Distributed network elements and submarine network element management systems for optical communication systems

Abstract

This is a distributed network element and submarine network element management system for optical communication systems. [Solution] The system includes a plurality of cable landing stations configured to be communicatively coupled using one or more optical communication cables in a peer-to-peer network for routing one or more optical signals using one or more network elements. Each cable landing station includes a management device configured to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing optical signals, and a command / response optical device communicatively coupled to the management device for routing optical signals based on the optical communication paths. Upon receiving a request to route at least one optical signal, the management device of each cable landing station is configured to determine at least one optical communication path for routing the optical signal based on a topology map of the peer-to-peer network of the plurality of cable landing stations.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure generally relates to optical communication systems, and more particularly, to distributed network elements and management systems thereof.

Background Art

[0002] An undersea optical fiber communication system is a network consisting of components connected to each other, and these components cooperate to transmit data over long distances under the sea. Usually, the system includes one or more optical fiber segments responsible for transmitting data signals. However, since these optical fiber segments can only transmit data within a limited distance, repeaters are used to amplify the signals, thereby expanding the signal transmission range. In addition to optical fiber segments and repeaters, an undersea optical fiber communication system may further include one or more smart network elements, and these smart network elements may be located on land (e.g., dry devices) and / or underwater (e.g., wet devices). Smart network elements (SNE) and smart undersea network elements (SUNE) usually manage the flow of data signals passing through the communication system and ensure high-efficiency and reliable transmission. However, conventional systems include complex configurations that are costly, non-expandable, subject to signal transmission delays, prone to failure, and lack flexibility.

Summary of the Invention

Means for Solving the Problems

[0003] In some embodiments, the subject matter relates to an optical communication system. The system may include a plurality of cable landing stations configured to be communicatively coupled using one or more optical communication cables in a peer-to-peer network for routing one or more optical signals using one or more network elements. Each of the plurality of cable landing stations may include a management device configured to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing one or more optical signals, and a command / response optical device communicatively coupled to the management device for routing the one or more optical signals based on the optical communication paths. In response to receiving a request to route at least one of the optical signals, each cable landing station's management device may be configured to determine at least one of the one or more optical communication paths for routing the at least one optical signal, based on a topology map of the peer-to-peer network of the plurality of cable landing stations.

[0004] In some embodiments, the subject may be configured to include one or more of the following optional features: Each cable landing station may include a storage location for storing a topology map of the peer-to-peer network.

[0005] In some embodiments, determining the at least one optical communication path includes identifying at least one network element from the one or more network elements, at least one cable landing station from the plurality of cable landing stations, and at least one of any combination thereof; configuring one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station with one or more routing parameters to route at least one optical signal from a first configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices to a second configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices; and determining the at least one optical communication path based on the identification and configuration. After routing the at least one optical signal, one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station may be reconfigured from the second configuration to the first configuration.

[0006] In some embodiments, each of the plurality of cable landing stations may be configured as an active cable landing station.

[0007] In some embodiments, the plurality of cable landing stations may be communicatively coupled to a data communications network which can be configured to route one or more data signals using the peer-to-peer network of the cable landing stations. The configuration of the management device and command / response optical device of each cable landing station may be determined based on a timestamp associated with the connection from the data communications network to the peer-to-peer network of the cable landing stations. Each of the plurality of cable landing stations may be configured to integrate the configuration of its management device and command / response optical device with the configuration of one or more management devices and command / response optical devices of at least one other cable landing station among the plurality of cable landing stations, based on the timestamp.

[0008] In some embodiments, one or more network elements may include at least one of a smart network element, a smart subsea network element, a branching unit, an optical branching unit, an add / drop branching unit, an optical add / drop branching unit, a power supply branching unit, a repeater, a reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexer (ROADM), and any combination thereof.

