Alcatel Canada Inc.

Derrick A Nagy

William Schaller

Jonathan Spratley

Daniel Gravelle

Chung Kei Leung

Alexei Permiakov

Tom C Wilson

Brian Campbell

A system and method for managing communication links connecting components in a network element is provided. The network element has a first component, a second component and at least two communication links. The communication links are adapted to provide a first connection and a second connection between the first component and the second component. The system includes, for each communication link of the at least two communication links connected to the first component and adapted to provide the first connection and the second connection, a detection module adapted to monitor a given communication link for an error. The system also includes, for each communication link connected to the second component and adapted to provide the first connection and the second connection, another detection module adapted to monitor another given communication link for an error. The system further includes a collection module communicating with each the detection module to collect information about any errors detected thereby and to provide a status report of each communication link.

System and method for providing management of fabric links for a network element

The present invention is directed to a method of synchronizing data transmission through optical links between first and second communications components. Each of the first and second communications components include an optical laser for transmitting and receiving laser signals to and from each other through the optical links. In an embodiment, the method comprises the steps of: (a) initializing each of the first and second communications components; (b) enabling the optical lasers and optical sensors; (c) exchanging idle packets between the first and second communications components to establish a datapath across the optical links; (d) exchanging test data packets across the datapath established in step (c) to verify connection of the optical links; and (e) upon verification of connection of said optical links in step (d), enabling data flow between said first and second communications components. In particular, this method is applicable to synchronizing data transmission across a parallel optical link comprising a plurality of parallel links.

Method of synchronizing parallel optical links between communications components

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Nepean, Canada

Derrick A Nagy