Control device, system and method for monitoring a communication device

Abstract

To provide a technique for changing a transmission rate of a control signal according to a situation.SOLUTION: A control device for monitoring a communication device to be monitored includes a control signal transmission / reception unit for exchanging a control signal with the communication device to be monitored, a state management unit for determining a state of a link with the communication device on the basis of a control signal for confirming a communication state, and a control unit for executing zero touch processing. The control unit is configured to transmit a control signal for requesting information on an opening / closing setting of a UNI (UserNetworkInterface) port to the communication device via the control signal transmission / reception unit based on reception of a notification indicating occurrence of link-down in a link with the communication device from the state management unit, and to select a setting of a transmission rate limit of the control signal for the zero touch processing based on the opening / closing setting of the UNI port.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE The present disclosure relates to a control device, system and method for monitoring communication devices. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, a function called Ethernet OAM (Operations, Administration, Maintenance) has been used to operate networks using Ethernet (registered trademark). Ethernet OAM has been standardized as ITU-T Y.1731 and IEEE 802.1ag, and is a function to support the operation, administration, and maintenance of Ethernet. Ethernet OAM uses control signals called OAM frames. Devices with monitoring functions and monitored devices exchange OAM frames. The transmission rate of OAM frames may be limited so as not to affect the transfer of the main signal, which is user data.

[0003] Regarding a function for monitoring devices while suppressing such traffic, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-54832 (Patent Document 1) discloses a remote monitoring and control system, a center server, an equipment monitoring and control device, and a communication method. The remote monitoring and control system, etc., includes "an equipment monitoring and control device that monitors and / or controls devices via communication lines, and a system center including a center server that accumulates monitoring and / or control requests transmitted from terminal devices via a network and returns a communication signal containing the monitoring and / or control requests when the monitoring and / or control requests have been accumulated in response to an inquiry periodically transmitted via the network from the equipment monitoring and control device to inquire about the presence or absence of monitoring and / or control requests, wherein the center server changes the communication volume per unit time between the center server and the equipment monitoring and control device when an event occurs that requires a change in the communication volume per unit time" (see [Abstract]). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2006-54832 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] When a network failure occurs, there is a possibility that the main signal, which is user data, may be transferred depending on the port settings of the communication device. If there is a possibility that the main signal may be transferred, it is desirable that the transmission rate (which may also be called the frame rate) of the control signal be limited to a level that does not affect the main signal. Conversely, if there is no possibility that the main signal may be transferred, there is no need to limit the transmission rate of the control signal.

[0006] According to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to distinguish between cases where there is a possibility that the main signal will be transferred and cases where there is not, and it is not possible to change the transmission rate of the control signal depending on the situation. Therefore, there is a need for a technology that can determine whether there is a possibility that the main signal will be transferred and change the transmission rate of the control signal depending on the situation.

[0007] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-described background, and an object of one aspect is to provide a technology for determining whether or not a main signal is likely to be transferred, and for enabling the transmission rate of a control signal to be changed depending on the situation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The control device of the present disclosure includes a control signal transmitting / receiving unit for exchanging control signals with a communication device to be monitored, a status management unit for determining the status of a link with the communication device based on a control signal for checking the communication status, and a control unit for executing zero-touch processing. The control unit is configured to transmit a control signal to the communication device via the control signal transmitting / receiving unit to request information on opening and closing settings of a UNI (User Network Interface) port based on receiving a notification from the status management unit indicating that a link-down has occurred in the link with the communication device, and to select a setting for a transmission rate limit of the control signal for zero-touch processing based on the opening and closing settings of the UNI port.

[0009] The system disclosed herein includes a communication device for forwarding signals and a control device for monitoring the communication device. The communication device includes a main signal forwarding unit for forwarding a main signal including user data via a main signaling network and a first control signal transceiver for exchanging control signals with the control device via a control network. The control device includes a second control signal transceiver for exchanging control signals with the communication device, a status management unit for determining the status of a link with the communication device based on the control signal for checking the communication status, and a control unit for executing zero-touch processing. The control unit is configured to transmit a control signal to the communication device via the second control signal transceiver to request opening and closing settings of a UNI port based on a notification indicating that a link down has occurred in the link with the communication device, and to select a setting for a transmission rate limit of the control signal for zero-touch processing based on the opening and closing settings of the UNI port.

[0010] The method disclosed herein is a method executed by a control device that monitors a communication device to be monitored, and includes exchanging control signals with the communication device to confirm the communication status, determining the status of the link with the communication device based on the control signals, sending a control signal to the communication device to request opening and closing settings of the UNI port based on a link down occurring in the link with the communication device, and selecting a setting for a transmission rate limit of the control signal for zero-touch processing based on the opening and closing settings of the UNI port. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technique for making it possible to change the transmission rate of a control signal depending on the situation. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a network 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a first failure in the network 10. As shown in FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a second failure in the network 10. In FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of setting of a transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for each state of the communication device 104. In FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of communication between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 when a first failure occurs. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a sequence of communication between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 when a second failure occurs. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of each device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0013] [Description of the embodiments of the present disclosure] First, embodiments of the present disclosure will be listed and described.

[0014] (1) A control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control signal transmitting / receiving unit for exchanging control signals with a communication device to be monitored, a status management unit for determining the status of a link with the communication device based on a control signal for checking the communication status, and a control unit for executing zero-touch processing. The control unit is configured to transmit a control signal to the communication device via the control signal transmitting / receiving unit to request information on opening and closing settings of a UNI port based on a notification that a link down has occurred in the link with the communication device, and to select a setting for a transmission rate limit of the control signal for zero-touch processing based on the opening and closing settings of the UNI port.

[0015] According to the above configuration, the control device can select a setting for a transmission rate limit of a control signal for zero-touch processing based on an open / close setting of a UNI port of the communication device. As a result, for example, when the UNI port is set to open, the control device can enable the transmission rate limit to prevent the control signal from affecting the main signal. As another example, when the UNI port is set to closed, the control device can disable the transmission rate limit to quickly complete zero-touch processing.

[0016] (2) In the control device described in (1), the communication device is configured to transfer a main signal including user data via a main signaling network and to exchange control signals with the control device via a control network. The control signal transmitting / receiving unit is configured to be connected to the control network but not to the main signaling network.

[0017] According to the above configuration, the control device receives only the control signal without receiving the main signal. This reduces the load on the control device. Furthermore, since the control device determines the state of the link with the communication device based on the control signal, it can determine whether to perform zero-touch processing without receiving the main signal.

