Cisco Technology, Inc.

Deutschetelekom Ag

Peter Lothberg

Jay Hosler

Ornan A Gerstel

Loukas Paraschis

Feng Huang

Anthony J Bates

A method for monitoring optical performance in an optical data transmission network, the optical data transmission network including a first router node, a second router node, and an optical data transmission line connecting the first router node with the second router node providing optical data transmission from the first router node to the second router node using at least two channels, includes: in a measurement step, determining, at the spare IP router interface, optical performance parameters of the at least two channels; in a transmission step subsequent to the measurement step, transmitting the determined optical performance parameters to a remote control unit; and in an analysis step subsequent to the transmission step, analyzing the transmitted optical performance parameters and determining whether to take a corrective action to improve optical performance of the at least two channels.

Monitoring of optical performance in an optical data transmission network

A method and system for setting a variable forward error correction overhead in an optical transport network frame for an optical link at a node are disclosed. In one embodiment, a method includes selecting a forward error correction overhead, signaling an optical node the selected forward error correction overhead, and setting the forward error correction overhead in the optical network transport frame for use in transmission of data over the optical link. In one embodiment, the forward error correction overhead is complementary to the data payload to maintain total transmission rate.

Variable forward error correction for optical communication links

An apparatus and method for a communications network including at least one interface circuit reads frame data received from the communications network and writes frame data to be transmitted over the communications network, the frame data including a plurality of transport overhead fields. The apparatus includes signature logic coupled to the interface circuit, the signature logic identifying signature data and writing the signature data into transport overhead fields in an outgoing frame. Reflector logic coupled to the interface circuit copies data from one of the received transport overhead fields, the copied data being placed into a transport overhead field in the outgoing frame, the copied data including the received signature data. The interface circuit compares the copied data to earlier received frame data from the communications network, the determination of a mismatch identifying a transition requiring an update of at least one routing table. The data is used to determine configuration compatibility between interfaces and among a plurality of tributary interfaces and to eliminate dependence on multiplexers that transmit to routers with protect circuits according to protection switching protocols. A method for a communications network includes transmitting signature data in a transport overhead field, the data identifying one of interfaces in the local routers, returning the data to the local router, and configuring a communications relationship using the data. The method includes using the data to determine which is an active interface and to determine whether to update at least one routing table and using the data to configure the interface circuits.

Reflector communications channel for automatic protection switching

A multidimensional ring network includes a plurality of network processing devices that are connected together with a plurality of individual ring networks. Packets are sent between any two network processing devices on the same ring network. Intermediate network processing devices, located on that same ring, between the sending and receiving network processing devices, do not add additional hops to the packet transfer. The intermediate processing devices, between the sending and receiving devices, simply pass the packets through to the next processing device on that ring. The packets are passed through to the destination processing device without the intermediate network processing devices having to read or process the packet headers. This allows the number of network processing devices on the individual ring networks and the number of individual ring networks in the multidimensional ring network to be increased without adding additional hops, and the associated latency, between the network processing devices.

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Karlsbad, Sweden

Peter Lothberg