Systems and methods for Ethernet extension and demarcation

• US 8,107,821 B2
• Filed: 05/13/2008
• Issued: 01/31/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Lumentum Operations, LLC (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Menara Networks Incorporated (Lumentum Holdings Inc.)
• Inventors: El-Ahmadi, Siraj Nour, Hotchkiss, Adam R, El Ahmadi, Salam, Wilcox, Reginald
• Primary Examiner(s): Sedighian, M. R.
• Application Number:
  US12/120,170
• Publication Number:
  US 20090317073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,358 Days
• Field of Search: 398/135, 398/138, 398/139, 398/128, 398/130
• US Class Current: 398/135
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1652 Optical Transport Network [OTN]
• 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 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/50 Network service management, e.g. ensuring proper service fulfilment according to agreements

Abstract

The present invention provides Ethernet extension and demarcation functionality through a Multi-Source Agreement (MSA) pluggable transceiver in a customer or remote device. The pluggable transceiver is configured to frame an Ethernet client signal and to provide OAM&P functionality, such as with G.709 framing. The pluggable transceiver operates within existing multi-source agreement (MSA) specifications. Accordingly, the pluggable transceiver can operate in any customer device compliant to the MSA specifications. Additionally, the framing and OAM&P functionality are transparent to the customer device, but instead utilized by a service provider for demarcation functionality, eliminating the requirements for external demarcation equipment and for external transponders.

Claims

1. A demarcated network utilizing pluggable optical transceivers, comprising

a first network element comprising a first pluggable optical transceiver;

and

a second network element comprising a second pluggable optical transceiver in communication with the first pluggable optical transceiver;

wherein the second pluggable optical transceiver is configured to provide overhead information to the first pluggable optical transceiver through a communication channel;

wherein the overhead information is terminated within the first pluggable optical transceiver and within the second pluggable optical transceiver;

wherein the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver each comprise integrated framing circuitry to utilize the G.709 overhead and are each compliant to one or more multi-source agreements;

wherein the integrated framing circuitry preserves specifications associated with the one or more multi-source agreements; and

wherein the communication channel utilizes one or more bytes in the G.709 overhead, wherein the bytes comprise one of unused and unspecified bytes in the G.709 overhead.

2. The demarcated network of claim 1, wherein the second network element comprises a customer network element, and wherein the second pluggable optical transceiver is configured to provide a demarcation point.

3. The demarcated network of claim 1, wherein the first network element is configured to communicate with the integrated framing circuitry on the first pluggable optical transceiver to perform operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning functions associated with the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver.

4. The demarcated network of claim 3, wherein the second network element is configured to communicate with the second pluggable optical transceiver through mechanisms in the one or more multi-source agreements.

5. The demarcated network of claim 4, wherein the second pluggable optical transceiver is configured to be provisioned and monitored from the first pluggable optical transceiver and the first network element.

6. The demarcated network of claim 1, wherein the one or more multi-source agreement comprises any of XFP, XPAK, XENPAK, X2, XFP-E, SFP, and SFP+.

7. An Ethernet network, comprising

a service provider router/switch configured with a first pluggable optical transceiver;

customer premises equipment configured with a second pluggable optical transceiver in communication with the first pluggable optical transceiver to provide an Ethernet service to a customer;

wherein the second pluggable optical transceiver operates as an Ethernet demarcation device between a service provider and the customer providing operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning information related to the Ethernet service based upon overhead shared between the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver, the overhead being terminated within each of the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver;

wherein the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver each comprise integrated framing circuitry to utilize G.709 overhead;

wherein the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver are compliant to one or more multi-source agreements;

wherein the integrated framing circuitry preserves specifications associated with the one or more multi-source agreements; and

wherein the communication channel utilizes one or more bytes in the G.709 overhead, wherein the bytes comprise one of unused and unspecified bytes in the G.709 overhead.

8. The Ethernet network of claim 7, wherein the service provider router/switch is configured to interface with the operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning information related to the Ethernet service, and wherein the customer premises equipment does not interface with the operations, administration, maintenance, and provisioning information related to the Ethernet service.

9. The Ethernet network of claim 7, wherein the customer premises equipment is configured to communicate with the second pluggable optical transceiver through mechanisms in the one or more multi-source agreements.

10. The demarcated network of claim 7, wherein the second pluggable optical transceiver is configured to be provisioned and monitored from the first pluggable optical transceiver and the first network element.

11. The demarcated network of claim 7, wherein the one or more multi-source agreement comprises any of XFP, XPAK, XENPAK, X2, XFP-E, SFP, and SFP+.

12. A method for Ethernet demarcation in a network, comprising

providing an Ethernet service from a first pluggable optical transceiver, wherein the first optical pluggable transceiver is configured to frame the Ethernet service with overhead;

receiving the Ethernet service at a customer device with a second pluggable optical transceiver, wherein the second pluggable optical transceiver is configured to frame the Ethernet service with overhead; and

monitoring the Ethernet service at the customer device based on the overhead;

wherein the overhead information comprises G.709 overhead that is terminated within the first pluggable optical transceiver and within the second pluggable optical transceiver;

wherein the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver each comprise integrated framing circuitry to utilize G.709 overhead;

wherein the first pluggable optical transceiver and the second pluggable optical transceiver are compliant to one or more multi-source agreements;

wherein the integrated framing circuitry preserves specifications associated with the one or more multi-source agreements; and

wherein the communication channel utilizes one or more bytes in the G.709 overhead, wherein the bytes comprise one of unused and unspecified bytes in the G.709 overhead.

13. The method for Ethernet demarcation of claim 12, further comprising:

provisioning the second pluggable optical transceiver from the first pluggable optical transceiver through the overhead.

14. The method for Ethernet demarcation of claim 12, further comprising:

providing a service level agreement to the customer device based on monitoring the overhead from the second pluggable optical transceiver to the first pluggable optical transceiver; and

performing troubleshooting and fault isolation from alarms on the overhead.