Wavelength selection switch system and method for controlling wavelength selection switch

• US 9,294,826 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2013
• Issued: 03/22/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation
• Original Assignee: Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation, Ntt Electronics Corporation (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)
• Inventors: Kataoka, Tomoyoshi, Fukutoku, Mitsunori, Hashimoto, Etsu, Sahara, Akio, Sato, Norio, Takeuchi, Yosuke
• Primary Examiner(s): PASCAL, LESLIE C
• Application Number:
  US14/376,786
• Publication Number:
  US 20150030327A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,141 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 26/0816 by means of one or more reflecting elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0212 using optical switches or wavelength selective switches [WSS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0037 Operation

Abstract

A wavelength selection switch system includes a wavelength selection switch including an input port and an output port, a nonvolatile memory in which configuration information for controlling an operation of the wavelength selection switch is stored, a high-speed memory in which reading and writing can be performed at a higher speed than in the nonvolatile memory and that stores a copy of the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory, and a control unit that controls an operation of the wavelength selection switch based on the configuration information read from the high-speed memory, wherein the control unit periodically reads the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory and writes a copy of the read configuration information to the high-speed memory.

Claims

1. A wavelength selection switch system comprising:

a wavelength selection switch including an input port and an output port;

a nonvolatile memory in which configuration information for controlling an operation of the wavelength selection switch is stored;

a high-speed memory in which reading and writing can be performed at a higher speed than in the nonvolatile memory, and that stores a copy of the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory; and

a control unit that controls an operation of the wavelength selection switch based on the configuration information read from the high-speed memory,

wherein the control unit periodically reads the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory and writes a copy of the read configuration information to the high-speed memory.

2. The wavelength selection switch system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a normality confirmation unit that confirms normality of data transferred between the control unit and the nonvolatile memory and between the control unit and the high-speed memory;

a malfunction history writing unit that writes malfunction history information to the nonvolatile memory when the normality cannot to be confirmed by the normality confirmation unit; and

a malfunction notification unit which notifies the outside of information indicating occurrence of a malfunction when the normality cannot to be confirmed.

3. The wavelength selection switch system according to claim 2, wherein the nonvolatile memory is a flash memory, and writing of the malfunction history information is performed by setting a bit of a predetermined address in the flash memory corresponding to a malfunction detection point to be 1 in advance, and setting the bit of the predetermined address to be 0 when the malfunction occurs.

4. The wavelength selection switch system according to claim 1,

wherein the control unit includes a first control circuit and a second control circuit, and

when circuit information of the first control circuit is rebuilt, the second control circuit controls the operation of the wavelength selection switch and rebuilds the circuit information of the first control circuit to be rebuilt.

5. A method for controlling a wavelength selection switch system comprising:

a wavelength selection switch including an input port and an output port;

a nonvolatile memory in which configuration information for controlling an operation of the wavelength selection switch is stored;

a high-speed memory in which reading and writing can be performed at a higher speed than in the nonvolatile memory, and that stores a copy of the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory; and

a control unit that controls an operation of the wavelength selection switch based on the configuration information read from the high-speed memory,

wherein the method includes a step in which the control unit periodically reads the configuration information stored in the nonvolatile memory and writes a copy of the read configuration information to the high-speed memory.

6. The method for controlling a wavelength selection switch system according to claim 5, further comprising:

a normality confirmation step for confirming normality of data transferred between the control unit and the nonvolatile memory and between the control unit and the high-speed memory;

a malfunction history writing step for writing malfunction history information to the nonvolatile memory when the normality cannot be confirmed in the normality confirmation step; and

a malfunction notification step for notifying the outside of information indicating occurrence of a malfunction when the normality cannot to be confirmed.

7. The method for controlling a wavelength selection switch system according to claim 6, wherein the nonvolatile memory is a flash memory, and writing of the malfunction history information is performed by setting a bit of a predetermined address in the flash memory corresponding to a malfunction detection point to be 1 in advance, and setting the bit of the predetermined address to be 0 when the malfunction occurs.

8. The method for controlling a wavelength selection switch system according to claim 5,

wherein the control unit includes a first control circuit and a second control circuit, and

the method includes a step in which, when circuit information of the first control circuit is rebuilt, the second control circuit controls the operation of the wavelength selection switch and rebuilds the circuit information of the first control circuit to be rebuilt.