System, device, and method for managing connection establishment and related services in an optical communication system

• US 7,321,932 B1
• Filed: 08/15/2001
• Issued: 01/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ciena Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nortel Networks Limited (Nortel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Ramachandran, Vikram, Suryaputra, Stephen, Schofield, Bruce A., Monga, Indermohan S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Burgess; Glenton B.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Barqadle; Yasin M
• Application Number:
  US09/931,645
• Time in Patent Office: 2,351 Days
• Field of Search: 709217-220, 709/223, 709227-231, 709238-239, 709/245, 709249-251, 370/270, 370/444, 370/25, 370386-389, 3703951-3954, 370/907, 398/47, 398/49
• US Class Current: 709/227
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/038 using bypasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0227 Operation, administration, maintenance or provisioning [OAMP] of WDM networks, e.g. media access, routing or wavelength allocation
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0238 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-many, e.g. multicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0241 Wavelength allocation for communications one-to-one, e.g. unicasting wavelengths
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0284 WDM mesh architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/00 Arrangements for maintenance, administration or management of data switching networks, e.g. of packet switching networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/046 comprising network management agents or mobile agents therefor
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0893 Assignment of logical groups to network elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0894 Policy-based network configuration management
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/32 Specific management aspects for broadband networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/34 Signalling channels for network management communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5058 Service discovery by the service manager
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/5077 wherein the managed service relates to simple transport services, i.e. providing only network infrastructure
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/48 Routing tree calculation
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0071 Provisions for the electrical-optical layer interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0079 Operation or maintenance aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0081 Fault tolerance; Redundancy; Recovery; Reconfigurability
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0088 Signalling aspects

Abstract

A system, device, and method for managing connection establishment and related services in an optical communication system uses an optical service agent to manage the connection establishment and related services on behalf of a user. The optical service agent may negotiate various connection and connection-related services, model connections, reserve communication services, establish connections on behalf of the user, and aggregate multiple optical communication paths over a connection, to name but a few. The optical service agent may interact with an optical communication network and/or various peer users in order to obtain and reserve communication services.

Claims

1. An optical service agent stored in a computer readable medium at an optical switched router, the optical service agent operable when executed to manage connection establishment and related services for a user in an optical communication network, the optical service agent comprising:

a user-to-network interface (UNI) for interfacing with the optical communication network wherein the optical communication network comprises an automatically switched optical/transport network (ASON), and wherein the UNI comprises an ASON UNI;

authentication logic for controlling access by the user to the UNI;

a peer-to-peer interface for interfacing with peer users including logic for discovering peer optical service agent enabled users associated with optical devices capable of providing optical services and their associated bearer channel identifiers; and

optical service logic stored in the computer readable medium, coupled to the UNI and the peer-to-peer interface, and operable when executed to manage the optical communication network in accordance with said connection establishment and related services requested by the user the optical service logic comprising modeling logic for modeling at least one connection for the user including;

logic for interacting with the optical communication network to obtain information relating to a portion of a connection traversing the optical communication network;

logic for interacting with multiple providers to obtain multiple quotes for communication services;

logic for negotiating with one or more providers to obtain favorable terms for the user;

logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface for obtaining information relating to a portion of a connection beyond the optical communication network

logic for compiling information relating to a portion of a connection on a user side of the optical communication network; and

logic for presenting a modeled connection to the user in a form that is convenient for the user to evaluate the connection.

2. The optical service agent of claim 1, wherein the optical service logic comprises:

negotiation logic for negotiating various connection and connection-related services on behalf of the user.

3. The optical service agent of claim 1, wherein the optical service logic comprises:

reservation logic for reserving connection and connection-related services for the user.

4. The optical service agent of claim 1, wherein the critical service logic comprises:

connection establishment logic for establishing a connection for the user.

