Slot configuration method, service path creation method, apparatus, device, and medium

Abstract

The main purpose of the embodiment of the present application is to provide a time slot configuration method, a service path creation method based on time slot configuration, a time slot configuration device, a service path creation device based on time slot configuration, a network device and a storage medium, aiming at automatically performing time slot configuration according to actual time slot demand through the forwarding plane of the network device, so that the time slot cross configuration of the forwarding plane can match the characteristics of the forwarding device itself, reduce the service deployment complexity, and improve the service deployment efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of communication technology, and in particular to a time slot configuration method, a service path creation method based on time slot configuration, a time slot configuration device, a service path creation device based on time slot configuration, a network device, and a storage medium. Background Technology

[0002] In mobile network architecture, to improve system reliability, flexibility and scalability, the control plane and forwarding plane are separated. The control plane performs unified policy control to ensure flexible traffic scheduling and connection management, while the forwarding plane focuses on routing and forwarding service data. The two work as independently as possible without affecting each other.

[0003] However, due to the separation of the control plane and the forwarding plane, the time slots configured by the control plane may not be optimal for forwarding behavior. For example, when the forwarding plane itself has specific requirements for the interleaving and distribution of time slots, as well as the positional relationship between outgoing and incoming time slots, it is difficult for the control plane to meet the special requirements of different devices' forwarding planes for time slot configuration. Summary of the Invention

[0004] The main objective of this invention is to propose a time slot configuration method, a service path creation method based on time slot configuration, a time slot configuration device, a service path creation device based on time slot configuration, a network device, and a storage medium. The aim is to enable the network device to automatically configure time slots according to actual time slot requirements through the forwarding plane, so that the time slot cross-configuration of the forwarding plane can match the characteristics of the forwarding device itself, reduce the complexity of service deployment, and improve the efficiency of service deployment.

[0005] In a first aspect, embodiments of this application provide a time slot configuration method applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, comprising:

[0006] Obtain the service information and link information of the current node. The service information is used to characterize the service parameters, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path.

[0007] Configure the outbound time slot information of the current node based on the service information, the link information, and the preset time slot configuration rules.

[0008] Secondly, embodiments of this application provide a service path creation method based on time slot configuration, applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, including:

[0009] Obtain the service information and link information of the current node. The service information is used to characterize the service parameters, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path.

[0010] Configure the outbound time slot information of the current node according to the service information, the link information, and the preset time slot configuration rules;

[0011] Configure the time slot frame structure according to the outgoing time slot information, and forward the configured first time slot frame to the next node according to the link information.

[0012] Thirdly, embodiments of this application provide a time slot configuration device applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, comprising:

[0013] A business information acquisition unit is used to acquire the business information of the current node, wherein the business information is used to characterize business parameters;

[0014] The link information acquisition unit is used to acquire the link information of the current node, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path;

[0015] The time slot information configuration unit is used to configure the outbound time slot information of the current node according to the service information, the link information and the preset time slot configuration rules.

[0016] Fourthly, embodiments of this application provide a service path creation apparatus based on time slot configuration, applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, comprising:

[0017] A business information acquisition unit is used to acquire the business information of the current node, wherein the business information is used to characterize business parameters;

[0018] The link information acquisition unit is used to acquire the link information of the current node, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path;

[0019] The time slot information configuration unit is used to configure the outbound time slot information of the current node according to the service information, the link information and the preset time slot configuration rules;

[0020] A time slot frame configuration unit is used to configure a time slot frame structure according to the outgoing time slot information;

[0021] The time slot frame transmission unit is used to receive and forward time slot frames.

[0022] Fifthly, embodiments of this application provide a network device, the network device including a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor executes the computer program to implement: the time slot configuration method as described in the first aspect, or the service path creation method based on time slot configuration as described in the second aspect.

[0023] In a sixth aspect, embodiments of this application provide a storage medium for computer-readable storage, the storage medium storing one or more programs, the one or more programs being executable by one or more processors to implement: the time slot configuration method as described in the first aspect, or the service path creation method based on time slot configuration as described in the second aspect.

[0024] According to the solution proposed in the embodiments of the present invention, the forwarding plane of the network device can obtain the service information and link information of the current node of the network device, and automatically configure the time slots according to the service information, link information and preset time slot configuration rules, without introducing any control protocol, in combination with the actual time slot requirements. This enables the time slot cross-configuration of the forwarding plane to fit the characteristics of the forwarding device itself, reduces the complexity of service deployment, and improves the efficiency of service deployment.

