Disaggregated optical transport network switching system

• US 9,942,633 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2017
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Original Assignee: Fujitsu Limited
• Inventors: Cai, Biaodong, Dunsmore, Richard, Naphan, Rod, Lisle, Sam, Patel, Deepak, Syed, Iqbal
• Primary Examiner(s): Bocure, Tesfaldet
• Application Number:
  US15/419,482
• Publication Number:
  US 20170311060A1
• Time in Patent Office: 435 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 10/032 using working and protection systems H04J14/0287 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0012 Switching modules and their interconnections
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0026 Physical details
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 2203/0085 Support of Ethernet
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 3/1652 Optical Transport Network [OTN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/40 Bus networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/413 with random access, e.g. carrier-sense multiple-access with collision detection [CSMA-CD]
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2101/622 Layer-2 addresses, e.g. medium access control [MAC] addresses
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0659 by isolating or reconfiguring faulty entities
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0677 Localisation of faults
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/08 Configuration management of networks or network elements address allocation H04L61/50
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0895 Configuration of virtualised networks or elements, e.g. virtualised network function or OpenFlow elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/745 Address table lookup; Address filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 45/7452 Multiple parallel or consecutive lookup operations lookup operation involving Bloom filters H04L45/7459
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/351 for local area network [LAN], e.g. Ethernet switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 49/70 Virtual switches
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 61/5038 for local use, e.g. in LAN or USB networks, or in a controller area network [CAN]
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/00 Selecting arrangements for multiplex systems multiplex systems H04J
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0005 Switch and router aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0062 Network aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 11/0066 : Provisions for optical burst or packet networks
• CPC Class Codes: H04Q 2011/0073 : Provisions for forwarding or routing, e.g. lookup tables

Abstract

Methods and systems of a disaggregated optical transport network (OTN) switching system that include using plug-in universal (PIU) modules each having multiple ports for OTN to Ethernet transceiving and an Ethernet fabric as a switching core are disclosed. An OTN over Ethernet module in each of the PIU modules may enable various OTN functionality to be realized using the Ethernet fabric which may include multiple Ethernet switches. An ith port of the multiple ports of each PIU module may be connected to the ith Ethernet switch of each of the Ethernet switches. A PIU module may be associated with a respective sequential order of the Ethernet switches. The PIU module may transmit an Ethernet packet from an ith port of the PIU module corresponding to the ith Ethernet switch, where the ith port is selected based on the respective sequential order of the Ethernet switches.

Claims

1. A method for switching optical signals as Ethernet packets, the method comprising:

in an optical transport networking (OTN) switching system further comprising;

an Ethernet fabric having a number M of Ethernet switches, assigning a variable i having a value ranging from 1 to M to denote the ith Ethernet switch of the M Ethernet switches, wherein M is greater than one; and

a plurality of plug-in universal (PIU) modules each having M PIU ports including a first PIU module, a second PIU module, and a third PIU module, wherein an ith PIU port of each of the plurality of PIU modules is connected to the ith Ethernet switch of the Ethernet fabric,

establishing a first optical data unit (ODU) switched connection from the first PIU module to the third PIU module via the Ethernet fabric and a second ODU switched connection from the second PIU module to the third PIU module via the Ethernet fabric;

selecting, for the first PIU module, a first sequential order of the M Ethernet switches;

selecting, for the second PIU module, a second sequential order of the M Ethernet switches, wherein the second sequential order is different from the first sequential order;

receiving a first ODU at the first PIU module and generating a first Ethernet packet corresponding to the first ODU, wherein the first ODU is for transmission via the first ODU switched connection;

transmitting the first Ethernet packet from a first port of the first PIU module, wherein the first port is selected based on the first sequential order;

receiving a second ODU at the second PIU module and generating a second Ethernet packet corresponding to the second ODU, wherein the second ODU is for transmission via the second ODU switched connection; and

transmitting the second Ethernet packet from a second port of the second PIU module, wherein the second port is selected based on the second sequential order.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first sequential order and the second sequential order each specify M number of port identifiers respectively associated with the first PIU module and the second PIU module.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the first sequential order and selecting the second sequential order is performed at the third PIU module, and further comprising:

sending the first sequential order from the third PIU module to the first PIU module; and

sending the second sequential order from the third PIU module to the second PIU module.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a third ODU at the first PIU module;

performing, for the first PIU module, a table lookup of an ingress lookup table (ILT) having a plurality of ILT entries to retrieve a first ILT entry associated with the third ODU;

storing, for the first PIU module, the third ODU at a first location of a first bundling buffer associated with the first ILT entry;

receiving a fourth ODU at the first PIU module;

performing, for the first PIU module, a table lookup of the ILT to retrieve a second ILT entry of the ILT associated with the fourth ODU;

storing, for the first PIU module, the fourth ODU at a next in sequence second location of the first bundling buffer associated with the second ILT entry; and

generating, for the first PIU module, a third Ethernet packet corresponding to the third ODU and the fourth ODU at the first bundling buffer associated with the first ILT entry and second ILT entry.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

