NETWORK PROTECTION SWITCHING

• US 20110038634A1
• Filed: 08/12/2009
• Published: 02/17/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Inventors: Osias, Michael J., DeCusatis, Casimer M.
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 398/79
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0283 WDM ring architectures
• CPC Class Codes: H04J 14/0287 Protection in WDM systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 41/0631 using root cause analysis; using analysis of correlation between notifications, alarms or events based on decision criteria, e.g. hierarchy, tree or time analysis
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 7/08 the synchronisation signals recurring cyclically

Abstract

Servers attached to a data communications network, such as a wavelength division multiplexed network, are made aware of events on the network, such as a protection switch for scheduled maintenance to reduce latency and improve performance, etc. Switching data paths on the data communications network is no longer transparent to the server. A message from the network equipment is received and decoded by a holographic enterprise interface coupled to the server and to a virtual network operation centers. The network equipment reports network switch conditions to the holographic enterprise interface and other connected servers. In response to the network switch conditions, the holographic enterprise interface may automatically reprovision data traffic on the network quickly enough to prevent server timeouts and workload interruptions. The switching is then shown in real time in the virtual network operations center.

Claims

1. A method to switch one or more paths of data communications on a network operationally coupled to a server, the network having at least one optical communication channel, the method comprising the steps of:

receiving a protection switch message from one or more of a plurality of communication channels on the network;

encapsulating the protection switch message in a format understandable by a virtual network operations center on the server;

pausing communications on the one or more channels; and

responding to the protection switch message.

2. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the step of responding to the protection switch message further comprises suspending communications on the one or more of the plurality of communication channels transmitting the protection switch message.

3. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the step of responding to the protection switch message further comprises reprovisioning communication to a different pathway on the network.

4. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the step of responding to the protection switch message further comprises queuing communications data in a buffer.

5. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the step of responding to the protection switch message further comprises manually switching pathways using the virtual network operations center.

6. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the data communications is a wavelength division multiplexed network.

7. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the protection switch message is a TL1 message.

8. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the protection switch message is encapsulated in holographic protocol architecture remote procedure call for transmission to the virtual network operations center.

9. The method to process switching communications on a network of claim 1, wherein the protection switch response is displayed in the virtual network operation center.

10. A computer program product that reprovisions data communications on a data communications network operationally coupled to a server, the network having at least one optical communication channel, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the computer readable program code comprising;

an input/output adapter component to receive and read a protection switch message from one or more of a plurality of communication channels on the network;

an encapsulation component that encapsulating the protection switch message into a format understandable by a virtual network operations center on the server;

a protection component to pause communications on the one or more channels; and

response component to respond to the protection switch message.

11. The computer program product that reprovisions data communications of claim 10, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the response component suspending communications on the one or more of the plurality of communication channels transmitting the protection switch message.

12. The computer program product that reprovisions data communications of claim 10, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the response component reprovisioning communication to a different pathway on the network;

13. The computer program product that reprovisions data communications of claim 10, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the response component queuing communications data in a buffer coupled to the virtual network operations center.

14. The computer program product that reprovisions data communications of claim 10, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, the encapsulation component further encapsulates the protection switch message into a holographic protocol architecture protocol for transmission to the virtual network operations center.

15. The computer program product that reprovisions data communications of claim 14, the computer program product comprising:

computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therewith, wherein the protection switch response is displayed in the virtual network operation center.