[0018] (3) In the control device according to (1) or (2), the control unit is configured to disable the transmission rate limit based on the UNI port being set to blocked.

[0019] According to the above configuration, the control device can disable the transmission rate limit based on the UNI port being set to blocked. As a result, when there is no possibility of a main signal being transferred, the control device can transmit a control signal to the communication device at a higher transmission rate than when the transmission rate limit is enabled. As a result, the zero-touch processing of the communication device can be completed quickly.

[0020] (4) In the control device described in (3), the control unit is configured to set the subsequent transmission rate limit to valid based on the completion of zero-touch processing when the UNI port is set to blocked.

[0021] According to the above configuration, the control device can set a valid transmission rate limit for the communication device after the zero-touch process is completed (the communication device has started operating), thereby preventing the control signal from affecting the transfer process of the main signal of the communication device.

[0022] (5) In the control device according to any one of (1) to (4), the control unit is configured to set the transmission rate limit to valid based on the UNI port being set to open.

[0023] According to the above configuration, the control device can enable the transmission rate limit based on the UNI port being set to open, thereby preventing the control signal from affecting the transfer process of the main signal of the communication device even if the transfer of the main signal is resumed during zero-touch processing.

[0024] (6) In the control device according to any one of (1) to (5), the control signal is an OAM frame of Ethernet OAM, and the state management unit is configured to be able to determine whether a link down has occurred based on a flag and a timeout in the OAM frame.

[0025] According to the above configuration, the control device can determine whether a link down has occurred between the control device and the communication device based on the OAM frame. As a result, the control device can perform zero-touch processing based at least on the flag and timeout of the OAM frame without monitoring the link down of the main signal.

[0026] (7) A system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a communication device for forwarding a signal and a control device for monitoring the communication device. The communication device includes a main signal forwarding unit for forwarding a main signal including user data via a main signaling network and a first control signal transceiver unit for exchanging control signals with the control device via a control network. The control device includes a second control signal transceiver unit for exchanging control signals with the communication device, a state management unit for determining the state of a link with the communication device based on the control signal for checking the communication state, and a control unit for executing zero-touch processing. The control unit is configured to transmit a control signal to the communication device via the second control signal transceiver unit to request opening and closing settings of a UNI port based on a notification from the state management unit indicating that a link-down has occurred in the link with the communication device, and to select a setting for a transmission rate limit of the control signal for zero-touch processing based on the opening and closing settings of the UNI port.

[0027] According to the above configuration, the system can select a setting for a transmission rate limit of a control signal for zero-touch processing based on an open / close setting of a UNI port of the communication device. As a result, for example, when the UNI port is set to open, the system can enable the transmission rate limit to prevent the control signal from affecting the main signal. As another example, when the UNI port is set to closed, the system can disable the transmission rate limit to quickly complete zero-touch processing.

[0028] (8) The method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a method executed by a control device that monitors a communication device to be monitored, including exchanging a control signal for confirming a communication state with the communication device, determining a link state with the communication device based on the control signal, and transmitting a control signal for requesting an open / close setting of a UNI port to the communication device based on the occurrence of a link down in the link with the communication device, and selecting a setting of a transmission rate limit of a control signal for zero-touch processing based on the open / close setting of the UNI port.

[0029] According to the above configuration, the method can select a setting of a transmission rate limit of a control signal for zero-touch processing based on the open / close setting of the UNI port of the communication device. Thereby, as an example, when the UNI port is set to open, the method can enable the transmission rate limit so that the control signal does not affect the main signal. Also, as another example, when the UNI port is set to closed, the method can disable the transmission rate limit and complete the zero-touch processing quickly.

[0030] [Details of Embodiments of the Present Disclosure] Hereinafter, embodiments of the technical idea according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals. Their names and functions are also the same. Therefore, detailed descriptions thereof will not be repeated. Also, each embodiment, each modification, each software or program configuration, each hardware configuration, each function, and each process, etc. may be selectively combined as appropriate.

[0031] <A. Network Configuration> FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a network 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The network 10 is a network that supports Ethernet OAM. The network 10 may also be a PON (Passive Optical Network) or a GE-PON (Gigabit Ethernet-PON). In particular, the control device 124 may use a function called link OAM to detect a fault in the communication device 104. Link OAM is a function that monitors the state of communication with adjacent devices using a control signal called an OAM frame (or link OAM frame).

[0032] The network 10 includes a subscriber device 102, a communication device 104, an upper communication device 106, an upper communication network 108, an aggregation device 110, a main signal network 112, an aggregation device 114, an upper communication network 116, an upper communication device 118, an opposing device 120, a subscriber device 122, a control device 124, a monitoring device 126, and a control network 128.

[0033] The subscriber device 102 is a user terminal and may communicate with devices in other networks via the communication device 104. As an example, the subscriber device 102 may communicate with the subscriber device 122 via the communication device 104, the main signaling network 112, and the opposite device 120. The subscriber device 102 may include a personal computer, a server device, a workstation, a smartphone, a tablet, or any other information processing device.

[0034] The communication device 104 connects one or more subscriber devices 102 to the network. In other words, the communication device 104 functions as a gateway for the subscriber devices 102. The communication device 104 corresponds to an optical network unit (ONU) in a PON. The interface between the communication device 104 and the upper communication device 106 is called an ANI (Application Network Interface) 160. Hereinafter, the network on the ANI 160 side as viewed from the communication device 104 is called the "upper network." The interface between the communication device 104 and the subscriber device 102 is called a UNI (User Network Interface) 170. The communication device 104 has a function of switching the setting of the UNI port connected to the UNI 170 between an open setting and a blocked setting. The open setting is a setting that enables communication at the UNI 170. The blocked setting is a setting that disables communication at the UNI 170. The UNI port setting may be interpreted as the setting of the port for communication at the UNI 170. In the initial state, the UNI port setting is a blocked setting. During operation of the communication device 104, the UNI port is set to open.

[0035] The communication device 104 forwards frames received from each of one or more subscriber devices 102 to the upper network. Similarly, the communication device 104 forwards frames received from the upper network to one of one or more subscriber devices 102. The communication device 104 forwards two types of frames. The first frame is a main signal 140 frame. The second frame is a control signal 150 frame. Hereinafter, the main signal 140 frame may also be referred to as the "main signal 140." Similarly, the control signal 150 frame may also be referred to as the "control signal 150." Furthermore, when referring to the main signal 140 and the control signal 150 collectively, they are referred to as "frames." The main signal 140 is a frame transmitted and received by the subscriber device 102. The control signal 150 corresponds to an OAM frame periodically exchanged between the communication device 104 and the control device 124. The OAM frame is a frame used by the control device 124 to maintain and manage the communication device 104. Arrow 130 is the path of a main signal 140 and arrow 132 is the path of a control signal 150 .