[0009] In some embodiments, the subject relates to an optical communication device. The system may include a management device configured to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing one or more optical signals using a topology map of a peer-to-peer network of a plurality of cable landing stations, and a command / response optical device communicatively coupled to the management device for routing the one or more optical signals based on the optical communication paths. In response to receiving a request to route at least one of the one or more optical signals, the management device may be configured to determine at least one of the one or more optical communication paths using the topology map for routing at least one optical signal to at least another cable landing station in the peer-to-peer network.

[0010] In some embodiments, the subject matter may include one or more of the following optional features: Determining the at least one optical communication path may include identifying at least one of the one or more network elements, another cable landing station, and at least one of any combination thereof; configuring another command / response optical device of the command / response device and another cable landing station with one or more routing parameters to route at least one optical signal from a first corresponding configuration of the command / response optical device and another command / response optical device to a second corresponding configuration of the command / response optical device and another command / response optical device; and determining the at least one optical communication path based on the identification and configuration.

[0011] In some embodiments, one or more network elements may include at least one of a smart network element, a smart subsea network element, a branching unit, an optical branching unit, an add / drop branching unit, an optical add / drop branching unit, a power supply branching unit, a repeater, a reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexer (ROADM), and any combination thereof.

[0012] In some embodiments, after routing at least one optical signal, the command / response device and another command / response optical device may be reconfigured from a second corresponding configuration to a first corresponding configuration.

[0013] In some embodiments, the management device may be communicatively coupled to a data communications network that can be configured to route one or more data signals using a peer-to-peer network. The configuration of the management device and the command / response optical device may be determined based on a timestamp associated with the connection from the data communications network to the peer-to-peer network. The configuration of the management device and the command / response optical device may be configured to integrate with the configuration of one or more management devices and command / response optical devices of at least another cable landing station based on the timestamp.

[0014] In some embodiments, the subject matter relates to a computer implementation. The method may include: receiving a request to route at least one optical signal using at least one processor; accessing a topology map of a peer-to-peer network of a plurality of cable landing stations using at least one processor; determining one or more optical communication paths for routing at least one optical signal using at least one processor and the topology map; selecting at least one optical communication path using at least one processor; configuring one or more optical devices in at least one optical communication path for routing at least one optical signal using at least one processor; and routing at least one optical signal using the configured one or more optical devices in at least one selected optical communication path using at least one processor.

[0015] In some embodiments, the subject matter may include one or more of the following optional features: One or more optical devices include one or more network elements, one or more command / response optical devices, and at least one of any combination thereof. The configuration may include identifying at least one network element from the one or more network elements, at least one cable landing station from the plurality of cable landing stations, and at least one of any combination thereof; configuring one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station with one or more routing parameters to route at least one optical signal from a first configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices to a second configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices; and determining at least one optical communication path based on the identification and the configuration. After routing at least one optical signal, one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station may be reconfigured from the second configuration to the first configuration.

[0016] Details of one or more variations of the subject matter described herein are described in the following drawings and description. Other features and advantages of the subject matter described herein will be apparent from the specification, drawings and claims. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0017] The drawings incorporated herein and constituting part thereof illustrate several aspects of the subject matter disclosed herein and, together with the specification, contribute to interpreting several principles relating to the disclosed embodiments.

[0018] [Figure 1] An example of an optical communication system is shown. [Figure 2a] This subject illustrates an exemplary optical communication system in several embodiments. [Figure 2b] This subject illustrates an exemplary optical communication system in several embodiments. [Figure 2c] This subject illustrates an exemplary optical communication system in several embodiments. [Figure 3a] This subject illustrates an exemplary optical communication system in several embodiments. [Figure 3b] This subject illustrates an exemplary optical communication system in several embodiments. [Figure 4] This document describes a process for determining the CRE path between one or more components of the system shown in Figures 3a-b, which can be performed by one or more components of the system shown in Figures 3a-b according to several embodiments of this subject. [Figure 5] This document illustrates the process in several embodiments. [Figure 6] This document presents exemplary systems in several embodiments. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] To address these and other potential shortcomings of currently available solutions, one or more embodiments of this subject matter can provide an optical communication system including distributed network elements and a device management system, in addition to other possible advantages, relating to methods, systems, products, etc.