[0025] Other features and advantages of this application will be set forth in the description which follows, and will be apparent in part from the description, or may be learned by practicing the application. The objectives and other advantages of this application may be realized and obtained by means of the structures particularly pointed out in the description, claims and drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0026] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a time slot configuration method provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0027] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of a time slot configuration method provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0029] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 5 This is a flexible Ethernet time-slot frame structure provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of a forwarding path issued by the control plane according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 7 This is link information sent down from the control plane, as provided in one embodiment of the present invention;

[0033] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the time slot configuration result forwarding of node A provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0034] Figure 9This is a time slot cross-configuration result of node B provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0035] Figure 10 This is a schematic diagram of the forwarding of the time slot configuration result of node B provided in an embodiment of the present invention;

[0036] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram of the forwarding of the time slot configuration result of the C node according to an embodiment of the present invention;

[0037] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram of forwarding path and link information issued by the control plane according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0038] Figure 13 This is a small-particle time-slot frame structure provided in another embodiment of the present invention;

[0039] Figure 14 This is a schematic diagram of a forwarding path issued by the control plane according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0040] Figure 15 This is another embodiment of the present invention that provides link information represented by an abstract label method;

[0041] Figure 16 This is a small-granular time-slot frame structure for a distributed dynamic path scenario provided by another embodiment of the present invention;

[0042] Figure 17 It corresponds to Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the forwarding results of the time slot configuration of node A;

[0043] Figure 18 It corresponds to Figure 16 A schematic diagram of the forwarding results of the time slot configuration of node B;

[0044] Figure 19 This is a schematic diagram illustrating the convergence of dynamic time-slot cross-routing. Detailed Implementation

[0045] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of this application clearer, the following detailed description is provided in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments. It should be understood that the embodiments described herein are merely illustrative and not intended to limit the scope of this application. Where there is no conflict, the embodiments and features described herein can be arbitrarily combined with each other.

[0046] In the description of the embodiments of this application, the suffixes such as "module," "part," or "unit" used to represent elements are used only for the convenience of the description of this application and have no specific meaning in themselves. Therefore, "module," "part," or "unit" can be used interchangeably.

[0047] It should be noted that although functional modules are divided in the device schematic diagram and a logical order is shown in the flowchart, in some cases, the steps shown or described may be performed in a different order than the module division in the device or the order in the flowchart. The terms "first," "second," etc., in the specification, claims, and the aforementioned drawings are used to distinguish similar objects and are not necessarily used to describe a specific order or sequence. Furthermore, unless otherwise explicitly defined, terms such as "setting," "installing," and "connecting" should be interpreted broadly, and those skilled in the art can reasonably determine the specific meaning of these terms in the embodiments of this application based on the specific content of the technical solution.

[0048] Traditional SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) networks provide a TDM (Time-division multiplexing) service, which offers users a service forwarding path based on time slot cross-linking. Because SDH equipment lacks a negotiation mechanism for service time slot alignment between devices, centralized routing and time slot allocation are required through the SDH network management system. This method of creating time slot cross-linked service paths requires the management plane to focus on the allocation of forwarding plane time slots. Since equipment from different vendors operates in different management domains, end-to-end time slot allocation requires collaboration between network management systems from different vendors, resulting in a complex time slot allocation method and making it difficult to achieve flexible cross-vendor networking.

[0049] ASON (Automatically Switched Optical Network) provides a solution for automated time slot allocation. Path calculation is performed through distributed nodes or a centralized controller, and time slot allocation information is transmitted by introducing an extension of the Label Distribution Protocol (RSVP-TE / LDP) in the control plane, achieving time slot alignment between upstream and downstream nodes, thereby completing the creation of end-to-end time slot cross-paths. This method of creating time slot cross-path services requires the deployment of complex control plane protocols, leading to complex network deployment and making it difficult to deploy in large-scale or cross-domain networks.

[0050] With the rise of next-generation 5G networks, a forwarding path for the MTN Channel based on 66-bit time-slot code block cross-interleaving at the FlexE Shim layer has been proposed in mobile backhaul networks. This provides low-latency, low-jitter N*5G granular time-slot cross-interleaving service forwarding paths in packet networks based on Ethernet technology. Furthermore, to meet the more flexible bandwidth service requirements of vertical industries, there is a need for time-slot cross-interleaving service forwarding paths that are further divided into N*10M granularities based on the MTN Channel. Therefore, under the trend of network simplification and intelligence, a simpler and more efficient mechanism is needed to configure these types of time-slot cross-interleaving service forwarding paths.

[0051] Based on this, this application proposes a time slot configuration method, a service path creation method based on time slot configuration, a time slot configuration device, a service path creation device based on time slot configuration, a network device, and a storage medium. Without introducing any control protocol, the network device automatically configures time slots according to actual time slot requirements through the forwarding plane, so that the time slot cross-configuration of the forwarding plane can match the characteristics of the forwarding device itself, reducing the complexity of service deployment and improving the efficiency of service deployment.