[0036] The upper communication device 106 is a communication device having a VLAN (Virtual Local Area Network) function. When the upper communication device 106 receives a frame (main signal 140 or control signal 150) from the communication device 104, it assigns a VLAN tag 142 to the frame and transfers the frame with the VLAN tag 142 to the upper communication network 108, which is a VLAN. Conversely, when the upper communication device 106 receives a VLAN-tagged frame from the upper communication network 108, it removes the VLAN tag from the VLAN-tagged frame. Then, the upper communication device 106 transfers the frame with the VLAN tag removed to the communication device 104.

[0037] The aggregation device 110 receives a main signal 140 and a control signal 150. When the aggregation device 110 receives the main signal 140 from the upper communication network 108, it removes the VLAN tag 142 from the main signal 140. Then, the aggregation device 110 transfers the main signal 140 with the VLAN tag 142 removed to the main signal network 112. When the aggregation device 110 receives the main signal 140 from the main signal network 112, it assigns the VLAN tag 142 to the main signal 140. Then, the aggregation device 110 transfers the main signal 140 with the VLAN tag 142 assigned to it to the upper communication network 108. When the aggregation device 110 receives a control signal 150 from the upper communication network 108, it transfers the control signal 150 to the control device 124. Because the control network 128 is a VLAN, the aggregation device 110 does not remove the VLAN tag 142 from the control signal 150 when transferring the control signal 150. The aggregation device 110 corresponds to the main signal transfer function of an optical line terminal (OLT) in a conventional PON.

[0038] The main signal network 112 is a backbone network managed by a telecommunications carrier. The main signal 140 transferred to the main signal network 112 is transferred to the subscriber device 122 on the opposite device 120 side via an intermediate network.

[0039] The subscriber device 122, the opposite device 120, the upper communication device 118, the upper communication network 116, and the aggregation device 114 each have the same or equivalent functions as the subscriber device 102, the communication device 104, the upper communication device 106, the upper communication network 108, and the aggregation device 110. Therefore, their descriptions will not be repeated. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the aggregation device 114 may also be connected to other control devices via a control network.

[0040] The control device 124 has a function of monitoring the communication device 104 and automatically configuring communication settings for the communication device 104. Such a process of automatically configuring other devices is called zero-touch processing. Zero-touch processing is also called zero-touch configuration or zero-touch provisioning. The control device 124 uses a control signal 150 for monitoring the communication device 104 and performing zero-touch processing. The control device 124 can check the existence of the communication device 104 or the status of the link between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 by periodically exchanging the control signal 150 with the communication device 104. Furthermore, when a failure occurs, the control device 124 can send the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 and change the communication settings of the communication device 104 to perform zero-touch processing. In one aspect, the control signal 150 may be an OAM frame for link OAM. Link OAM is a function for checking the existence of adjacent devices or the status of the link with adjacent devices. The control device 124 and the communication device 104 are connected via a VLAN and are therefore logically adjacent devices. Therefore, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 can communicate using OAM frames of link OAM. The control device 124 corresponds to the ONU monitoring function of the OLT in the PON. The control device 124 executes zero-touch processing when the state of the link with the communication device 104 becomes link-down.

[0041] The monitoring device 126 is a terminal used by a telecommunications carrier. The monitoring device 126 may receive a notification from the control device 124 and display information related to the notification on a display. As an example, the monitoring device 126 may display a warning indicating the occurrence of an OAM link down on a display based on receiving a status notification of OAM link down (which may also be referred to as link OAM down). The monitoring device 126 may also send various instructions to the control device 124. The monitoring device 126 may send commands entered by an operator to the control device 124. "OAM link down" refers to a state in which the control signal 150 cannot be exchanged for some reason, and is not limited to a logical disconnection or a physical disconnection.

[0042] As described with reference to FIG. 1 , the control device 124 corresponds to the ONU monitoring function of a conventional OLT. The aggregation device 110 corresponds to the main signal forwarding function of a conventional OLT. By distributing the OLT functions to two devices, the load on each device is reduced. However, because the control device 124 does not forward the main signal 140, it cannot directly detect link down of the main signal. Therefore, the control device 124 executes zero-touch processing using the detection of OAM link down as a trigger. More specifically, the control device 124 can determine the status of the link with the communication device 104 (i.e., whether or not OAM link down has occurred) based on the flag and timeout of the OAM frame exchanged with the communication device 104. This allows the control device 124 to execute zero-touch processing of the communication device 104 without directly receiving the main signal 140.

[0043] Furthermore, the control signal 150 may select a setting for a transmission rate limit (also referred to as a "rate limit") of the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing depending on the type of failure. When a first failure occurs, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 2 , the communication device 104 sets the UNI 170 or a port of the UNI 170 to a blocking setting. The first failure is a failure that affects both the control signal 150 and the main signal 140. Both the control signal 150 and the main signal 140 pass through the ANI 160. Therefore, a link down of the ANI 160 is a first failure that affects both the control signal 150 and the main signal 140. When the first failure occurs, the communication device 104 sets the port of the UNI 170 to a blocking setting, and therefore stops forwarding the main signal 140 from the subscriber device 102. In this case, the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing does not affect the communication device 104's forwarding process of the main signal 140. Therefore, it is desirable for the control device 124 to disable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150. That is, it is desirable for the control device 124 to transmit the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 at a transmission rate higher than the transmission rate when the transmission rate limit is enabled. By disabling the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150, the control device 124 can shorten the zero-touch processing time and thereby quickly recover from a failure of the communication device 104. In one aspect, the control device 124 may have a function for gradually adjusting the transmission rate of the control signal 150. In this case, the control device 124 can adjust the transmission rate of the control signal 150 depending on the type of failure. As an example, the control device 124 can set the transmission rate when a first failure occurs (the UNI port is set to blocked) shown in FIG. 5 to a higher rate than the transmission rate when a second failure occurs (the UNI port is set to open) shown in FIG. 6.

