Systems supporting transceiver modularity

Abstract

A networking system including a modular transceiver.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63 / 397,563, filed August 12, 2022. [Background technology]

[0002] The subject matter of this application relates to transceiver modulatory.

[0003] Passive optical networks (PONs) are often used as access networks, or as part of a larger communications network. Communications networks typically have a high-capacity core section through which data or other information related to telephone calls, digital television, and Internet communications is transmitted over significant distances. The core section may have the ability to interact with other networks to complete the transmission of telephone calls, digital television, and Internet communications. In this way, the core section in combination with the passive optical network enables communications to and from subscribers (or devices associated with subscribers, customers, businesses, or otherwise).

[0004] The access network of a communications network extends from the core of the network to individual subscribers, such as those associated with a particular residence (e.g., business location). The access network may be wireless access, such as a cellular network, or fixed access, such as a passive optical network or a cable network.

[0005] Referring to FIG. 1, in a PON 10, a set of optical fibers and passive interconnection devices is used for most or all of the communications throughout the access network. A set of one or more optical network terminals (ONTs) 11 are devices typically located at subscriber residences (e.g., or business locations). The term "ONT" includes what are also referred to as optical network units (ONUs). There may be any number of ONTs associated with a single optical splitter 12. As an example, 32 or 64 ONTs are often associated with a single network optical splitter 12. The optical splitters 12 are interconnected with each ONT 11 by respective optical fibers 13, or otherwise by respective fibers within a fiber optic cable. Selected ONTs may be removed and / or added to the access network associated with the optical splitter 12 as needed. There may also be multiple optical splitters 12 arranged in a cascaded configuration.

[0006] The optical fiber 13 interconnecting the optical splitter 12 and the ONT 11 acts as an access (or "drop") fiber. The optical splitter 12 is typically located within a street cabinet or other structure in which one or more optical splitters 12 are located, each serving a respective set of ONTs. In some cases, an ONT may serve multiple subscribers, such as subscribers in multiple dwelling units (e.g., apartment buildings). In this way, a PON can be considered a point-to-multipoint topology in which a single optical fiber serves multiple endpoints by using passive optical fiber splitters to divide the fiber bandwidth among the endpoints.

[0007] An optical line terminal (OLT) 14 is located in a central office that interfaces directly or indirectly with a core network 15. The interface 16 between the OLT 14 and the core network 15 may be one or more optical fibers or any other type of communication medium. The OLT 14 forms optical signals for transmission downstream to the ONTs 11 through feeder optical fibers 17 and receives optical signals from the ONTs 11 through the feeder optical fibers 17. The optical splitter 12 is typically a passive device that distributes signals received from the OLT 14 to the ONTs 11. Similarly, the optical splitter 12 receives optical signals from the ONTs 11 and provides optical signals to the OLT 14 through the feeder optical fibers 17. In this manner, a PON includes an OLT with multiple ONTs, which reduces the amount of fiber required compared to a point-to-point architecture.

[0008] As can be observed, an optical signal containing all of the data for the ONTs 11 is provided to the feeder fiber 17. Thus, all of the data provided to each of the ONTs is provided to all of the ONTs through the optical splitter 12. Each of the ONTs selects the portion of the received optical signal intended for that particular ONT and transmits the data to its subscribers while discarding the remaining data. Typically, data to the ONTs is broadcast to the feeder fiber 17 and provided to each of the ONTs.

[0009] Upstream transmissions from the ONTs 11 through their respective optical fibers 13 are typically sent in bursts according to a schedule provided to each ONT by the OLT. In this manner, each of the ONTs 11 transmits upstream optical data at different times. In some embodiments, the upstream and downstream transmissions are transmitted using different wavelengths of light so that they do not interfere with each other. In this manner, a PON may utilize wavelength division multiplexing, using one wavelength for downstream traffic and another wavelength for upstream traffic over a single-mode fiber.