[0052] Figure 1 This is a schematic flowchart of a time slot configuration method provided in an embodiment of the present invention, which includes at least:

[0053] Step S110: The forwarding plane of the network device obtains the service information and link information of the current node. The service information is used to characterize the service parameters, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path.

[0054] In some embodiments, the service information is a service cross-path identifier. Those skilled in the art will understand that any information capable of clearly and effectively identifying a service transmission path is considered service information.

[0055] In some embodiments, business information refers to business attributes. Specifically, this can be represented by factors such as bandwidth and latency requirements.

[0056] In some embodiments, business information includes both business cross-path identifiers and business attributes, both of which together characterize the relevant business parameters.

[0057] In some embodiments, link information includes specific service transmission paths, which can be represented by physical resource link information or by abstract label link information.

[0058] Step S120: The forwarding plane of the network device configures the outbound time slot information of the current node where the network device is located according to the service information, link information and preset time slot configuration rules.

[0059] In some embodiments, the preset time slot configuration rules are manually defined rules.

[0060] In some embodiments, the preset time slot configuration rules are automatically configured by the forwarding plane in a specific or random order according to device characteristics or actual network conditions.

[0061] It is known that the forwarding plane of a network device can configure outbound time slots for the current node based on service information, link information, and determined time slot configuration rules. This time slot configuration method can automatically configure time slots according to actual time slot requirements without relying on any control protocol. This allows the time slot cross-configuration of the forwarding plane to match the characteristics of the forwarding device itself or the current network state, thereby reducing the complexity of service deployment and improving the efficiency of service deployment.

[0062] Figure 2 This is a schematic flowchart of a time slot configuration method provided in another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 1 Based on the provided embodiments, this embodiment adds a step for forming time slot crossover relationships.

[0063] Step S110: The forwarding plane of the network device obtains the service information and link information of the current node. The service information is used to characterize the service parameters, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path.

[0064] Step S120: The forwarding plane of the network device configures the outbound time slot information of the current node where the network device is located according to the service information, link information and preset time slot configuration rules.

[0065] Step S130: The forwarding plane of the network device obtains the incoming timeslot information of the current node where the network device is located.

[0066] In some embodiments, the incoming timeslot information is forwarded from the previous node. Therefore, the incoming timeslot information can be obtained for nodes other than the first node.

[0067] Step S140: The forwarding plane of the network device generates the time slot cross-connection information of the current node where the network device is located based on the incoming time slot information and the outgoing time slot information.

[0068] In some embodiments, time slot crossover information is sent to the time slot crossover unit of the current node and stored by the unit.

[0069] According to the time slot configuration method provided in this embodiment, the forwarding plane can automatically configure time slots based on actual time slot requirements without relying on any control protocol. Furthermore, based on the incoming time slot information forwarded by the previous node, time slot cross-information can be obtained, thereby reducing the complexity of service deployment and improving the efficiency of service deployment.

[0070] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of a service path creation method based on time slot configuration according to an embodiment of the present invention, which includes at least:

[0071] Step S210: The forwarding plane of the network device obtains the service information and link information of the current node. The service information is used to characterize the service parameters, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path.

[0072] In some embodiments, the service information is a service cross-path identifier. Those skilled in the art will understand that any information capable of clearly and effectively identifying a service transmission path is considered service information.

[0073] In some embodiments, business information refers to business attributes. Specifically, this can be represented by factors such as bandwidth and latency requirements.

[0074] In some embodiments, business information includes both business cross-path identifiers and business attributes, both of which together characterize the relevant business parameters.

[0075] In some embodiments, link information includes specific service transmission paths, which can be represented by physical resource link information or by abstract label link information.

[0076] Step S220: The forwarding plane of the network device configures the outbound time slot information of the current node where the network device is located according to the service information, link information and preset time slot configuration rules.

[0077] In some embodiments, the preset time slot configuration rules are manually defined rules.

[0078] In some embodiments, the preset time slot configuration rules are automatically configured by the forwarding plane in a specific or random order according to device characteristics or actual network conditions.

[0079] Step S230: The forwarding plane of the network device configures the time slot frame structure according to the outgoing time slot information, and forwards the configured first time slot frame to the next node according to the link information.

[0080] Those skilled in the art will know that the frame structure based on different protocols in different network architectures is often different. The service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in this application embodiment can be applied to a variety of networks. Therefore, according to the corresponding network protocol, the frame structure used to transmit time slot information is redefined, and the configured time slot frame is forwarded to the next node.