[0044] When a second failure occurs, which will be described later with reference to FIG. 3 , the communication device 104 leaves the UNI 170 or the port of the UNI 170 in an open setting. The second failure refers to a failure that affects only the control signal 150 and a failure that affects only the main signal 140. A failure that affects only the control signal 150 is, for example, a failure of a switch in the control network 128. A failure that affects only the main signal 140 is, for example, a failure in which a link down occurs at the UNI 170 of the communication device 104 due to a link down at the opposite device 120. When the second failure occurs, the communication device 104 leaves the port of the UNI 170 in an open setting, so the communication device 104 may forward the main signal 140 from the subscriber device 102. In this case, the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing may affect the forwarding processing of the main signal 140 by the communication device 104. Therefore, it is desirable for the control device 124 to enable a transmission rate limit for the control signal 150. That is, it is desirable for the control device 124 to transmit the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 at a limited transmission rate. By enabling the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150, the control device 124 can recover from a failure of the communication device 104 without affecting the transfer process of the main signal 140.

[0045] As described above, the communication device 104 is configured to transfer the main signal 140 including user data via the main signal network 112, and to exchange the control signal 150 with the control device 124 via the control network 128. The control signal transceiver 740 is configured to be connected to the control network 128, not to the main signal network 112. With this configuration, the control device 124 does not need to process the main signal 140, and therefore the load on the control device 124 is reduced. Furthermore, the control device 124 can determine the state of the link with the communication device 104 based on the control signal 150, and therefore can determine whether to perform zero-touch processing without capturing the main signal 140.

[0046] Also, the control signal 150 is an OAM frame of Ethernet OAM. More specifically, the control signal 150 is an OAM frame of Link OAM f. The state management unit 744 is configured to be able to determine whether a link down has occurred based on the flag and timeout of the OAM frame. Thereby, the control device 124 can determine whether a link down (OAM link down) has occurred between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 based on the OAM frame. Thereby, the control device 124 can execute zero-touch processing based at least on the flag and timeout of the OAM frame without monitoring the link down of the main signal 140. More specifically, the control device 124 can execute zero-touch processing when detecting that the value of the flag of the OAM frame is an unexpected value. Also, the control device 124 can execute zero-touch processing when a timeout of the OAM frame occurs. In one aspect, the control device 124 can execute zero-touch processing based on one or more arbitrary items included in the OAM frame in addition to the flag and timeout of the OAM frame.

[0047] <B. Types of failures and possibilities of the presence or absence of the main signal at the time of failure> Next, referring to FIGS. 2 and 3, a first failure in which the UNI port is set to be blocked and a second failure in which the UNI port is maintained in an open state will be described.

[0048] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a first failure in the network 10. The first failure is a failure in which a link down 200 occurs in the ANI 160. Both the control signal 150 and the main signal 140 pass through the ANI 160. In other words, the first failure is a failure that affects both the control signal 150 and the main signal 140. A "link down" refers to a state in which communication is disabled for some reason, and is not limited to a logical disconnection or a physical disconnection. The same applies to the link down 300 in FIG. 3. When the link down 200 occurs in the ANI 160, the communication device 104 changes the UNI port setting to a blocked state and blocks communication via the UNI 170. As a result, the communication device 104 no longer forwards the main signal 140 transmitted by the subscriber device 102.

[0049] When a link down 200 occurs in the ANI 160, an OAM link down also occurs between the control device 124 and the communication device 104. In many cases, the link down 200 occurs only for an instant, but when the communication device 104 detects the link down 200, it changes the flag in the OAM frame to the value at the time of the failure and transmits an OAM frame including the flag to the control device 124. The control device 124 can detect the OAM link down based on the flag in the OAM frame. That is, the control device 124 can detect the OAM link down based on the fact that the value of the flag included in the received OAM frame is not the expected value.

[0050] When the first failure occurs, the UNI 170 of the communication device 104 is set to a blocked state, and therefore, there is no possibility that the transfer of the main signal 140 will resume. Therefore, the control device 124 may disable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing. By disabling the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150, the control device 124 may transmit the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 at a higher transmission rate than when the transmission rate is limited. As a result, when the UNI port is set to a blocked state, the control device 124 may quickly complete zero-touch processing of the communication device 104.

[0051] After the UNI 170 of the communication device 104 is set to an open setting by the zero-touch process, the control device 124 enables a transmission rate limit for the control signal 150. In this way, the control device 124 can transmit the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 for checking the communication status of the communication device 104 at a transmission rate that does not affect the transfer process of the main signal 140.

[0052] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a second failure in the network 10. In the example of FIG. 3, a link down 310 (also referred to as an OAM link down) of the control signal 150 occurs in the control network 128. Furthermore, a link down 300 occurs downstream (on the UNI side) of the opposite device 120. The link down 310 in the control network 128 affects only the control signal 150. The link down 300 in the opposite device 120 affects only the main signal 140. In other words, a failure affecting only the control signal 150 and a failure affecting only the main signal 140 occur, respectively. These link downs 300 and 310 may occur at different times. Under such circumstances, even if the link down 310 is recovered, the link down 300 may continue in the opposite device 120. In this case, if the control device 124 performs zero-touch processing, the link down 300 in the opposite device 120 may be recovered during the zero-touch processing, and the forwarding process of the main signal 140 may be resumed. At this time, if the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 is disabled, the control signal 150 may affect the transfer process of the main signal 140. Therefore, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 when performing zero-touch processing upon the occurrence of the second failure.

[0053] The communication device 104 and the opposite device 120 confirm each other's existence by periodically exchanging frames using the ETH-OAM function. As an example, the communication device 104 may use an Ethernet continuity check function (ETH-CC) and an Ethernet alarm indication signal function (ETH-AIS). The communication device 104 detects that a link down has occurred in the opposite device 120 based on the ETH-CC and ETH-AIS frames, etc. In this case, the communication device 104 brings the UNI port down. This function of the communication device 104 bringing the UNI port down when a link down has occurred in the opposite device is sometimes called link pass-through. When the communication device 104 executes link pass-through, it brings the UNI port down, but does not change the setting of the UNI port from an open setting to a blocked setting.

[0054] When a link down 310 occurs in the control network 128, the control device 124 cannot receive an OAM frame from the communication device 104 within a predetermined time period. Therefore, the control device 124 can detect the link down 310 based on a timeout.