[0010] A schedule from the OLT allocates upstream bandwidth to ONTs. Because the optical distribution network is shared, ONTs' upstream transmissions are likely to collide if they are transmitted at random times. ONTs are typically located at various distances from the OLT and / or optical splitter, resulting in different transmission delays for each ONT. The OLT measures the delay and sets registers in each ONT to equalize that delay with respect to other ONTs associated with the OLT. Once the delay is accounted for, the OLT transmits so-called grants to individual ONTs in the form of a grant map. A grant map is an authorization to use a defined time interval for upstream transmission. The grant map is dynamically recalculated periodically, such as for each frame. The grant map allocates bandwidth to all ONTs so that each ONT receives a timely bandwidth allocation for its service needs. Much data traffic, such as website browsing, tends to be bursty and fluctuate significantly over time. Dynamic bandwidth allocation (DBA) between different ONTs can cause a PON to be oversubscribed for upstream traffic. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] For a better understanding of the present invention and to show how the same may be carried into effect, reference will now be made, by way of example, to the accompanying drawings in which: [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 shows a network including a passive optical network. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 shows a network having a broadband network gateway. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates several different planes. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 illustrates an access network including servers and switches with removably engageable transceivers. [Figure 5A]5A-5C show a COTS server, a switch, and a transceiver. [Figure 5B] 5A-5C show a COTS server, a switch, and a transceiver. [Figure 5C] 5A-5C show a COTS server, a switch, and a transceiver. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 shows the MAC layer processing. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 illustrates data prioritization. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] Conventionally, optical line terminals are maintained at core network locations, typically data centers interconnected to the core network by suitable connections such as fiber optic cables or Ethernet cables, and ONTs and other components are located outside the core network data centers and are also interconnected to the optical line terminals by fiber optic cables. In some PON network configurations, the optical line terminals are located remotely from the core network, such as in various cabinets, vaults, or otherwise (generally referred to herein as "nodes") within the network itself. The fiber optic cables each contain optical fibers that provide data connectivity between the core network and the respective optical network terminal.

[0014] In some cases, multiple OLTs may be directly interconnected to a core network, which manages data traffic to and from each of the OLTs. Referring to FIG. 2 , the modified architecture provides a more robust interconnection between the core network 200 and the ONTs 210, with a broadband network gateway (“BNG”) 220 providing an access point for the ONTs where they connect to the broadband network. Once a connection is established between the BNG 220 and the ONT 210, a subscriber can access broadband services provided by a network service provider or an internet service provider. For example, the BNG 220 may establish and manage subscriber sessions. When a session is active, the BNG 220 may aggregate traffic from various subscriber sessions to the ONTs and route it through the core network 200 to the network service provider or internet service provider. The BNG 220 may provide subscriber management functions such as authentication, authorization, address assignment, security, policy management, and / or quality of service. The BNG 220 may also interconnect to other types of services in addition to PON, such as those using DOCSIS-based protocols over coaxial cable. The BNG 220 may also support the provision of Ethernet protocols. Thus, the BNG 220 may be configured to support multiple access stratum technologies. The BNG 220 may also support timing requirements between different access stratum technologies, each of which has different requirements. In this manner, each of the different ports of the BNG 220 may be configured to provide service to one of several different types of services.

[0015] PON-based networks, DOCSIS-based networks, and / or Ethernet-based networks each have a different timing distribution for timing synchronization, and each underlying technology distributes timing synchronization among its associated devices in a different manner. Each of the different networking technologies is interconnected to a different port of the BNG 220. The BNG 220 accommodates the different timing distributions among the different ports and provides timing synchronization in a different manner based on the network technology interconnected to each of the ports. The BNG 220 also aggregates data traffic from each of the different ports, which have different timing synchronization, and provides the resulting data to the core network in a unified manner over the same physical and logical connections with respect to timing synchronization.

[0016] The computational power of microprocessor-based commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) server platforms is increasing, while the cost of such systems is decreasing over time. Using such systems, a computing system may optionally be virtualized and operated using one or more COTS servers, generally referred to herein as virtual machines. Using container technology running on the COTS server and / or virtual machine, the COTS server may run only a single operating system. Each virtualized application can then be isolated using software containers, and the virtualized application may not see or be aware of other virtualized applications running on the same machine. Typically, each COTS server includes one or more Intel / AMD processors (or other processing devices) with associated memory and networking capabilities that run operating system software. COTS servers typically include a framework and an operating system, where user applications run on such frameworks and the operating system is abstracted away from the actual operating system. Each virtual machine may be instantiated and operated as one or more software applications running on the COTS server. Multiple software containers may be instantiated and run on the same COTS server and / or the same virtual machine. Multiple COTS servers are typically contained in one or more data centers, each in communication with one another. The multiple COTS servers may be located in different geographic areas to provide geographic redundancy. In some embodiments, a container may contain the same functionality as a virtual machine, or vice versa. In some embodiments, a group of containerized components, commonly referred to as a pod, may be in the form of a virtual machine.

