Infinera Corporation

Marco Sosa

Iftekhar Hussain

Ting-Kuang Chiang

Abinder S Dhillon

Radhakrishnan L Nagarajan

David F Welch

Fred A Kish, Jr

Charles H Joyner

Vincent G Dominic

Richard P Schneider

Mark Missey

Atul Mathur

Stephen G Grubb

Alan C Nilsson

Rajan Rao

Robert B Taylor

Matthew L Mitchell

Frank H Peters

Drew Daniel Perkins

Edward Everett Sprague

Jonas Webjorn

Parthiban Kandappan

Abhinava Shivakumar Sadasivarao

Loukas Paraschis

Steven Joseph Hand

Satyajeet Singh Ahuja

Daniel P Murphy

Frank Peters

Zhong Pan

Michael Francis Van Leeuwen

Vinayak Dangui

Jan Bialkowski

Christopher Liou

Mark Tehmin Yin

Robert Grencavich

Sudhindra Aithal Kota

Onur Turkcu

Vinh D Nguyen

Donald J Pavinski, Jr

Harshad Sardesai

Nitin K Goel

A method and apparatus for optimizing optical transport using a software defined network (SDN) controller are disclosed herein. The SDN controller may define a margin optimization function based on at least one optical system performance metric. The function may include at least one related initiation criterion. Further, the SDN controller may collect at least one measurement for the performance metric. The measurement may include an assessment of deployed carriers not carrying client data. The SDN controller may determine whether the initiation criterion is met based on at least one collected measurement. The SDN controller may select a system margin optimization mechanism and define a system margin optimization threshold criterion on a condition that the initiation criterion is met. The SDN controller may determine whether the optimization threshold criterion is met. The SDN controller may implement one or more optimization events on a condition that the optimization threshold criterion is met.

Multi-layer mechanisms to optimize optical transport network margin allocation

A method and system are disclosed in which a link state advertisement message (LSA) conforming to a Generalized Multiprotocol Label Switching (GMPLS) routing protocol is generated and transmitted. The LSA is associated with a TE Link between a transmit node and a receive node in a network. The transmit node supplies a plurality of optical signals, each of which has a plurality of frequencies, the frequencies being allocated among a plurality of spectral portions such that the plurality of spectral portions are grouped into a plurality of frequency slots. The LSA may include information indicative of a number of spectral portions, e.g., spectral slices, which correspond to frequencies of selected ones of the plurality of optical signals, said selected ones of the plurality of optical signals being available to carry data from the transmit node to the receive node.

OSPFTE extension to support GMPLS for flexible grid

A method and apparatus for pro-active protection of packet-optical transport in a software defined network (SDN) controller are disclosed herein. The SDN controller may define a proactive protection threshold criterion based on based on a plurality of optical system performance metrics and may collect at least one measurement for each of the metrics. The SDN controller may then determine whether the proactive protection threshold criterion is met based on at least one of the collected measurements. Further, the SDN controller may select a protection mechanism and define a protection threshold criterion on a condition that the proactive protection threshold criterion is met. Also, the SDN controller may initiate proactive protection events based on the selected protection mechanism. The SDN controller may determine whether the protection threshold criterion is met. The SDN controller may implement one or more protection events on a condition that the protection threshold criterion is met.

Proactive multi-layer mechanisms to protect packet-optical transport networks

A method may include determining, by a device, a wavelength identifier graph corresponding to an optical network based on a set of lightpath conflicts, for a set of optical signals, associated with a set of links and a set of nodes of the optical network. One or more optical signals may be associated with transmission via a super-channel. The method may further include selectively assigning, by the device, a wavelength identifier to an optical signal, of the set of optical signals, based on the wavelength identifier graph. The wavelength identifier being associated with a set of wavelength identifiers and corresponding to a wavelength of a set of wavelengths. The method may further include causing, by the device, the optical signal to utilize the wavelength, of the set of wavelengths, for transmission via the optical network.