5. The optical service agent of claim 2, wherein the negotiation logic comprises at least one of:

logic for obtaining quotes for communication services from one or more providers;

logic for placing a connection out to bid by one or more providers and managing the bidding process for the connection;

logic for negotiating costs and other parameters for a connection with one or more providers;

logic for buying connection and connection-related services from one or more providers;

logic for selling connection and connection-related services; and

logic for re-selling connection and connection-related services.

6. The optical service agent of claim 1, wherein the optical service logic comprises:

aggregation logic for aggregating multiple optical communication paths over a connection.

7. The optical service agent of claim 3, wherein the reservation logic comprises at least one of:

logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface in order to reserve communication services provided by the peer users; and

logic for interacting with the optical communication network via the UNI in order to reserve communication services provided by the optical communication network.

8. The optical service agent of claim 1, wherein the optical service logic comprises bandwidth determination logic for determining bandwidth requirements fox a connection.

9. The optical service agent of claim 4, wherein the connection establishment logic comprises at least one of:

logic for interacting with the optical communication network in order to set up a communication path having specific attributes; and

logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface in order to set up a communication path end-to-end across the optical communication network.

10. An optical switched router comprising:

a user application requesting a communication service from an optical communication network comprising an automatically switched optical/transport network (ASON);

an optical service agent stored in a computer readable medium of the optical switch router and operable when executed to manage connection establishment and related services for the user application to obtain the communication service, wherein the optical service agent comprises;

a user-to-network interface (UNI) for interfacing with the optical communication network wherein the UNI comprises an ASON UNI;

authentication logic for controlling access by the user to the UNI;

a peer-to-peer interface for interfacing with peer users including logic for discovering peer optical service agent enabled users associated with optical devices capable of providing optical services and their associated bearer channel identifiers; and

optical service logic stored on the computer readable medium and operable when executed to interact with the optical communication network via the UNI and with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface for managing said connection establishment and related services for the user application wherein the optical service logic comprises modeling logic for modeling at least one connection for the user including;

logic for interacting with the optical communication network to obtain information relating to a portion of a connection traversing the optical communication network;

logic for interacting with multiple providers to obtain multiple quotes for communication services;

logic for negotiating with one or more providers to obtain favorable terms for the user;

logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface for obtaining information relating to a portion of a connection beyond the optical communication network

logic for compiling information relating to a portion of a connection on a user side of the optical communication network; and

logic for presenting a modeled connection to the user in a form that is convenient for the user to evaluate the connection.

11. The optical switched router of claim 10, wherein the optical service logic comprises;

negotiation logic for negotiating various connection and connection-related services on behalf of the user application.

12. The optical switched router of claim 10, wherein the optical service logic comprises;

reservation logic for reserving connection and connection-related services for the user application.

13. The optical switched router of claim 10, wherein the optical service logic comprises:

connection establishment logic for establishing a connection for the user application.

14. The optical routing device of claim 11, wherein the negotiation logic comprises at least one of:

logic for obtaining quotes for communication services from one or more providers;

logic for placing a connection out to bid by one or more providers and managing the bidding process for the connection;

logic for negotiating costs and other parameters for a connection with one or more providers;

logic for buying connection and connection-related services from one or more providers;

logic for selling connection and connection-related services; and

logic for re-selling connection and connection-related services.

15. The optical switched router of claim 10, wherein the optical service logic comprises:

aggregation logic for aggregating multiple optical communication paths over a connection.

16. The optical switched router of claim 12, wherein the reservation logic comprises at least one of:

logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface, in order to reserve communication services provided by the peer users; and

logic for interacting with the optical communication network via the UNI in order to reserve communication services provided by the optical communication network.

17. The optical switched router of claim 10, wherein the optical service logic comprises bandwidth determination logic for determining bandwidth requirements for a connection.

18. The optical switched router of claim 13, wherein the connection establishment logic comprises at least one of:

logic for interacting with the optical communication network in order to set up a communication path having specific attributes; and

logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface in order to set up a communication path end-to-end across the optical communication network.