[0055] When the second failure occurs, the UNI 170 of the communication device 104 is maintained in an open setting, so there is a possibility that the transfer of the main signal 140 will resume immediately after the second failure occurs. In this state, if the control device 124 performs zero-touch processing by disabling the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150, the control signal 150 may affect the transfer of the main signal 140. Therefore, it is desirable for the control device 124 to enable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for the zero-touch processing. Therefore, when the UNI port is in an open setting, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 and performs zero-touch processing while limiting the transmission rate of the control signal 150. As a result, even if the transfer of the main signal 140 has resumed, the control device 124 can complete the zero-touch processing of the communication device 104 without affecting the transfer of the main signal 140.

[0056] 4 is a diagram showing an example of the setting of the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for each state of the communication device 104. State 410 shows the period from when the control device 124 acquires the UNI port open setting from the communication device 104 to the completion of the zero-touch process (when the communication device 104 starts operating). In state 410, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150.

[0057] State 420 shows the process from when the control device 124 acquires the UNI port blocking setting from the communication device 104 to the completion of the zero-touch process (the start of operation of the communication device 104). In state 420, the control device 124 disables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150.

[0058] State 430 indicates a state after the zero-touch process is completed (when the communication device 104 is in operation). When state 410 or state 420 transitions to state 430, the communication device 104 sets the UNI port to an open setting. Therefore, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150.

[0059] 2 to 4, the control device 124 may execute a series of methods (processing) for selecting a setting for the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 in zero-touch processing. The method executed in the control device 124 includes exchanging the control signal 150 with the communication device 104 for checking the communication state, determining the state of the link with the communication device 104 based on the control signal 150, transmitting the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 for requesting opening and closing settings of the UNI port based on the link down occurrence in the link with the communication device 104 (the link of the control signal 150), and selecting a setting for the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing based on the opening and closing settings of the UNI port. Also, a program for causing the control device 124 to execute this series of processing may be provided.

[0060] Through the above series of processes, the control device 124 can select the setting of the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing based on the open / close setting of the UNI port of the communication device 104. As a result, as one example, when the UNI port is set to open, the control device 124 can enable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 to prevent the control signal 150 from affecting the main signal 140. As another example, when the UNI port is set to block, the control device 124 can disable the transmission rate limit to quickly complete the zero-touch processing.

[0061] 7, the communication device 104 and the control device 124 may be configured as a system including various functional units for selecting a setting for a transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 in zero-touch processing. The system includes the communication device 104 for forwarding signals and the control device 124 for monitoring the communication device 104. The communication device 104 includes a main signal forwarding unit 720 for forwarding a main signal 140 including user data via the main signaling network 112, and a first control signal transceiver unit (control signal transceiver unit 724) for exchanging the control signal 150 with the control device 124 via the control network 128. The control device 124 includes a second control signal transceiver unit (control signal transceiver unit 740) for exchanging the control signal 150 with the communication device 104, a status management unit 744 for determining the status of the link with the communication device 104 based on the control signal 150 for checking the communication status, and a control unit 746 for executing zero-touch processing. The control unit 746 is configured to, based on receiving a notification from the status management unit 744 indicating that a link down has occurred in the link with the communication device 104 (the link of the control signal 150), transmit a control signal 150 to the communication device 104 via the second control signal transmission / reception unit (control signal transmission / reception unit 740) to request opening and closing settings of the UNI port, and to select the setting of the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing based on the opening and closing settings of the UNI port.

[0062] By having the above configuration, the system can select the setting of the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing based on the open / close setting of the UNI port of the communication device 104. Thus, as an example, when the UNI port is in the open setting, the control device 124 can enable the transmission rate limit so that the control signal 150 does not affect the main signal 140. Also, as another example, when the UNI port is in the closed setting, the control device 124 can disable the transmission rate limit and complete the zero-touch processing quickly.

[0063] <C. Operation of Each Device> FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the communication sequence between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 at the time of the first failure occurrence. The first failure is a failure in which link down occurs at ANI160. In this case, the communication device 104 sets the UNI port setting to the closed setting.

[0064] Phase F500 shows the sequence of the state in which the communication device 104 is operating normally. In the example of FIG. 5, at the beginning of the sequence, the OAM link up between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 is established (event E510). That is, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 are in a state where they can normally exchange the control signal 150. In step S505, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150. The control device 124 can perform the zero-touch processing (initial setting processing of the communication device 104) of the communication device 104 in a state where the OAM link up is established. After the completion of the zero-touch processing, the control device 124 can execute the process of enabling the transmission rate limit.

[0065] In step S510, the control device 124 transmits a control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Request) to the communication device 104. In step S515, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Response) that is a response to the control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Request) to the control device 124. Steps S510 and S515 are repeatedly executed. That is, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 repeatedly exchange the control signal 150 to confirm each other's status.

[0066] Phase F510 shows the sequence from when a link down occurs in the ANI 160 until the control device 124 detects an OAM link down. In phase F510, the ANI 160 temporarily goes down (event E520). This disables communication between the control device 124 and the communication device 104, causing an OAM link down (event E530). Thereafter, the ANI 160 goes up (restores) (event E540).

[0067] In step S520, the control device 124 transmits the control signal 150 to the communication device 104. However, because the ANI 160 is linked down, the control signal does not reach the communication device 104. In step S525, the communication device 104, upon detecting the link down of the ANI 160, links down the UNI port. At the same time, the communication device 104 sets the UNI port to a blocked setting. In step S530, upon detecting the link down of the ANI 160, the communication device 104 changes the value of a flag included in the control signal 150. More specifically, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 add their respective states (local_state) as flags to the control signal 150. When the communication device 104 detects the link down of the ANI 160, it initializes the value of local_state. In step S535, the control device 124 retransmits the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 after the ANI 160 is linked up. In step S540, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 to the control device 124 as a response to the control signal 150. In step S545, the control device 124 detects an OAM link down based on the fact that the value of the flag included in the received control signal 150 is not an expected value.

[0068] Phase F520 shows a series of sequences in which the control device 124 restores the communication device 104. When the control device 124 detects OAM link down, it executes a discovery process. At this point, the control device 124 has not yet acquired the open / close setting of the UNI port of the communication device 104. Therefore, the control device 124 enables transmission rate limiting and executes the discovery process. In step S550, the control device 124 transmits a control signal 150 (OAM Discovery Request) to the communication device 104. In step S555, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (OAM Discovery Response) to the control device 124 in response to the control signal 150 (OAM Discovery Request). The signals in steps S550 and S555 may be exchanged multiple times. When the discovery process is complete, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 are able to communicate (OAM link up) (event E550). The series of communications in the discovery process is sometimes called a handshake.