[0017] In some embodiments, a COTS server may be a "bare metal" server that typically includes an operating system along with drivers and portions of a container orchestration system. One or more containers are then added to the "bare metal" server while being managed by the container orchestration system. The container orchestration systems described herein may also function as virtual machine orchestration systems, if desired, and may be referred to as virtual machine orchestration systems. In some embodiments, the "bare metal" server may be used with pods running on the operating system along with drivers and the container orchestration system. In some embodiments, the virtual machine may be omitted from the COTS server.

[0018] Selected software processes included in the line cards and / or remote PHY devices may run on "bare metal" servers and / or virtual machines, including software containers and executing on COTS servers, including both "active" and "backup" software processes. The functionality provided by such "bare metal" servers and / or virtual machines may include higher-level functions, such as packet processing including routing Internet packet provisioning, Layer 2 virtual private networking operating over pseudowires, and Multiprotocol Label Switching routing. The functionality provided by such "bare metal" servers and / or virtual machines may include DOCSIS functions, such as DOCSIS MAC and encapsulation, channel provisioning, service flow management, quality of service and rate limiting, scheduling, and encryption. The functionality provided by such "bare metal" servers and / or virtual machines may include video processing, such as EQAM and MPEG processing.

[0019] Each of the COTS servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers may include different hardware profiles and / or frameworks. For example, each of the COTS servers and / or “bare metal” servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers may run on different processor types, different numbers of processing cores per processor, different amounts of memory for each processor type, different amounts of memory per processing core, different encryption capabilities, different amounts of available off-processor memory, different memory bandwidth (DDR) speeds, and various types and capabilities of network interfaces, such as Ethernet cards. In this manner, different COTS servers and / or “bare metal” servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers may have different processing capabilities that vary depending on the specific hardware. Each of the COTS servers and / or “bare metal” servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers may include different software profiles. For example, each of the COTS servers and / or “bare metal” servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers may include different software operating systems and / or other services running on them, generally referred to herein as frameworks. In this manner, different COTS servers and / or "bare metal" servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers may have different software processing capabilities that vary depending on the particular software profile.

[0020] 3, for data processing and transfer of data over a network, the hardware and / or software architecture may be configured in the form of multiple different planes, each of which performs a different set of functions. In relevant part, the layered architecture may include different planes, such as a management plane 300, a control plane 310, a data plane 320, and a switch fabric 330, which may perform the transmission and reception of packets of data.

[0021] For example, the management plane 300 may be generally thought of as the general software applications that user interacts with or otherwise executes. The management plane typically configures, monitors, and provides management and configuration provided to all layers of the network stack and other parts of the system.

[0022] For example, the control plane 310 is often a component for switching functions, including system configuration, management, and the exchange of routing table information and forwarding information. Typically, the exchange of routing table information is performed relatively infrequently. A route controller in the control plane 310 exchanges topology information with other switches and builds routing tables based on a routing protocol. The control plane may also create forwarding tables for the forwarding engine. In general, the control plane can be thought of as the layer that determines where traffic is sent. Control functions tend not to have strict rate constraints because they are not performed for each individual packet that arrives.

[0023] For example, the data plane 320 parses packet headers for switching and manages quality of service, filtering, media access control, encapsulation, and / or queuing. As a general matter, the data plane carries data traffic, which may be relevant in the case of a cable distribution network. In general, the data plane can be thought of as the layer that primarily forwards traffic to the next hop through the switch fabric, according to control plane logic, along a path to a selected destination. Because the data plane performs functions for each individual packet that arrives, it tends to be highly rate-constrained.

[0024] For example, switch fabric 330 provides a network topology that interconnects network nodes through one or more network switches.