[0081] The service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in this embodiment can automatically configure time slots according to actual time slot requirements by the forwarding plane without relying on any control protocol. By redefining the frame structure, the time slot information can be passed down, which can not only achieve the alignment of upstream and downstream time slot positions of the service, but also reduce the overall service deployment complexity and improve the service deployment efficiency.

[0082] Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of a service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in another embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 Based on the provided embodiments, this embodiment adds a step for forming time slot crossover relationships.

[0083] Step S210: The forwarding plane of the network device obtains the service information and link information of the current node. The service information is used to characterize the service parameters, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path.

[0084] Step S220: The forwarding plane of the network device configures the outbound time slot information of the current node where the network device is located according to the service information, link information and preset time slot configuration rules.

[0085] Step S230: The forwarding plane of the network device configures the time slot frame structure according to the outgoing time slot information, and forwards the configured first time slot frame to the next node according to the link information.

[0086] Step S240: The forwarding plane of the network device obtains the second time slot frame forwarded by the previous node of the current node where the network device is located.

[0087] In some embodiments, the first time slot frame is a time slot frame that includes the outgoing time slot information of the current node and is forwarded by the current node to the next node, while the second time slot frame is a time slot frame that is forwarded by the previous node of the current node and includes the incoming time slot information of the current node. The time slot information contained in the first time slot frame and the second time slot frame may be the same or different. In other embodiments of this application, time slot frame forwarding between two or more nodes may be involved. Therefore, it is not specifically stated that the time slot frame is the first time slot frame or the second time slot frame, but is collectively referred to as a time slot frame. In addition, nodes other than the first node can obtain the time slot frames forwarded by the previous node.

[0088] Step S250: The forwarding plane of the network device obtains the incoming timeslot information of the current node where the network device is located based on the second timeslot frame.

[0089] In some embodiments, the second time slot frame carries the incoming time slot information configured by the previous node.

[0090] Step S260: The forwarding plane of the network device generates the time slot cross-connection information of the current node where the network device is located based on the incoming time slot information and the outgoing time slot information.

[0091] In some embodiments, time slot crossover information is sent to the time slot crossover unit of the current node and stored by the unit.

[0092] The service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in this embodiment can automatically configure time slots according to actual time slot requirements by the forwarding plane without relying on any control protocol. It can also pass time slot information by redefining the frame structure and further obtain time slot cross-information information based on the parsed incoming time slot information. This not only enables the alignment of upstream and downstream time slot positions of services, but also reduces the overall complexity of service deployment and improves service deployment efficiency.

[0093] The following embodiments will further illustrate the process of creating time-slot cross-connect service paths, and demonstrate the universal applicability of the method for creating time-slot cross-connect service paths in this application through different application scenarios.

[0094] Figure 5 This is a time-slot frame structure for Flexible Ethernet provided in one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in the figure, Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) uses "20 blocks" (corresponding to slots 0 to 19) as a logical unit in the Calendar. Based on the FlexE frame structure, there are two Calendars in the multiframe overhead to represent the client services corresponding to the time slots, facilitating the receiving end to merge multiple time slots into a single client-layer MAC. Calendar-A and Calendar-B are mainly used for configuration handover; therefore, for this embodiment, they serve the same function. The Calendar already contains the correspondence between the client service identifier and the time slot. Here, it is used to transmit the time slot information allocated by the upstream node for the service, thereby achieving upstream and downstream time slot alignment for the service.

[0095] In this embodiment, a centralized controller is used to calculate the time slot cross-service path. That is, the controller sends link information to each node on the path. Therefore, there is no need to add an overhead field in the Calendar. Only its meaning and function need to be changed to realize the recording of time slot information.

[0096] After clearly defining the time-slot frame structure, the centralized controller calculates the service forwarding path based on service requirements, and then... Figure 6 As shown, the controller distributes the calculation results to the relevant nodes on the service forwarding path. In this embodiment, time slot configuration and service path creation are performed serially. Figure 7As shown, the controller uses a node + FlexEGroupID + FlexE ClientID method to represent the path. Each node only receives information relevant to it. For example, the controller sends only the end-to-end timeslot cross-service path identifier, service attributes, and A's outbound FlexE GroupID + FlexEClientID information to the first node A; and only the end-to-end timeslot cross-service path identifier, service attributes, and B's inbound and outbound FlexE GroupID + FlexE ClientID information to the intermediate node B. Since timeslots are configured using a forwarding plane, the sent timeslot information is null.

[0097] After each node obtains the service forwarding path issued by the controller, the forwarding plane begins to configure time slots.