[0069] In step S560, the control device 124 transmits a control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (GET) Request) to the communication device 104 to request information about the gating setting of the UNI 170. In step S565, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (GET) Response) that is a response to the control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (GET) Request) to the control device 124. By performing steps S560 and S565, the control device 124 can acquire the setting of the UNI port. In one aspect, the processing of steps S560 and S565 may be performed as part of zero-touch processing. In another aspect, the processing of steps S560 and S565 may be performed as a separate process before the execution of zero-touch processing.

[0070] 5, the control device 124 acquires a blocking setting of the UNI 170. Therefore, in step S570, the control device 124 disables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150. Thereafter, the control device 124 performs zero-touch processing. If necessary, the control device 124 communicates with the communication device 104 multiple times.

[0071] In step S575, the control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (SET) Request) for setting the UNI port to an open setting is transmitted to the communication device 104. Based on receiving the UNI Forwarding (SET) Request, the communication device 104 sets the UNI port to an open setting. Then, in step S580, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (SET) Response) that is a response to the control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (SET) Request) to the control device 124. In step S585, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 because the UNI port has been set to an open setting.

[0072] 5, the control device 124 (and the control unit 746) is configured to disable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 based on the UNI port being set to blocked. This allows the control device 124 to disable the transmission rate limit based on the UNI port being set to blocked. This allows the control device 124 to transmit the control signal 150 to the communication device 104 at a higher transmission rate than when the transmission rate limit is enabled. As a result, the zero-touch processing of the communication device 104 can be completed quickly.

[0073] Furthermore, the control device 124 (and the control unit 746) is configured to enable the transmission rate limit of the subsequent control signal 150 based on the completion of the zero-touch process when the UNI port is set to blocked. This allows the control device 124 to enable the transmission rate limit of the subsequent control signal 150 based on the completion of the zero-touch process of the communication device 104 (the resumption of operation of the communication device 104). This allows the control device 124 to suppress the control signal 150 from affecting the transfer process of the main signal 140 of the communication device 104 after the resumption of operation of the communication device 104.

[0074] 6 is a diagram showing an example of a communication sequence between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 when a second failure occurs. The second failure is a failure that causes a link down other than at the ANI 160. In this case, the communication device 104 leaves the UNI port setting as open.

[0075] Phase F600 shows a sequence in which the communication device 104 is operating normally. In the example of FIG. 6, at the beginning of the sequence, an OAM link-up is established between the control device 124 and the communication device 104 (event E610). That is, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 are in a state in which they can normally exchange the control signal 150. In step S605, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 after completing a zero-touch process (initial setup process). With the OAM link-up established, the control device 124 may perform a zero-touch process (initial setup process for the communication device 104) for the communication device 104. After completing the zero-touch process, the control device 124 may execute a process to enable the transmission rate limit.

[0076] In step S610, the control device 124 transmits a control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Request) to the communication device 104. In step S615, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Response) that is a response to the control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Request) to the control device 124. Steps S610 and S615 are repeatedly executed.

[0077] Phase F610 shows the sequence up to when the control device 124 detects an OAM link down when a second failure occurs. The second failure is a failure in which a link down (ETH-OAM link down) occurs at a location other than the ANI 160 on the network 10, and an OAM link down occurs again. The ETH-OAM link down is a state in which communication is no longer possible between the communication device 104 and the opposite device 120, or between the subscriber devices 102 and 122.

[0078] In step S620, the control device 124 transmits a control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Request) to the communication device 104. Immediately thereafter, a link down (ETH-OAM link down) occurs in a location other than the ANI 160 (for example, the UNI of the opposing device 120), and further, an OAM link down occurs (events E620 and E630).

[0079] In step S625, the communication device 104 brings the UNI port into link down state in response to detecting the ETH-OAM link down. However, the communication device 104 leaves the UNI port in an open state. The communication device 104 can detect that a link down has occurred in the opposite device 120 based on ETH-CC and ETH-AIS frames, etc.

[0080] In step S630, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Response) to the control device 124. However, because an OAM link down has occurred, the control signal 150 (Information OAM (keep alive) Response) does not reach the control device 124. In step S635, the control device 124 detects a timeout in the response to the control signal 150. As a result, the control device 124 determines that an OAM link down has occurred.

[0081] Phase F620 shows a series of sequences in which the control device 124 restores the communication device 104. When the control device 124 detects an OAM link down, it executes a discovery process. In step S640, the control device 124 transmits a control signal 150 (OAM Discovery Request) to the communication device 104. In step S645, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (OAM Discovery Response) to the control device 124 in response to the control signal 150 (OAM Discovery Request). The signals in steps S640 and S645 may be exchanged multiple times. When the discovery process is complete, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 become able to communicate (OAM link up) (event E650). The ETH-OAM link down (link down in the opposite device 120) can be resolved independently of the OAM link down (event E640). As an example, the link down in the opposite device 120 can be resolved by a control device (not shown) that manages the opposite device 120 executing a zero-touch process. Therefore, the ETH-OAM link down (link down in the opposite device 120) may be restored between the discovery process by the control device 124 and the completion of the zero-touch process. In this case, the transfer process of the main signal 140 may be resumed during the zero-touch process.

[0082] In step S650, the control device 124 transmits a control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (GET) Request) to the communication device 104 to request information about the open / closed setting of the UNI 170. In step S655, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (GET) Response) to the control device 124, which is a response to the control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (GET) Request). Through steps S650 and S655, the control device 124 can acquire the setting of the UNI port. In one aspect, the processing of steps S650 and S655 may be executed as part of the zero-touch processing. In another aspect, the processing of steps S650 and S655 may be executed as a separate process before the execution of the zero-touch processing. In the example of FIG. 6, the control device 124 acquires the open setting of the UNI 170. Therefore, in step S660, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150. Thereafter, the control device 124 executes the zero-touch processing. If necessary, the control device 124 communicates with the communication device 104 multiple times.

[0083] In step S665, a control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (SET) Request) for setting the UNI port to an open setting is transmitted to the communication device 104. Based on receiving the UNI Forwarding (SET) Request, the communication device 104 sets the UNI port to an open setting. Then, in step S670, the communication device 104 transmits a control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (SET) Response) that is a response to the control signal 150 (UNI Forwarding (SET) Request) to the control device 124.

[0084] 6, the control device 124 acquires the setting of the UNI port from the communication device 104 when a failure occurs. Then, based on the UNI port being set to open, the control device 124 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 during the zero-touch process. In this way, the control device 124 can prevent the control signal 150 for the zero-touch process (i.e., the recovery operation of the communication device 104) from affecting the transfer process of the main signal 140 by the communication device 104.