Assignment of wavelengths to optical signals in an optical network

A network device is configured to store parameters identifying a respective quality of service (QoS) to apply to corresponding different types of data flows; initiate establishment of a network channel between a source device and a destination device through an optical network; receive first and second data flows destined for the destination device, where the first data flow and the second data flow may have first and second data flow types; identify a first QoS and a different second QoS to apply to the first and second data flows based on the first and second data flow types and based on the parameters; apply the first QoS to the first data flow and the second QoS to the second data flow to form processed first and second data flows; and transmit, via the network channel, the processed first and second data flows towards the destination device.

Quality of service application for different data flow types

A method and system are disclosed in which a signaling message conforming to a GMPLS signaling protocol and associated with an optical connection is generated and transmitted by a transmit node to a receive node to change the size of a connection bandwidth in a network. The message may include information indicative of a number of spectral portions which correspond to frequencies of selected ones of the plurality of optical signals, selected ones of the plurality of optical signals being available to carry data from the transmit node to the receive node; and information indicative of a change in the number of selected ones of the plurality of optical signals. The transmit node may resize the connection while data traffic continues to be transmitted over the connection in the Optical Transport Network without service disruption to the client attached to the connection being resized.

Optical connection hitless bandwidth or spectrum resizing

Methods and systems are disclosed including receiving, by circuitry of a node conforming to GMPLS protocol, a signal comprising at least one of an optical signal attribute indicative of parameters of a super-channel, the super-channel including a plurality of optical carriers, each of which having a corresponding one of a plurality of wavelengths and being modulated to carry a corresponding one of a plurality of data streams, the super-channel being provisioned in the optical network as one optical channel, wherein the optical signal attribute is one of: quantity of wavelengths of the super-channel, wavelength center frequency of the super-channel, wavelength modulation of the super-channel, wavelength baudrate of the super-channel, and wavelength FEC type of the super-channel. The node further receiving information indicative of frequency slices in use by the super-channel and calculating, using algorithms conforming to CSPF-TE protocol, a path of a second super-channel.

Super-channel optical parameters GMPLS signaling and routing extensions systems and methods

A node is configured to receive an instruction to establish a channel having a bandwidth that corresponds to an operating spectrum an optical fiber; obtain information that identifies a channel spacing and a pointer that identifies where, within the spectrum, to establish bandwidth allocations; identify a group of bandwidth segments based on the spectrum and the channel spacing; and generate bit words that correspond to the bandwidth allocations, where the bit words includes bits that, when set to a value, cause sets of segments to be reserved within the spectrum, and where the sets of segments identify where the bandwidth allocations begin and end, within the spectrum, relative to the pointer.

Super-channel assignment using a flexible grid

The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for modularly adapting a network node architecture to function in one of a plurality of potential node types. The architecture includes a configurable switching element, integrated optics, and a plurality of modules that allow a 'type' of node to be adapted and configured within the base architecture. The module interfaces may be optical or electrical and be used to construct various different types of nodes including regenerators, add/drop nodes, terminal nodes, and multi-way nodes using the same base architecture.

Modular adaptation and configuration of a network node architecture

A photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chip comprising an array of modulated sources, each providing a modulated signal output at a channel wavelength different from the channel wavelength of other modulated sources and a wavelength selective combiner having an input optically coupled to received all the signal outputs from the modulated sources and provide a combined output signal on an output waveguide from the chip. The modulated sources, combiner and output waveguide are all integrated on the same chip.

Transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chip

Transmitter photonic integrated circuit (TxPIC) chips

The present invention provides a system, apparatus and method for accurately identifying optical or digital impairments on a span using FEC errors identified at an intermediary node. This information may be provided to an end node within a network to switch to a redundant path around the impaired optical path or span therein. In one embodiment of the invention, signal degradation is identified by analyzing FEC data within a FEC decoded signal at an intermediary node. An identification of signal degradation provides an indication of a potential failing span within an optical link, which may be provided in-band or out-of-band to a terminal node so that a signal may be switched around a failing path, or span therein, prior to an actual failure event.

Protection switch decision architecture

Optical transport network having a plurality of monolithic photonic integrated circuit semiconductor chips

Photonic integrated circuit (PIC) chips

Growing community of inventors

San Jose, CA, United States of America

Marco Sosa