[0025] As the system expands to support additional customers, additional COTS servers and / or “bare metal” servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers are included in the system to expand the overall system processing capacity. To provide processing redundancy, one or more additional COTS servers and / or “bare metal” servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers may be included and assigned as “backups” to replace “active” processes upon detection of a failure event. To dynamically service changing processing requirements, scaling of the data plane 320 on the COTS servers and / or “bare metal” servers and / or virtual machines and / or software containers should be performed in a manner that ensures sufficiently fast processing of data packets and sufficient bandwidth for transmission of the data packets to ensure that data packets are not otherwise lost. COTS servers do not include an architecture specifically suited to support PON networks, but rather are designed as a general data handling access platform.

[0026] Referring to FIG. 4 , a COTS server 400 combined with a switch 410 may be configured in a manner more suitable for providing data communications for a PON network. The COTS server 400 combined with the switch 410 may include one or more slots suitable for supporting one or more removably engageable cards within one or more ports. Each of the cards includes a transceiver having a physical interface that provides data communications suitable for an optical PON network. In another embodiment, the COTS server 400 combined with the switch 410 may include one or more small form-factor pluggable (SFP) ports suitable for supporting one or more removably engageable SFP (small form-factor pluggable) transceivers (“SFP modules”). Each of the SFP modules includes a transceiver having a physical interface that provides data communications suitable for an optical PON network. The COTS server 400 combined with the switch 410 may include multiple different types of removably engageable interfaces and associated transceivers. In some embodiments, the functionality of the switch 410 may be integrated with the COTS server 400. For example, the PON network may include protocols suitable for ATM Passive Optical Networks, Broadband PONs, Ethernet PONs, XG-PONs, XGS-PONs, NG-PON2, TWDM-PONs, Gigabit Ethernet PONs (EPONs, GE-PONs, GPONs), etc. Additionally, the COTS server 400 in combination with the switch 410 may support other protocols and data services, such as DOCSIS-based remote physical devices (e.g., cable modems). Additionally, the COTS server 400 in combination with the switch 410 may support other protocols, such as cellular network-based communications, or Ethernet-based communications for other network devices.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 5A, a MAC layer for supporting a PON network, or other type of network, may be included within each removably engageable transceiver. In this manner, a COTS server and / or switch provides data to each transceiver, and the MAC layer of each transceiver controls physical layer processing appropriate for the PON network or other respective communication protocol. In this manner, MAC layer processing for a particular service is performed by each transceiver.

[0028] Referring to FIG. 5B, a MAC layer for supporting a PON network or other type of network may be included within a COTS server and / or switch interconnected to removably engageable transceivers that act to receive and forward data over respective signal paths (e.g., Ethernet cable, fiber optics, coaxial cable). In this manner, the COTS server and / or switch performs MAC layer processing appropriate for the PON network or other respective network and provides the data to respective transceivers that act to forward and receive data over respective signal paths (e.g., Ethernet cable, fiber optics, coaxial cable). In this manner, MAC layer processing is performed for a particular service by the respective COTS server and / or switch. Any MAC layer included in the transceivers is minimal, simply to control the transmission and reception of data.

[0029] 5C , a MAC layer for supporting a PON network or other type of network may be partially contained within a COTS server and / or switch interconnected to a removably engageable transceiver that also includes a portion of the MAC layer for supporting the PON network or other type of network and that acts to receive and forward data over a respective signal path (e.g., Ethernet cable, fiber optics, coaxial cable). In this manner, the COTS server and / or switch in combination with the removably engageable transceiver performs MAC layer processing appropriate for the PON network or other respective network that acts to receive and forward data over a respective signal path (e.g., Ethernet cable, fiber optics, coaxial cable). In this manner, MAC layer processing for a particular service is performed by the respective COTS server and / or switch in combination with the removably engageable transceiver.