[0085] 6, the control device 124 (and the control unit 746) is configured to enable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 based on the UNI port being set to open. This allows the control device 124 to enable the transmission rate limit based on the UNI port being set to open. As a result, even if the transfer of the main signal 140 is resumed during zero-touch processing, the control device 124 can suppress the control signal 150 from affecting the transfer processing of the main signal 140 by the communication device 104.

[0086] Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of each device. Each configuration shown in Fig. 7 can be realized by hardware, a program, or a combination of these. When part of each configuration is implemented as a program, each device includes one or more processors and RAM (Random Access Memory) for executing the program, and storage for storing the program.

[0087] 7, only the control network 128 exists between the control device 124 and the communication device 104, but this is because the functional connection of each component is expressed logically. In reality, the upper communication device 106, the upper communication network 108, and the aggregation device 110 exist between the control device 124 and the communication device 104.

[0088] The subscriber device 102 includes a main signal transfer unit 710. The communication device 104 includes a main signal transfer unit 720, a port control unit 722, a control signal transmission / reception unit 724, and a control signal processing unit 726. The upper communication device 106 includes a main signal transfer unit 730. The control device 124 includes a control signal transmission / reception unit 740, a control signal processing unit 742, a status management unit 744, a control unit 746, an alarm management unit 748, and a command processing unit 749. The monitoring device 126 includes a command transmission unit 750 and an alarm reception unit 752.

[0089] The main signal transfer unit 710 transmits and receives a main signal. The main signal transfer unit 710 communicates with a main signal transfer unit 720. The main signal transfer unit 720 communicates with the main signal transfer unit 710 of the subscriber device 102 and the main signal transfer unit 730 of the upper communication device 106. The main signal transfer unit 720 can also exchange ETH-OAM control signals with the opposite device 120.

[0090] The port control unit 722 has a function of link control and port open / close setting for ports provided in the communication device 104. As one example, the port control unit 722 links down a port connected to the UNI 170 and sets the setting of that port to a blocked setting when a link down occurs in the ANI 160. As another example, the port control unit 722 links down a port connected to the UNI 170 and sets the setting of that port to an open setting when a link down occurs in a location other than the ANI 160.

[0091] The control signal transmitting / receiving unit 724 exchanges a VLAN-tagged control signal 150 (OAM frame) with the control device 124. Upon receiving a control signal 150 addressed to the communication device 104, the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 724 outputs the control signal 150 to the control signal processing unit 726. When the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 724 receives any other control signal 150, it discards the control signal 150.

[0092] The control signal processing unit 726 reads the flags in the control signal 150. If the flag value is an expected value, the control signal processing unit 726 outputs a normal response control signal 150 to the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 724. If the flag value is an unexpected value, the control signal processing unit 726 determines that an OAM link down has occurred. In this case, the control signal processing unit 726 outputs a response control signal 150 with a changed flag value to the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 724. Furthermore, based on receiving the control signal 150 for acquiring the UNI port open / close setting, the control signal processing unit 726 includes the UNI port open / close setting acquired from the port control unit 722 in the response control signal 150 and transmits the control signal 150 to the control device 124. Furthermore, when the control signal processing unit 726 receives the control signal 150 for zero-touch processing, it updates the setting of the port control unit 722 according to the setting content of the zero-touch processing.

[0093] The main signal forwarding unit 730 transmits and receives a main signal. More specifically, the main signal forwarding unit 730 assigns a VLAN tag to a main signal received from the communication device 104, and forwards the main signal with the VLAN tag assigned to the upper communication network 108. The main signal forwarding unit 730 also removes the VLAN tag from the main signal received from the upper communication network 108, and forwards the main signal with the VLAN tag removed to the communication device 104.

[0094] The control signal transmitting / receiving unit 740 exchanges a VLAN-tagged control signal 150 (OAM frame) with the communication device 104. Upon receiving a control signal 150 addressed to the control device 124, the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 740 outputs the control signal 150 to the control signal processing unit 742. When the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 740 receives any other control signal 150, it discards the control signal 150.

[0095] The control signal processing unit 742 reads flags in the control signal 150. If the flag value is an expected value, the control signal processing unit 742 continues to output the control signal 150 for confirming survival (Information OAM (keep alive) Request) to the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 740. If the flag value is an unexpected value, the control signal processing unit 742 determines that an OAM link down has occurred and outputs an OAM link down occurrence notification to the state management unit 744. The control signal processing unit 742 may output an OAM link up notification to the state management unit 744 even if an OAM link down has not occurred. Furthermore, the control signal processing unit 742 outputs the OAM reconnection control signal 150 to the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 740 based on receiving an OAM reconnection processing request (OAM discovery request) from the control unit 746. Furthermore, the control signal processing unit 742 outputs the zero-touch processing control signal 150 to the control signal transmitting / receiving unit 740 based on receiving a zero-touch processing start request from the control unit 746.

[0096] The state management unit 744 manages the state of the control device 124 or the OAM link of the control device 124. The state of the control device 124 is the state of the OAM link between the control device 124 and the communication device 104. Therefore, it can also be said that the state management unit 744 manages the state of the communication device 104 or the OAM link of the communication device 104. Furthermore, based on receiving a notification of the occurrence of an OAM link down from the control signal processing unit 742, the state management unit 744 transitions the state of the control device 124 from OAM link up to OAM link down. Furthermore, the state management unit 744 outputs a notification of the occurrence of an OAM link down to the control unit 746 and the alarm management unit 748. Furthermore, after completion of zero-touch processing, based on receiving a notification of the OAM link up from the control signal processing unit 742, the state management unit 744 transitions the state of the OAM link of the control device 124 from OAM link down to OAM link up.

[0097] The control unit 746 controls the entire control device 124. As an example, the control unit 746 outputs an OAM reconnection process request to the control signal processing unit 742 based on receiving a notification of the occurrence of an OAM link down from the state management unit 744. After completing the OAM reconnection process, the control unit 746 outputs a zero-touch process start request to the control signal processing unit 742. In one aspect, the control unit 746 may output a UNI port configuration acquisition request to the control signal processing unit 742 before the zero-touch process start request. In this case, the control signal processing unit 742 outputs a control signal 150 to the control signal transceiver unit 740 to acquire the UNI port configuration. The control signal processing unit 742 outputs UNI port configuration information received as a response from the communication device 104 to the control unit 746. In another aspect, the control signal processing unit 742 may sequentially execute both the UNI port configuration acquisition process and the zero-touch process based on receiving the zero-touch process start request from the control unit 746. In either case, the control unit 746 may acquire the UNI port configuration of the communication device 104. Then, the control unit 746 may output a request to set a transmission rate limit to the control signal processing unit 742 in accordance with the setting of the UNI port. The control signal processing unit 742 may enable or disable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 based on the received request to set the transmission rate limit, and perform zero-touch processing. After completing the zero-touch processing, the control unit 746 outputs a request to enable the transmission rate limit to the control signal processing unit 742. The control signal processing unit 742 enables the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 based on the request.