[0020] An optical communication system may include one or more optical transmission devices and / or a collection of optical transmission devices (e.g., one or more coastal and / or underwater) communicatively coupled using one or more optical fibers. The optical communication system can provide a transparent end-to-end optical signal transmission capability between one or more cable stations. The optical signals transmitted between the cable stations may include one or more and / or a set of optical channels, each optical channel having its own center frequency and bandwidth. Most optical channels can be used to transparently carry one or more optical signals, which enter the optical communication system from one or more cable stations (e.g., one or more coastal stations, one or more underwater cable stations, etc.) and are emitted from another cable station.

[0021] In complex optical communication systems, it is crucial to have a single dedicated management platform for managing various optical devices, including network elements (e.g., smart network elements, smart submarine network elements, branching units, optical branching units, add / drop branching units, optical add / drop branching units, power branching units, repeaters, reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexers (ROADMs), etc.). This management platform handles a wide range of tasks, including, but not limited to, configuration control, warning and event notification, performance data acquisition and storage, and fault analysis. Configuration control relates to the configuration and management of the various devices that make up the network of devices in the optical communication system. This may include setting up new devices, updating existing devices, and configuring network settings. Warning and event notification capabilities allow the platform to detect and report any warnings and / or events occurring within the network, such as link failures, power outages, and device failures. This enables network administrators to quickly identify and resolve any potential problems. Performance data acquisition and storage facilitate effective submarine fiber optic communication management. Here, the management platform can collect and store performance data from all devices in the network, including optical power levels and temperature. This data can later be used to analyze network performance and identify any areas that may require attention. Using its fault analysis capabilities, the management platform can identify and diagnose any faults occurring in the network, such as link failures and device failures. This may involve analyzing data from various devices in the network to determine the root cause of the failure and provide advice on how to resolve it.

[0022] The management platform may include a network management system (NMS), and the network management system can utilize one or more optical channels (such as frequencies, etc.) that can be reserved for use. For example, a specific reserved optical channel can be dedicated to carrying management traffic (such as telemetry traffic) between the NMS and underwater devices (such as underwater cable stations, etc.). Telemetry commands can be transmitted to one or more underwater devices using the command / response devices (CREs) of one or more coastal cable stations. Telemetry responses from one or more underwater devices can be received by the same and / or different CREs of other cable stations (such as coastal, underwater, etc.). The telemetry signals received / transmitted by the NMS can be transmitted using the structure / capability / function, etc. of the optical communication system. In some cases, the telemetry path from a specific CRE of a cable station to an underwater device (such as SUNE) via a reserved optical channel is not always available at any given point in time. Therefore, to transmit a telemetry signal to the underwater device, the NMS can select and / or determine a specific CRE of the cable station and the associated telemetry path, and the telemetry path allows the telemetry signal to reach the destination underwater device (and / or any other device), and allows the response optical signal to reach at least one CRE in the system. If such a telemetry path is not available based on the current configuration and / or operating state of the system, the NMS can determine to temporarily reconfigure one or more underwater devices (such as SUNE, etc.) to provide the required telemetry path.

[0023] In addition to the above functions, a submarine fiber optic communication management system must also have high scalability, availability, and / or fault tolerance. Scalability is important because submarine fiber optic communication systems typically support large amounts of data traffic, and the management platform must be able to grow and adapt to meet these needs. Availability is equally important because submarine fiber optic communication systems must always be available to ensure continuous data transmission, and the management platform may need to have highly reliable and redundant components to ensure that the system can continue to operate in the event of a failure. Fault tolerance allows the communication system to withstand various types of failures, such as device failures or link interruptions, without causing data loss or network downtime. The management platform may have redundant components, which allows for the rapid detection and / or recovery of any failures that reliably occur. The management platform can also determine the shortest telemetry path to manage command response devices, which then transmit control signals to smart submarine network elements (SUNEs). This ensures the rapid and reliable transmission of control signals, maintaining network performance and reliability.