[0030] Referring to FIG. 6, it is often desirable to include selected MAC layer processing for the PON network on COTS servers and / or switches, as well as other selected MAC layer processing for the PON network on transceivers. Data and other services are often provided by multiple system operators, with systems including multiple cable, direct broadcast satellite, PON-based optical line terminals, cable modem termination systems, converged cable access platforms, Ethernet services, and telecommunications, among other systems. Multi-system operators also typically include complex routing systems supporting leaf-spine networks. Furthermore, each type of system supported by a multi-system operator often includes various generations of service, each of which may be somewhat different from the other generations. As an example, a multi-system operator may include customers with high service level agreements whose services are provided using dedicated Ethernet links, legacy consumers with low service level agreements using GPON, business service level agreement customers with higher service levels than legacy consumers, and commercial customers with relatively high service level agreements using PON systems. Therefore, it becomes burdensome to segment and configure the core network to independently support each of these different types of customers. Additionally, depending on the capabilities and complexity of a particular access technology, MAC layer processing may vary in complexity. In particular, MAC layer processing performed by COTS servers and / or switches, as well as other selected MAC layer processing for PON networks at transceivers, may vary based on the complexity of the particular access technology.

[0031] The transceivers associated with each port and / or slot may be designed for a particular type of service provided by the respective transceiver. Further, the transceivers may be designed for a particular class of service for the particular type of service provided by the respective transceiver. Also, the transceivers may be designed for multiple types of services provided by the respective transceivers, which may be a mix of various services.

[0032] To more effectively provide MAC layer processing for multiple different types of services, it may be desirable to include MAC layer processing on each transceiver tailored for the specific service provided by that transceiver. Thus, a set of transceivers may be used, each suited for one or more specific services. COTS servers and / or switches may similarly include MAC layer processing for the specific service provided by the corresponding transceiver. Furthermore, COTS servers and / or switches may include MAC layer processing for multiple services.

[0033] Preferably, the MAC layer services provided by the COTS server and / or switch include one or more services related to managing different subscribers associated with multiple transceivers. In this manner, MAC layer processing can be implemented in a manner that jointly manages multiple different types of services and also reduces the computational complexity associated with each transceiver.

[0034] For example, MAC layer services provided by COTS servers and / or switches may include a mapping that indicates the port and / or slot to which data received for a particular subscriber should be forwarded.

[0035] For example, MAC layer services provided by COTS servers and / or switches may include a mapping for received data to particular subscribers that identifies the services associated with the corresponding subscriber, and may, if desired, modify the data in a manner that takes into account differences in scheduling of data transmissions between different types of services (e.g., DOCSIS, Ethernet, PON).

[0036] For example, MAC layer services provided by COTS servers and / or switches may include prioritization of one of the ports and / or slots for forwarding data relative to other ports and / or slots. In this way, if data is delayed from being forwarded to the appropriate port and / or slot, it is implemented in a prioritized manner. In this way, if data is dropped and therefore needs to be retransmitted, it is implemented in a prioritized manner. In this way, prioritization of services for different subscribers may be implemented across different ports and / or slots and across different types of services (e.g., cable modem termination systems supporting DOCSIS over hybrid fiber coaxial cable, passive optical networks over optical fiber, and Ethernet over Ethernet-based connections). Typically, interconnections from COTS servers and / or switches to the core network are based on Ethernet-based connections.

[0037] For example, MAC layer services provided by COTS servers and / or switches may be prioritized based on data rates and / or service level agreements of particular subscribers.

[0038] For example, MAC layer services provided by COTS servers and / or switches may be collaboratively managed to configure and manage specific virtual LANs on a per-port basis. In this way, sets of devices that share the same physical network may be associated with the same broadcast domain. This allows virtual LANs to support different functional and security requirements.