[0098] like Figure 8 As shown, after receiving the service forwarding path configuration, node A determines that it is the first node of the path and that no outbound time slot has been allocated. Therefore, it configures the outbound time slot for its node, assuming time slots 0 and 1 are allocated. Node B receives the service forwarding path configuration from the inbound port. Figure 8 The time slot frame shown is parsed to obtain the incoming time slot configuration information. Node B obtains the outgoing link based on the service forwarding path representation issued by the centralized controller and completes the outgoing time slot allocation on that outgoing link. Assuming time slots 0 to 4 are already occupied by other services, time slots 5 and 6 are allocated. Node B, based on the incoming time slot information and the configured outgoing time slots, forms a time slot cross-connection relationship and issues it to its local time slot cross-connection unit, such as... Figure 9 As shown. Node B is based on Figure 5 The defined time slot frame structure transmits outbound time slot information allocated for this service downstream, such as... Figure 10 As shown. The above steps are repeated at the remaining intermediate nodes until node Z. Node Z obtains the incoming time slot information, i.e., the time slot allocated by node D, based on the received time slot frame, as shown. Figure 11 As shown, the inbound timeslot configuration of the tail node is complete. This completes the end-to-end timeslot cross-configuration of the service forwarding path.

[0099] according to Figures 5 to 11 In the provided embodiment, the centralized control plane only needs to calculate and generate the service forwarding path, without being responsible for the specific time slot configuration. The time slot configuration is done by the device's forwarding plane, and information is transmitted in the forwarding plane frame structure to achieve upstream and downstream time slot alignment. This realizes automated creation of time slot cross-service paths, and reduces the overall service deployment complexity and improves service deployment efficiency.

[0100] In other embodiments, time slot configuration and service path creation can be performed in parallel.

[0101] This application provides a time slot configuration and service path creation scheme based on parallel mode. The frame structure definition and the service forwarding path calculated and issued by the controller are the same as those in the above embodiments, and will not be repeated here. The difference lies in the time slot configuration and service path creation.

[0102] like Figure 12 As shown, each node (A / B / C / D nodes) on the forwarding path, except for the tail node, finds the corresponding FlexE GroupID + FlexE ClientID for the outbound link based on the service forwarding path representation issued by the centralized controller, and completes the outbound timeslot configuration on that link. Nodes A / B / C / D simultaneously transmit the outbound timeslot information configured for this service downstream according to the defined timeslot frame structure. Each node (B / C / D / Z nodes) on the forwarding path, except for the head node, obtains the inbound timeslot information based on the received timeslot frames. Each node on the forwarding path forms a timeslot cross-connection relationship for the service's <inbound timeslot, outbound timeslot> and sends it to its own timeslot cross-connection unit. The tail node only needs to configure the inbound link and inbound timeslot. This completes the end-to-end timeslot cross-connection configuration of the service forwarding path.

[0103] Compared with the previous embodiment, the time slot configuration and service path creation method provided in the application embodiment is more efficient and faster.

[0104] It is worth noting that, whether Figures 5 to 11 Provided serial mode or Figure 12 The provided parallel method targets the creation of MTN Channel forwarding paths based on FlexE overhead. That is, based on the analysis of FlexE overhead, its Calendar is used to realize the transmission of time slot information between upstream and downstream. Since standard FlexE is only an interface technology and does not have an MTN Channel forwarding path, its Calendar is only used downstream to restore multiple time slots into MAC frames of the same customer service. However, in the embodiments of this invention, it is used to identify the outgoing time slots allocated by the upstream for a certain customer and to be used for the incoming time slots of this node.

[0105] The service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in this application can also be applied to the creation of small-granularity service paths. For example, the fine-grained basic unit (fg-BU) defined on the basis of the MTN segment layer frame structure (see G.8312, which is an extension of FlexE) solves the problem of FlexE using too large a granularity in 5G, and provides a small-granularity hard isolation service solution with a 10M granularity, that is, each large 5G time slot can be divided into 480 small-granularity time slots. When creating a small-granularity service forwarding path, the time slot lossless adjustment overhead defined by fg-BU can be used to transmit downstream time slots. However, since the time slot change transmitted by the lossless adjustment overhead is incremental, its frame structure can be configured as follows: Figure 13 As shown, MFI represents multiframe indication, with a value of 0 to 19; a Flag value of 00 indicates time slot adjustment, and a value of 11 indicates that the frame carries GCC. Using 00 indicates that the full time slot information Calendar is transmitted; S / C / CR / CA is used for time slot adjustment, and is set to all 0s when transmitting the full time slot; Client ID represents the customer service identifier; sub-slot ID represents the time slot corresponding to the customer service, with a value of 0 to 479.

[0106] In other embodiments, a new Flag is defined specifically for transmitting the full time slot information, or the time slot information is placed in GCC and transmitted, which can also achieve the transmission of upstream and downstream time slots. These will not be elaborated on here.