[0098] Upon receiving an OAM link down occurrence notification from the status management unit 744, the alarm management unit 748 transmits an OAM link down occurrence notification to the alarm reception unit 752. Upon receiving an operator command from the command transmission unit 750, the command processing unit 749 executes various processes according to the command. As an example, the command processing unit 749 requests the status of the control device 124 from the status management unit 744 based on the received command. The command processing unit 749 transmits the status of the control device 124 received from the status management unit 744 to the monitoring device 126. The monitoring device 126 may further include a receiving unit (not shown) that receives a signal from the command processing unit 749.

[0099] The command transmitting unit 750 transmits various commands to the command processing unit 749. The command transmitting unit 750 may also have a function of receiving responses from the command processing unit 749. In this case, the command transmitting unit 750 can also be said to be a receiving unit. The command transmitting unit 750 may also display responses from the command processing unit 749 on the display of the monitoring device 126. The alarm receiving unit 752 displays various information received from the alarm management unit 748 on the display of the monitoring device 126. An operator can check the status of the control device 124 or the OAM link of the control device 124 by checking the display of the monitoring device 126.

[0100] <D.まとめ> As described above, the control device 124 of the present disclosure can select a setting for the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 based on the setting of the UNI port of the communication device 104. As a result, the control device 124 can disable the transmission rate limit of the control signal 150 during zero-touch processing based on the UNI port being set to blocked. As a result, the control device 124 can quickly complete zero-touch processing.

[0101] Additionally, the control device 124 may enable a transmission rate limit for the control signal 150 during zero-touch processing based on the UNI port being set to open, thereby allowing the control device 124 to complete the zero-touch processing without affecting the main signal forwarded by the communication device 104.

[0102] Furthermore, the control device 124 may initiate zero-touch processing based on detecting link down of the control signal 150. This allows the control device 124 to execute zero-touch processing of the communication device 104 without monitoring the link status of the main signal when a communication failure occurs.

[0103] Furthermore, the control device 124 and the communication device 104 can operate as a single system. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, a system is provided that can select a setting for a transmission rate limit for the control signal 150 based on the setting of the UNI port of the communication device 104. Furthermore, the control device 124 can realize the processing of the present disclosure by executing a program. Therefore, according to the present disclosure, a program is provided that causes the control device 124 to execute processing for selecting a setting for a transmission rate limit for the control signal 150 based on the setting of the UNI port of the communication device 104.

[0104] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The scope of the present invention is defined by the claims rather than the above-described embodiments, and it is intended to include any modifications within the scope of the claims and meanings equivalent to the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 10 Network 102,122 Subscriber equipment 104 Communication equipment 106,118 Upper communication device 108,116 Upper communication network 110,114 Aggregation Device 112 Main Signal Network 120 Opposite Device 124 Control Device 126 Monitoring equipment 128 Control Network 130,132 Arrows 140 Main Signal 142 VLAN tags 150 Control Signal 160 ANI 170 UNI 200,300,310 Link down 410,420,430 Status 710, 720, 730 Main signal transfer unit 722 Port control section 724,740 Control signal transmitter / receiver 726,742 Control signal processing section 744 Status Management Department 746 Control Unit 748 Alarm Management Department 749 Command processing section 750 Command transmitter 752 Alarm receiving unit E510, E520, E530, E540, E550, E610, E620, E630, E640, E650 Events F500,F510,F520,F600,F610,F620 phases

Claims

1. a control signal transmitting / receiving unit for exchanging control signals with a communication device to be monitored; a status management unit for determining a link status with the communication device based on the control signal for confirming the communication status; a control unit for performing zero-touch processing; The control unit transmitting the control signal to the communication device via the control signal transmitting / receiving unit, based on receiving a notification indicating that a link down has occurred in the link with the communication device from the status management unit, the control signal being used to request information on opening and closing settings of a UNI (User Network Interface) port; a control device configured to be able to select a setting of a transmission rate limit of the control signal for the zero-touch processing based on an opening / closing setting of the UNI port;

2. The communication device Transferring a main signal including user data via a main signaling network; configured to be able to exchange the control signal with the control device via a control network; The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control signal transmitting / receiving unit is configured to be connected to the control network, not to the main signal network.

3. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to disable the transmission rate limit based on the UNI port being set to a blocked state.

4. The control device according to claim 3 , wherein the control unit is configured to set the subsequent transmission rate limit to valid based on completion of the zero-touch process when the UNI port is set to blocked.

5. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the control unit is configured to enable the transmission rate limit based on the UNI port being set to open.

6. the control signal is an Ethernet (registered trademark) OAM (Operations, Administration, Maintenance) OAM frame, The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the state management unit is configured to be able to determine whether or not the link down has occurred based on at least a flag and a timeout of the OAM frame.

7. a communication device for transmitting signals; a control device for monitoring the communication device; The communication device a main signal transfer unit for transferring a main signal including user data via a main signal network; a first control signal transceiver for exchanging control signals with the control device via a control network; The control device a second control signal transceiver for exchanging the control signal with the communication device; a status management unit for determining a link status with the communication device based on the control signal for confirming the communication status; a control unit for performing zero-touch processing; The control unit transmitting the control signal to the communication device via the second control signal transmitting / receiving unit, based on receiving a notification indicating that a link down has occurred in the link with the communication device from the status management unit, the control signal for requesting opening / closing of the UNI port; A system configured to be able to select a setting of a transmission rate limit of the control signal for the zero-touch processing based on an opening or closing setting of the UNI port.

8. A method executed by a control device that monitors a communication device to be monitored, comprising: exchanging control signals with the communication device to confirm a communication state; determining a state of a link with the communication device based on the control signal; transmitting the control signal to the communication device to request opening and closing of a UNI port based on the occurrence of a link down in a link with the communication device; and selecting a setting for a transmission rate limit of the control signal for zero-touch processing based on an opening or closing setting of the UNI port.

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