[0039] The interconnections between the COTS servers and / or switches and the core network are preferably designed in a manner to accommodate different technologies from which data originates (e.g., cable modem termination systems supporting DOCSIS over hybrid fiber coaxial cable, passive optical networks over fiber optics, Ethernet over Ethernet-based connections), or multiple sources of the same type of technology served by different technologies (e.g., G.PON, E.PON, and / or NG-PON2, or DOCSIS 3.0, DOCSIS 3.1, and / or DOCSIS 4.0). The interconnections to the core are preferably sized to have a data capacity less than the total maximum data capacity of the subscribers. For example, if there are 10 PON ports, each with 1G capacity, the interconnections to the core are preferably significantly smaller than 10G to facilitate a certain level of oversubscription. Thus, the MAC layer processing on the COTS servers and / or switches preferably includes traffic management to manage multiple, diverse sources of data originating from different and / or similar technologies. In this way, the COTS server and / or switch can determine which data will be prioritized in some manner to the core network, which other data will be delayed in its transmission to the core network, and which other data will potentially be dropped as a result of excessive backpressure between the COTS server and / or switch and the core network.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 7, one technique for providing prioritization across various services may involve modifying the packaging of data provided to upstream COTS servers and / or switches, each transceiver for a particular type of service. The packaging modification may include tagging the data in a manner that includes a priority that the COTS servers and / or switches can use to prioritize how the data is provided to the core network. If there is no backpressure in the interconnections between COTS servers and / or switches, priority tagging can be ignored, if desired. If there is backpressure in the interconnections between COTS servers and / or switches, priority tagging may be used to determine which data has priority over other data across different types of services. Tags that provide prioritization may be included at the level of a particular PON service, such as a set of priority levels from 1 to 10 for a PON service. Tags that provide prioritization may be included at the level of a particular Ethernet service, such as a set of priority levels from 1 to 10 for an Ethernet service. Tags that provide prioritization may be included at the level of a particular DOCSIS-based service, such as a set of priority levels from 1 to 10 for a DOCSIS-based service. However, the prioritization levels for different types of services can be selected such that a prioritization level of 5 (or other) for a PON is the same as a prioritization level of 5 (or other) for a DOCSIS-based service, which is the same as a prioritization level of 5 (or other) for an Ethernet service. Prioritization within a service can also be modified based on service level agreements and / or quality of service. Mappings may also be used to determine relative prioritization between different types of services and / or service classes (e.g., a prioritization of 4 for an Ethernet may have a higher priority than a prioritization of 6 for a PON).Based on the tagging, the COTS server and / or switch may place the packet in various queues, each of which is processed in some way to provide the data to the core, such as selecting highest priority data over lower priority data. Otherwise, the data may be placed in the appropriate queue and prioritized in some way. By tagging the data, the COTS server and / or switch alleviates the need to separately inspect each packet to determine prioritization, which is computationally complex.

[0041] For example, all data from a customer may be processed in the same way, but different types of data may be processed with different prioritization. For example, a voice call may have a higher priority for its data messages, which in turn may have a higher priority than an ACK message.

[0042] Note that the links between the COTS servers and / or switches and the core are shared physical and logical links between the various subscribers, so that all data is processed by the COTS servers and / or switches in the same manner.

[0043] Preferably, data tagging is performed by a transcoder having MAC layer processing that recognizes the nature of the data being transmitted to the COTS and / or switch.

[0044] Additionally, data transmission between the COTS server and / or switch and the transceiver may be allocated among various services based on the data prioritization tags, so that relative prioritization among different services can be achieved.

[0045] The separation of services between the transceiver and the COTS server and / or switch preferably includes burst clock recovery included in the transceiver. The burst clock recovery signals the start of a burst of data to the optical receiver so that it can reacquire the signal, potentially at a different power level and / or phase than the previous burst. This reduces timing concerns that would be more likely to arise if the burst clock recovery were instead included in the COTS server and / or switch.

[0046] Furthermore, each functional block or various features in each of the foregoing embodiments may be implemented or performed by a circuit, typically an integrated circuit or multiple integrated circuits. A circuit designed to perform the functions described herein may include a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application-specific or general-purpose integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, or discrete hardware components, or a combination thereof. A general-purpose processor may be a microprocessor, or alternatively, the processor may be a conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The general-purpose processor or each circuit described above may be composed of digital circuits or analog circuits. Furthermore, as advances in semiconductor technology allow integrated circuits to replace multiple integrated circuits, integrated circuits based on this technology may also be used.

[0047] It will be understood that the present invention is not limited to the particular embodiments described, and that changes may be made therein as interpreted in accordance with the principles of prevailing law, including the doctrine of equivalents, or any other principle that expands the scope of enforceable claims beyond their literal scope, without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims. Unless the context indicates otherwise, a reference in a claim to the number of instances of an element, whether to a single instance or to multiple instances, requires at least the recited number of instances of the element, but is not intended to exclude from the scope of the claim structures or methods having more instances of that element than recited. As used in the claims, the term "comprise" or derivatives thereof are used in a non-exclusive sense, which is not intended to exclude the presence of other elements or steps in the claimed structure or method.