[0107] The service path creation method based on time slot configuration provided in this application can also be applied to SDH or OTN (optical transport network). For example, in an SDH network, when creating a forwarding path for VC4, the forwarding plane of the device can be configured with time slots, and the time slot configuration information can be transmitted downstream through the idle overhead in the MS OH. For STM-64, there are only 64 time slots, so it is necessary to be able to transmit the configuration of all 64 time slots. In an OTN network, the time slot configuration information can be transmitted using the OSC channel or the Operator specific field in the OTU overhead SM.

[0108] In the above embodiments, the forwarding path is represented by the physical resource representation method, that is, the forwarding path is represented by the FlexEGroup / FlexE Client method. This representation method is direct and clear but relatively complex. Therefore, in this embodiment, a simpler method is adopted to represent the forwarding link, that is, to define abstract labels to represent the link information.

[0109] like Figure 14 and Figure 15As shown, by using one label to correspond to one FlexE Client in a FlexE Group, the forwarding path can be represented as a set of abstract label link information. This method requires pre-configuration of the mapping relationship between labels and FlexE Groups / FlexE Clients. Under this premise, the controller describes the service forwarding path in a way similar to MPLS label-switched paths, but the labels need to be converted to FlexE Groups / FlexE Clients for processing on the network device. The processing method after conversion is the same as in the above embodiment.

[0110] Thus far, the above embodiments all involve a centralized controller calculating and sending link information to nodes. The time slot configuration and service path creation methods provided in this application can also be applied to distributed network architectures, that is, nodes calculate link information and complete configuration themselves according to the dynamic network topology.

[0111] In this embodiment, based on the small-granularity time-slot FlexE network, it supports service forwarding paths for small-granularity time-slot crossovers, and its network topology is the same as... Figure 14 Similarly, all links are 100GE flexible Ethernet links supporting 10M granularity fg-BU (fine-grained unit). Now, a time-slot cross-connect service path from A to Z is created, requiring 30M bandwidth, corresponding to three 10M time-slot granular time slots. Dynamic routing is used to achieve flexible routing selection when the network topology changes.

[0112] like Figure 16 As shown, a new small-granularity time slot unit (fg-BU) frame structure is defined, which includes a destination node ID. In some embodiments, the destination node ID can be the IP address of the destination node, or, under the SR scheme, the node's Node-SID. In this embodiment, the destination node's IP address (assumed to be 10.10.5.1), the Client ID (representing the client service identifier), and the sub-slot ID (time slot location information) are used.

[0113] Upon receiving a service configuration request, the IGP-TE protocol is deployed in the network. Node Z, acting as the tail node, assigns a locally unique Client ID (assumed to be 100001) and publishes it to Node A. This action uses the BGP protocol, and can be referenced from the MPLS network PW label allocation mechanism.

[0114] Node A calculates its outgoing interface based on the destination node identifier and the control plane protocol (such as OSPF-TE or ISIS-TE), and configures its outgoing time slots within that outgoing interface, assuming time slots 0, 6, and 9 are configured.

[0115] It is worth noting that in this embodiment, the interface is actually a virtual interface created on a FlexE Client within a FlexE Group.

[0116] Node A transmits the time slots configured by this node to its downstream nodes, such as... Figure 17 As shown. Since this service is allocated 3 time slots, 3 frames in the multiframe are needed to transmit the time slot information.

[0117] Node B receives the aforementioned time slot frame from the inbound interface direction, obtains the inbound interface information, and parses it to obtain the destination node identifier, customer service identifier, and time slot configuration result. Based on the destination node identifier, Node B's control plane protocol calculates its outbound interface according to the ISIS-TE database and completes the corresponding outbound time slot configuration. In this embodiment, time slots 1, 5, and 10 are configured. Node B forms a time slot cross-connection relationship based on the obtained inbound time slot information and the calculated outbound time slot information, and sends it to its time slot cross-connection unit for registration. Node B transmits the outbound time slot information configured for this service downstream according to the defined time slot frame structure, such as... Figure 18 As shown.

[0118] Repeat the above steps until the tail node is reached. Node Z obtains the time slot information of the incoming link based on the received time slot frame and completes the incoming time slot configuration of this node. At this point, the end-to-end time slot cross-connect configuration of the dynamic service forwarding path is completed.

[0119] In some embodiments, when a network failure occurs, the above steps are re-executed during IGP convergence, time slot configuration is performed on the new interface, and a new time slot cross-forwarding path is ultimately formed. For example... Figure 19 As shown, when the CD link fails, the time slot cross-path will be adjusted to ABCFGZ. At this time, the C node will start to readjust the forwarding path and time slot configuration, and the implementation process is the same as above.

[0120] Compared to centralized control plane distribution, the time slot configuration method and service path creation method based on distributed architecture provided in the above embodiments can better adapt to dynamically changing network topologies, improve service deployment efficiency, and enhance optimization effects.