[0024] Some traditional management platforms operate by deploying a single active instance of the management platform or other type of management device at a cable station or node (where the terms are interchangeable) in a cable station / node network connected by one or more cables, including one or more fiber optic pairs. To ensure that there is only one active instance at any given time, traditional systems use a self-regulating algorithm that ensures that there is only one active instance in such a node network at any given time, and controls other nodes, by allowing communication and coordination between instances. The other nodes are typically standby nodes that receive data from the node containing the active instance and use it for synchronization. This ensures that the standby nodes have up-to-date information on the node status and any network devices managed by these nodes. Such redundancy allows the system to remain operational even if the active instance fails. The algorithm can detect the time when the active instance failed and automatically activate a standby node in place of the failed node to become the new active instance node.

[0025] An active instance node can identify the nominally shortest and / or most reliable data telemetry path by analyzing a network topology map, which can then be used to connect each node's command / response device (CRE) to each network element (e.g., SUNE) based on shared fiber optic pairs and / or channels. The network topology can also be updated in real time and / or near real time using one or more notifications received from network elements. Thus, an active instance node can select a specific CRE using the current network topology. A network management system (NMS) can also receive similar notifications from network elements (e.g., SUNE) via an active wet plant manager (WPM) service and use them to dynamically update network and performance information. In some cases, the NMS can manage intelligent and non-intelligent subsea management network elements and display information for both through a visualized network topology map.

[0026] While conventional systems can determine the shortest path and control network elements based on their topology, they typically cannot support the complexity of current submarine cable system architectures, potentially blocking most possible optical paths (e.g., using optical add / drop multiplexers). Furthermore, some conventional submarine cable systems may implement active optical add / drop corrections, which involve dynamically inserting and extracting optical signals of several frequencies at specific points in cable routing without disrupting the entire system. However, some such systems are not designed to adapt to active corrections, as they primarily focus on routing signals via the most direct available paths. As a result, these systems cannot effectively manage the dynamic routing of telemetry signals and / or the demands of the complex network topology of modern submarine cable systems, potentially leading to reduced efficiency. Additionally, conventional management platforms often have a single active node and multiple standby nodes, resulting in an unbalanced active node where all management data / signal traffic flows through, placing additional demands on computer hardware performance, thus reducing the efficiency and increasing costs of these systems. Furthermore, conventional systems are typically not scalable, and since scalability is limited by the node hardware at deployment, the burden on the active node to handle additional events related to new nodes can increase significantly as the number of standby nodes increases. Conventional systems can also be slow and have sluggish connections. In addition, these systems typically rely on reliable data communication networks (DCNs), and in open submarine cable systems, each user usually deploys its own DCN, so connections to DCNs are not always stable. In the absence of a stable DCN, the operational capability of the system can be affected by complex synchronization algorithms, potential loss of critical configuration data, and other problems.Finally, traditional systems lack flexibility, and because they select specific active nodes based on, for example, a predetermined order, their efficiency decreases if the load on one or more servers becomes too high due to other activities.

[0027] To solve these problems, in some embodiments, the subject matter relates to an optical communication system, which may include a plurality of cable landing stations, which may be configured to be communicatively coupled using one or more optical communication cables in a peer-to-peer network. Each such cable landing station may be configured as an active node in the optical communication system and can be used to route one or more optical communication signals using one or more network elements, which may be communicatively coupled to such cable landing stations using optical communication cables. The cable landing stations may also be communicatively coupled to a data communication network. The data communication network may be configured to route one or more data signals using the peer-to-peer network of the cable landing stations and / or using a third-party data network (e.g., a satellite-based transmission system) and / or using any other type of network and / or any combination of networks.