Claims

1. 1. A distribution system comprising: (a) a broadband network gateway that establishes and manages subscriber sessions that receive data from a core network that is provided to a plurality of optical network terminal devices of a passive optical network; (b) the broadband network gateway receiving and aggregating data from the plurality of optical network terminal devices provided to the core network; (c) establishing and managing subscriber sessions over which the broadband network gateway receives data from the core network provided to at least one of a DOCSIS-based network and an Ethernet-based network; (d) the broadband network gateway supporting passive optical network timing synchronization of the passive optical network and at least one of the respective DOCSIS timing requirements and Ethernet timing synchronization.

2. The distribution system of claim 1 , wherein the broadband network gateway further includes authentication, authorization, and address assignment for the distribution system.

3. 1. A distribution system comprising: (a) a server and a switch including a plurality of removably engageable transceivers; (b) each of said plurality of removably engageable transceivers including a MAC layer that provides control for interaction with a transmission medium; (c) a plurality of said removably engageable transceivers receiving data from said server and switch and, in response to said receiving, providing data to respective sets of optical network terminal devices over respective said transmission media including respective optical fibers.

4. 4. The distribution system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of said removably engageable transceivers receiving data from said server and switch and, in response to said receiving, providing data to respective sets of cable modems over respective said transmission media comprising coaxial cables.

5. 4. The distribution system of claim 3, further comprising a plurality of said removably engageable transceivers receiving data from said server and switch and, in response to said receiving, providing data to respective sets of network devices over respective said transmission media comprising Ethernet cables.

6. 4. The distribution system of claim 3, further comprising at least one of the server and switch including another MAC layer that provides suitable processing for each of the respective MAC layers for each of the plurality of removably engageable transceivers.

7. 1. A distribution system comprising: (a) a server and a switch including a plurality of removably engageable transceivers; (b) a first of the plurality of removably engageable transceivers including a first MAC layer that provides control for interaction with a first transmission medium; and (c) receiving data from the server and the switch, and in response to said receiving, providing data to respective sets of optical network terminal devices over respective transmission media including respective optical fibers; (d) a second of the plurality of removably engageable transceivers including a second MAC layer that provides control for interaction with a second transmission medium; and (e) the second plurality of said removably engageable transceivers receiving data from said server and switch and, in response to said receiving, providing data to a respective set of cable modems over respective said transmission media, including respective coaxial cables; (f) at least one of the server and the switch including another MAC layer that provides suitable processing for each of the first MAC layer and the second MAC layer for each of the respective first and second pluralities of removably engageable transceivers.

8. The distribution system of claim 7 , wherein the separate MAC layer includes prioritization of the first and second pluralities of removably engageable transceivers.

9. The distribution system of claim 8 , wherein the prioritization is based on a service level agreement.

10. The distribution system of claim 8 , wherein the prioritization is based on data rate.

11. 1. A distribution system comprising: (a) a server and a switch including a plurality of removably engageable transceivers; (b) a first of the plurality of removably engageable transceivers including a first MAC layer that provides control for interaction with a first transmission medium; and (c) the first of the plurality of removably engageable transceivers receiving data from respective sets of optical network terminal devices over respective transmission media including respective optical fibers, and providing first data to the server and the switch in response to said receiving; (d) a second of the plurality of removably engageable transceivers including a second MAC layer that provides control for interaction with a second transmission medium; and (e) the second plurality of the removably engageable transceivers receiving data from a respective set of cable modems over a respective transmission medium including a coaxial cable, and providing second data to the server and the switch in response to said receiving; (f) providing the first data and the second data to a core network based on prioritization, the distribution system including at least one of the server and the switch.

12. The distribution system of claim 11 , wherein the prioritization is based on tags of the first data and the second data.

13. The distribution system of claim 12 , wherein the first plurality of removably engageable transceivers complement first data received with the tag.

14. 14. The distribution system of claim 13, wherein the second plurality of removably engageable transceivers complement second data received with the tag.

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