[0121] In some embodiments, time slot configuration rules can be preset manually. For example, nodes A and B expect time slots to be allocated continuously, while nodes C, D, and Z expect time slots for a single service to be evenly distributed across all time slots, and they want the outgoing time slots to be as similar as possible to the incoming time slots. If a conflict occurs, the outgoing time slot should be greater than the incoming time slot, and the difference between the outgoing and incoming time slots should be as small as possible. Under these conditions, parallel time slot configuration often cannot meet the requirements, so a serial configuration method is necessary.

[0122] Taking the example of dividing 480 time slots in a FlexE Client and allocating 3 time slots, node A is configured with time slots 0, 1, and 2 in the outgoing direction to ensure the time slots are as continuous as possible; node B is configured with time slots 25, 26, and 27 in the outgoing direction to ensure the time slots are as continuous as possible (assuming no three consecutive time slots can be found before time slot 25); node C is configured with time slots 0, 160, and 320 in the outgoing direction to ensure the time slots are distributed as evenly as possible among the 480 time slots; node D is configured with time slots 0, 160, and 321 in the outgoing direction to ensure that the outgoing time slots are as similar as possible to the incoming time slots. Assuming that time slot 320 is already occupied by other services, time slot 321 is configured here to ensure that the outgoing time slot is larger than the incoming time slot and is as close as possible. The above time slot allocation process is the behavior of the node forwarding plane itself and does not affect the time slot transmission and time slot cross-path establishment process in the invention.

[0123] As can be seen from the above embodiments, the time slot configuration method and the time slot-based service path creation method provided in this application can more flexibly adapt to different network transmission requirements and network environments, effectively expanding the application scenarios and application scope.

[0124] This application embodiment also provides a time slot configuration device for the forwarding plane of a network device, including: a service information acquisition unit, used to acquire service information of the current node where the network device is located, the service information being used to characterize service parameters; a link information acquisition unit, used to acquire link information of the current node where the network device is located, the link information being used to characterize the forwarding path; and a time slot information configuration unit, used to configure outgoing time slot information of the current node where the network device is located according to the service information, link information, and preset time slot configuration rules.

[0125] In some embodiments, the time slot configuration device further includes: a time slot information parsing unit, configured to parse and obtain the incoming time slot information of the current node where the network device is located; the time slot information configuration unit is further configured to generate time slot cross-connection information of the current node where the network device is located based on the incoming time slot information and the outgoing time slot information.

[0126] This application also provides a service path creation apparatus based on time slot configuration for the forwarding plane of a network device, comprising: a service information acquisition unit for acquiring service information of the current node where the network device is located, wherein the service information is used to characterize service parameters; a link information acquisition unit for acquiring link information of the current node where the network device is located, wherein the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path; a time slot information configuration unit for configuring outgoing time slot information of the current node where the network device is located according to the service information, link information and preset time slot configuration rules; a time slot frame configuration unit for configuring the time slot frame structure according to the outgoing time slot information; and a time slot frame transmission unit for receiving and forwarding time slot frames.

[0127] In some embodiments, the service path creation apparatus further includes: a timeslot information parsing unit, configured to parse timeslot frames to obtain incoming timeslot information of the current node where the network device is located; and a timeslot information configuration unit, configured to generate timeslot cross-connect information of the current node where the network device is located based on the incoming timeslot information and the outgoing timeslot information.

[0128] In some embodiments, the service path creation apparatus further includes: a time slot cross-connect unit, configured to receive and store time slot cross-connect information issued by the time slot information configuration unit.

[0129] This application also provides a network device, which includes a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor. When the processor executes the computer program, it implements the time slot configuration method involved in the above embodiments, or the service path creation method based on time slot configuration.

[0130] This application also provides a storage medium for computer-readable storage, which stores one or more programs that can be executed by one or more processors to implement the time slot configuration method or the service path creation method based on time slot configuration involved in the above embodiments.

[0131] Those skilled in the art will understand that all or some of the steps in the methods disclosed above, as well as the functional modules / units in the systems and devices, can be implemented as software, firmware, hardware, or suitable combinations thereof.

[0132] In hardware implementations, the division between functional modules / units mentioned in the above description does not necessarily correspond to the division of physical components; for example, a physical component may have multiple functions, or a function or step may be performed collaboratively by several physical components. Some or all physical components may be implemented as software executed by a processor, such as a central processing unit, digital signal processor, or microprocessor, or as hardware, or as an integrated circuit, such as an application-specific integrated circuit. Such software may be distributed on a computer-readable medium, which may include computer storage media (or non-transitory media) and communication media (or transient media). As is known to those skilled in the art, the term computer storage media includes volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storing information (such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data). Computer storage media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory technologies, CD-ROM, digital versatile disc (DVD) or other optical disc storage, magnetic cartridges, magnetic tape, disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium that can be used to store desired information and is accessible to a computer. Furthermore, as is known to those skilled in the art, communication media typically contain computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data in modulated data signals such as carrier waves or other transmission mechanisms, and may include any information delivery medium.