[0028] For example, each cable landing station may have a management device that can determine one or more optical communication paths for routing optical communication signals (e.g., which network element to connect to for routing telemetry signals). The cable landing station may further have a command / response optical device (e.g., a CRE) that can be communicatively coupled to the management device. The management device can route optical communication signals (e.g., including telemetry signals) based on the optical communication paths determined using the CRE. Upon receiving a request to route an optical communication signal, the management device can determine at least one optical communication path for routing the optical communication signal using a topology map of the peer-to-peer network.

[0029] In some embodiments, a cable landing station may include a storage location (e.g., a database) capable of storing a topology map of a peer-to-peer network. This storage location may store information related to various communication parameters (e.g., frequencies) for routing signals using the topology map. The topology map may be updated, and the updated version may be stored in the storage location. The topology map may include information about various cable landing stations, network elements, connections between cable landing stations and network elements, etc.

[0030] For example, an optical communication path may include one or more network elements, at least one or more cable landing stations, and any combination thereof. One or more of these, or each of them, can be identified by a management device and used for routing optical communication (e.g., telemetry) signals. Once identified, the management device can configure one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station for routing optical communication signals (including routing optical telemetry signals) using one or more routing parameters (e.g., frequency, operational capability, etc.). The configuration of a CRE device can be changed from a corresponding first configuration (e.g., initial configuration of the CRE device) to a corresponding second configuration (e.g., configuration that may be necessary to route a particular optical telemetry signal on a particular optical communication path). If an optical communication (e.g., telemetry) signal has already been transmitted, the command / response optical device of the corresponding cable landing station can be reconfigured from the second configuration to the first or initial configuration. In some embodiments, the configuration of one or more management devices and / or one or more command / response optical devices of each cable landing station can be determined based on a timestamp associated with the connection from the data communication network to the peer-to-peer network of the cable landing station. For example, if a data communication network (e.g., after a failure) is reconnected to one or more cable landing stations, the configuration of one or more management and / or CRE devices can be integrated among the cable landing stations based on the timestamp.

[0031] In the following description, the terms “path” and / or “link” may refer to any type of communication coupling and / or connection, and may include, but are not limited to, optical coupling and / or connection, electrical coupling and / or connection, electro-optical coupling and / or connection, electro-mechanical coupling and / or connection, electro-optical-mechanical coupling and / or connection, and / or any other type of coupling and / or connection capable of sending and receiving any type of signal.

[0032] Figure 1 shows an example of an optical communication system 100. The system 100 may be configured to provide optical communication between one or more cable landing stations and to implement the placement of one or more network elements (e.g., UNE, SUNE, etc.) in one or more network topologies.

[0033] The optical communication system 100 may include an optical cable system extending between two or more cable landing stations (CLS), where the optical cable system provides at least one optical cable. Each CLS may run a corresponding instance of a network management application or service (e.g., a wet device manager (WPM)) to perform self-coordination between the cable stations, so that only one instance of the network management service is active at any given time. The active network management service supports multiple network topologies built around network elements (e.g., UNE, SUNE, etc.) and bridges them to handle requests to communicate with a particular network element (e.g., send and receive optical signals) in a transparent manner, so that the requester does not need to know specifically which command / response (CR) telemetry path and / or network is used to fulfill the request. The active network management service also allows one or more network elements to propagate events to the optical communication system, for example, to provide up-to-date notifications of network topology changes, measurements, and faults. Conversely, an optical communication system may include a Network Management Service (NMS) that receives events from network elements and displays a visual representation of changes in the network topology to the user. Thus, an active network management service can realize advanced network management functions through the NMS, including automatic fault recovery schemes, dynamic transmission track (path) topology reconfigured by network elements, provision of capacity allocation plans (CAP) by coordinating the allocation of optical add / drop multiplexers (OADMs), and firmware updates of remotely activated network elements.