storing, for the first PIU module, the third Ethernet packet at a first transmit queue for transmission to the third PIU module based on the first sequential order.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

retrieving, for the third PIU module, the third Ethernet packet stored at a first receive queue;

retrieving, for the third PIU module, the third ODU and the fourth ODU from the third Ethernet packet; and

performing, for the third PIU module, a table lookup of an egress lookup table (ELT) having a plurality of ELT entries to retrieve a first ELT entry associated with the third Ethernet packet.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

storing, for the third PIU module, the third ODU and the fourth ODU at a first location of a first re-sequencing buffer associated with the first ELT entry based on a first Ethernet packet sequence number of the third Ethernet packet.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

establishing a third ODU switched connection from the first PIU module to the third PIU module via the Ethernet fabric;

receiving a third ODU at the first PIU module, wherein the third ODU is for transmission via the third ODU switched connection; and

transmitting a third Ethernet packet corresponding to the third ODU from a third port of the first PIU module, wherein the third port is selected based on a consecutive transmission port count.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the third ODU switched connection is different than the first ODU switched connection.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the consecutive transmission port count is based on consecutive transmissions to a single port.

11. An optical transport networking (OTN) switching system comprising:

an Ethernet fabric having a number M of Ethernet switches, wherein a variable i having a value ranging from 1 to M to denote the ith Ethernet switch of the M Ethernet switches, and wherein M is greater than one; and

a plurality of plug-in universal (PIU) modules each having M PIU ports including a first PIU module, a second PIU module, and a third PIU module, wherein an ith PIU port of each of the plurality of PIU modules is connected to the ith Ethernet switch of the Ethernet fabric, the OTN switching system to;

establish a first optical data unit (ODU) switched connection from the first PIU module to the third PIU module via the Ethernet fabric and a second ODU switched connection from the second PIU module to the third PIU module via the Ethernet fabric;

select a first sequential order of the M Ethernet switches;

select a second sequential order of the M Ethernet switches, wherein the second sequential order is different from the first sequential order;

receive a first ODU at the first PIU module and generate a first Ethernet packet corresponding to the first ODU, wherein the first ODU is for transmission via the first ODU switched connection;

transmit the first Ethernet packet from a first port of the first PIU module, wherein the first port is selected based on the first sequential order;

receive a second ODU at the second PIU module and generate a second Ethernet packet corresponding to the second ODU, wherein the second ODU is for transmission via the second ODU switched connection; and

transmit the second Ethernet packet from a second port of the second PIU module, wherein the second port is selected based on the second sequential order.

12. The OTN switching system of claim 11, wherein the first sequential order and the second sequential order each specify M number of port identifiers respectively associated with the first PIU module and the second PIU module.

13. The OTN switching system of claim 11, wherein the selection of the first sequential order and the selection of the second sequential order is performed at the third PIU module, and further comprising:

send the first sequential order from the third PIU module to the first PIU module; and

send the second sequential order from the third PIU module to the second PIU module.

14. The OTN switching system of claim 11, further comprising:

receive a third ODU at the first PIU module;

perform a table lookup of an ingress lookup table (ILT) having a plurality of ILT entries to retrieve a first ILT entry associated with the third ODU;

store the third ODU at a first location of a first bundling buffer associated with the first ILT entry;

receive a fourth ODU at the first PIU module;

perform a table lookup of the ILT to retrieve a second ILT entry of the ILT associated with the fourth ODU;

store the fourth ODU at a next in sequence second location of the first bundling buffer associated with the second ILT entry; and

generate a third Ethernet packet corresponding to the third ODU and the fourth ODU at the first bundling buffer associated with the first ILT entry and the second ILT entry.

15. The OTN switching system of claim 14, further comprising:

store the third Ethernet packet at a first transmit queue for transmission to the third PIU module based on the first sequential order.

16. The OTN switching system of claim 14, further comprising:

retrieve the third Ethernet packet stored at a first receive queue;

retrieve the third ODU and the fourth ODU from the third Ethernet packet; and

perform a table lookup of an egress lookup table (ELT) having a plurality of ELT entries to retrieve a first ELT entry associated with the third Ethernet packet.

17. The OTN switching system of claim 16, further comprising:

store the third ODU and the fourth ODU at a first location of a first re-sequencing buffer associated with the first ELT entry based on a first Ethernet packet sequence number of the third Ethernet packet.

18. The OTN switching system of claim 11, further comprising:

establish a third ODU switched connection from the first PIU module to the third PIU module via the Ethernet fabric;

receive a third ODU at the first PIU module, wherein the third ODU is for transmission via the third ODU switched connection; and

transmit a third Ethernet packet corresponding to the third ODU from a third port of the first PIU module, wherein the third port is selected based on a consecutive transmission port count.

19. The OTN switching system of claim 18, wherein the third ODU switched connection is different than the first ODU switched connection.

20. The OTN switching system of claim 18, wherein the consecutive transmission port count is based on consecutive transmissions to a single port.