19. A system comprising:

an optical communication network comprising an automatically switched optical/transport network (ASON);

a first network user coupled to the optical communication network, wherein the first network user comprises an optical service agent stored on a computer readable medium of an optical switched router of the first network user and comprising a user-to-network interface (UNI) and a peer-to-peer interface, wherein the UNI comprises an ASON UNI and the peer-to-peer interface includes logic for discovering peer optical service agent enabled users associated with optical devices capable of providing optical services and their associated bearer channel identifiers, the optical service agent including authentication logic for controlling access by the user to the UNI;

the optical services agent operable when executed to obtain optical communication services from the optical communication network via the user-to-network interface (UNI) and to manage connection establishment and related services for the first network user wherein the optical services agent comprises modeling logic for modeling at least one connection for the user including;

logic for interacting with the optical communication network to obtain information relating to a portion of a connection traversing the optical communication network;

logic for interacting with multiple providers to obtain multiple quotas for communication services;

logic for negotiating with one or more providers to obtain favorable terms for the user;

logic for interacting with the peer users via the peer-to-peer interface for obtaining information relating to a portion of a connection beyond the optical communication network

logic for compiling information relating to a portion of a connection on a user side of the optical communication network; and

logic for presenting a modeled connection to the user in a form that is convenient for the user to evaluate the connection.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical communication network.

21. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical service agent is operably coupled to negotiate various connection and connection-related services on behalf of the user application.

22. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical service agent is operably coupled to model at least one connection for the user application.

23. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical service agent is operably coupled to reserve connection and connection-related services for the user application.

24. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical service agent is operably coupled to establish a connection for the user application.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical service agent is operably coupled to aggregate multiple optical communication paths over a connection.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the optical service agent is operably coupled to determine bandwidth requirements for a connection.

27. A method for managing communication establishment and related services for a user in an optical communication system by an optical services agent stored in a computer readable medium of an optically switched router, wherein the optical communication network comprises an automatically switched optical/transport network (ASON), the optical services agent comprising a user-to-network interface (UNI) and a peer-to-peer interface, wherein the UNI comprises an ASON UNI and the peer-to-peer interface includes logic for discovering peer optical service agent enabled users associated with optical devices capable of providing optical services and their associated bearer channels, the method comprising at least one of:

negotiating various connection and connection-related services on behalf of the user including authenticating the user;

modeling at least one connection for the user including interacting with an optical communication network to obtain information relating to a portion of a connection traversing the optical communication network, interacting with peer users to obtain information relating to a portion of the connection beyond the optical communication network;

compiling information relating to a portion of the connection on a user side of the optical communication network; and

presenting a modeled connection to the user in a form that is convenient for the user to evaluate the connection;

reserving connection and connection-related services for the user with the discovered peer optical service agent enabled users at one or more desired bearer channels;

establishing a connection for the user; and

aggregating multiple optical communication paths over a connection.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein negotiating various connection and connection-related services on behalf of the user comprises at least one of:

obtaining a quote for communication services from a number of providers;

placing a connection out to bid by a number of providers and managing the bidding process for the connection;

negotiating costs and other parameters for a connection with a number of providers;

buying connection and connection-related services from a number of providers;

selling connection and connection-related services; and

re-selling connection and connection-related services.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein reserving connection and connection-related services for the user comprises at least one of:

interacting with an optical communication network to reserve communication services provided by the optical communication network; and

interacting with peer users to reserve communication services provided by the peer users.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein establishing a connection for the user comprises at least one of:

interacting with an optical communication network in order to set up a communication path having specific attributes; and

interacting with peer users in order to set up a communication path end-to-end across the optical communication network.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein aggregating multiple optical communication paths over a connection comprises:

receiving a first request for a first optical communication path;

establishing a connection for the first optical communication path;

receiving a second request for a second optical communication path; and

mapping the second optical communication path to the connection using a predetermined mapping protocol.