[0133] The preferred embodiments of this application have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, but this does not limit the scope of the claims. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, and improvements made by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of this application shall be within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A time slot configuration method, applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, the method comprising: Obtain the service information and link information of the current node, wherein the service information represents service parameters and the link information represents the forwarding path; Configure the outbound time slot information of the current node based on the service information, the link information, and the preset time slot configuration rules.

2. The time slot configuration method according to claim 1, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the incoming time slot information of the current node; Based on the incoming time slot information and the outgoing time slot information, the time slot cross-connection information of the current node is generated.

3. A service path creation method based on time slot configuration, applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, the method comprising: Obtain the service information and link information of the current node. The service information is used to characterize the service parameters, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path. Configure the outbound time slot information of the current node according to the service information, the link information, and the preset time slot configuration rules; Configure the time slot frame structure according to the outgoing time slot information; Based on the link information, the configured first time slot frame is forwarded to the next node.

4. The service path creation method based on time slot configuration according to claim 3, characterized in that, The method further includes: Obtain the second time slot frame forwarded by the previous node of the current node; The incoming time slot information of the current node is obtained according to the second time slot frame; Based on the incoming time slot information and the outgoing time slot information, the time slot cross-connection information of the current node is generated.

5. The service path creation method based on time slot configuration according to claim 4, characterized in that, The method includes: The time slot crossover information is sent to the time slot crossover unit of the current node.

6. The service path creation method based on time slot configuration according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, Obtaining the link information of the current node includes: The link information of the current node is obtained based on the service forwarding path issued by the control plane of the network device.

7. The service path creation method based on time slot configuration according to any one of claims 3 to 5, characterized in that, Obtaining the link information of the current node includes: The current node queries the routing information based on the destination node to obtain the link information of the current node.

8. The service path creation method based on time slot configuration according to claim 3, characterized in that, The business information includes at least one of the following: Business cross-path identifiers and business attributes.

9. The service path creation method based on time slot configuration according to claim 3, characterized in that, The link information includes at least one of the following: Physical resource link information and abstract tag link information.

10. A time slot configuration device, applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, the device comprising: A business information acquisition unit is used to acquire the business information of the current node, wherein the business information is used to characterize business parameters; The link information acquisition unit is used to acquire the link information of the current node, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path; The time slot information configuration unit is used to configure the outbound time slot information of the current node according to the service information, the link information and the preset time slot configuration rules.

11. The time slot configuration device according to claim 10, characterized in that, The device further includes: A time slot information parsing unit is used to parse and obtain the incoming time slot information of the current node; The time slot information configuration unit is further configured to generate time slot cross-connection information for the current node based on the incoming time slot information and the outgoing time slot information.

12. A service path creation apparatus based on time slot configuration, applied to the forwarding plane of a network device, the apparatus comprising: A business information acquisition unit is used to acquire the business information of the current node, wherein the business information is used to characterize business parameters; The link information acquisition unit is used to acquire the link information of the current node, and the link information is used to characterize the forwarding path; The time slot information configuration unit is used to configure the outbound time slot information of the current node according to the service information, the link information and the preset time slot configuration rules; A time slot frame configuration unit is used to configure a time slot frame structure according to the outgoing time slot information; The time slot frame transmission unit is used to receive and forward time slot frames.

13. The service path creation apparatus based on time slot configuration according to claim 12, characterized in that, The device further includes: A time slot information parsing unit is used to parse time slot frames to obtain the incoming time slot information of the current node; The time slot information configuration unit is further configured to generate time slot cross-connection information for the current node based on the incoming time slot information and the outgoing time slot information.

14. The service path creation apparatus based on time slot configuration according to claim 13, characterized in that, The device further includes: The time slot crossover unit is used to receive and store the time slot crossover information issued by the time slot information configuration unit.

15. An electronic device, the network device comprising a memory, a processor, and a computer program stored in the memory and executable on the processor, wherein the processor, when executing the computer program, implements: The time slot configuration method as described in claim 1 or 2, or the service path creation method based on time slot configuration as described in any one of claims 3 to 9.

16. A storage medium for computer-readable storage, the storage medium storing one or more programs, said one or more programs being executable by one or more processors to perform: The time slot configuration method as described in claim 1 or 2, or the service path creation method based on time slot configuration as described in any one of claims 3 to 9.

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