; said downstream network element determining if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level; said downstream network element generating a responding neighbor discovery message if the downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level; said downstream network element transmitting the responding neighbor discovery message to the initiating network element; and said downstream network element transmitting a don'"'"'t care message downstream along the optical communications network upon determining that said downstream network element operates at the requested hierarchy level. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A storage medium encoded with machine-readable computer program code for detecting network elements in an optical communications network, the storage medium including instructions for causing a network element to implement a method comprising:
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in an initiating mode; generating a neighbor discovery message, the neighbor discovery message including a requested hierarchy level at which neighbor discovery is requested; transmitting the neighbor discovery message downstream along the optical communications network; and receiving a responding neighbor discovery message from a downstream network element operating at the requested hierarchy level; in a responding mode; receiving a neighbor discovery message from an upstream network element, the neighbor discovery message including a requested hierarchy level at which neighbor discovery is requested; determining if the network element operates at the requested hierarchy level; generating a responding neighbor discovery message if the network element operates at the requested hierarchy level; transmitting the responding neighbor discovery message to the upstream network element; and providing an out-of-band confirmation message to the upstream network element, the out-of-band confirmation message including a network element identifier and a network element port identifier identifying a port of the network element from which the responding neighbor discovery message was transmitted. - View Dependent Claims (28)
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Specification