Alcatel

Alcatel Lucent

Gary W Ester

Hakki Cankaya

Don G Dempsey

Pete O'Connell

Ram Dantu

Ana Lardies

A sequential iterative methodology is used to generate a solution space with different cost/availability values for multiple network architectures from which an optimal or near-optimal solution can be determined. A modeling module () provides a cost value for a network architecture under consideration and, once cost modeling is done, an availability analysis is performed for the architecture under analysis. If a relatively few connections prevent a model from acceptability, the availability analysis module () reveals the causing factors of the unsatisfactory availability for those few connections and suggests that the modeling perform further optimisations on those causing factors. This iterative process is repeated until an optimum or near-optimum acceptable solution is found; if no acceptable solution is found, the solutions generated in the availability analysis module are reviewed to find the best available solution.

Availability aware cost modeling for optical core networks

An apparatus and a method for forwarding data packets through a fiber optic ring network includes forwarding data packets on a packet by packet basis. A node on the fiber optic ring network decides on a packet by packet basis whether to transmit on the working or protection path. Because this decision is being made on a packet level, reservation of throughput resources no longer is made at a one to one ratio. Rather, protection path resources are reserved at a ratio significantly less than one to one. In one embodiment, no resources are reserved for path restoration or protection path routing. Rather, quality of service provisioning is used to resolve interference situations wherein instantaneous demand exceeds capacity. A node evaluates ring conditions in relation to the demand of traffic resources and the relative quality of service ratings to determine whether and how to forward a packet. Additionally, a node decides whether to use the working or protection path by considering the final destination on the fiber optic ring network, any identified ring conditions and, in some embodiments, quality of service. The ring conditions to which the inventive nodes respond include OSI layer 1, layer 2 and layer 3 conditions.

System and method for packet level restoration of IP traffic using overhead signaling in a fiber optic ring network

An optical bi-directional line switched ring for performing adding and dropping of traffic into the traffic path and for performing ring and/or span protection switching. The optical bi-directional line switched ring include a plurality of nodes, each node having multiple input demultiplexer/output multiplexer sections, a command and control channel having multiple fibers, and up to N-1 slave circuits. Each multiple input demultiplexer/output multiplexer sections has an input demultiplexer to receive and demultiplex signals from a fiber and an output multiplexer to receive the demultiplexed wavelengths from internally and multiplex them into an outgoing signal. The command and control channel can be a standard bi-directional line switch that has one channel coupled to each fiber of the system. Each slave circuit comprising a plurality optical switching circuits coupled to the multiple input demultiplexer/output multiplexer sections such that the optical switching circuits are operable to carry up to N wavelengths of traffic. The command and control channel in conjunction with a SONET bi-directional line switched ring monitors the plurality of lines in the bi-directional line switched ring to control the operation of the optical add/drop multiplexer in response to the sensed signals on the plurality of lines. If a disruption of traffic occurs, the command and control channel will so indicate and will use the optical switching circuits that are slaved to it to re-route and protect traffic.

Growing community of inventors

Plano, TX, United States of America

Gary W Ester