[0034] The network element may typically include any submarine element and is configured to have software and / or hardware that facilitates optical communication along the cable system between CLSs and can serve management requests from an active network management service. If the submarine element includes the ability to be remotely managed by an active network management service, the submarine element may be a smart submarine element. Remote management functions may include, for example, diagnostics, monitoring, provision / re-provision, and execution of one or more commands by a given network element. Furthermore, remote management functions performed by the network element can also facilitate the above-mentioned advanced network management functions provided by the active network management service. The network element receives and executes commands from the active network management service using a command / response management method. Some exemplary network element types include optical add / drop branching units (BUs), power supply BUs, and intelligent repeaters / amplifiers, etc. It is understood that any other type of submarine network element may be used.

[0035] As shown in Figure 1, the system 100 may include cable landing stations 102, 104, 106 and one or more network elements 108. Stations 102-106 may be communicatively coupled to one or more network elements 108, for example, using a predetermined network topology map. Each of the cable landing stations 102-106 may be communicatively coupled to a data communications network (DCN) 110, which the system 100 can use to request the transmission of various types of data (e.g., signals, emails, web browsing requests, etc.) using the DCN 110.

[0036] In system 100, cable landing station 102 may be configured as a primary node or active node cable landing station, and cable landing stations 104 and 106 may be configured as secondary node or standby node cable landing stations. By being the primary cable landing station, station 102 may be configured as the primary operating station of system 100, but cable landing stations 104 and 106 can become active when they receive appropriate commands / signals / management commands etc. from station 102 via the data network. Stations 104 and 106 can also receive, store and implement the configuration of station 102.

[0037] The cable landing station 102 may include a processing element 111, a graphical user interface 113, a database 115, one or more network / computing devices 117, and a command / response device (CRE) device 119. Similarly, the cable landing station 104 may include a processing element 121, a graphical user interface 123, a database 125, one or more network / computing devices 127, and a command / response device (CRE) device 129, and the cable landing station 106 may include a processing element 131, a graphical user interface 133, a database 135, one or more network / computing devices 137 and command / response device (CRE) device 139.

[0038] The processing element 111 of station 102 may be configured to receive one or more requests 112 (for example, used for transmitting optical telemetry signals) from the graphical user interface 113 using one or more topology maps that can be stored in the database 115. In addition to the management device 117, the processing element 111 may also be configured to manage the computing / network devices 127 of cable landing station 104 via one or more DCN links 124, and to manage the computing / network devices 137 of cable landing station 106 via one or more DCN links 134. The processing element 111 can further coordinate data transmission over one or more network elements 108 (for example, responding to one or more requests 112, one or more requests 122 transmitted from station 104, and one or more requests 132 transmitted from station 106) by managing the CRE device 119 and the CRE device 129 of station 104 via one or more DCN links 126, and managing the CRE device 139 of station 106 via one or more DCN links 136, where the CRE devices 119, 129, and 139 may be communicably coupled to the network elements 108 using one or more optical communication cables 118, 128, and 138, respectively.

[0039] The processing element 111 may be configured to provide stations 104 and 106 with one or more parameters such as station configuration / routing, one or more settings, one or more network topology maps, etc., and store each of them in databases 125 and 135. Such one or more parameters such as configuration / routing, one or more settings, one or more network topology maps, etc. may be configured to ensure that the information is the same at all stations by rewriting any one or more parameters such as configuration / routing, one or more settings, and one or more network topology maps, etc. at stations 104 and 106, thereby allowing station 102 to be the primary node in system 100 and stations 104 and 106 to be secondary nodes.

[0040] The processing element 111 can determine the nominal shortest and / or least error-resistant data telemetry path by at least partially examining the network topology map, which associates command / responder devices (CREs) 119, 129, 139 with one or more network elements 108, for example, based on shared fiber optic pairs (and / or channels). The processing element 111 can update the network topology based on real-time and / or near-real-time notifications from the network elements 108 and use them to dynamically update, for example, network and performance information. The element 111 can also select specific CREs 119, 129, 139 based on the latest network topology for routing telemetry signals.

[0041] As shown in Figure 1, network element 108 may be communicatively coupled to stations 102-106 (e.g., via CRE 119, 129, and 139, respectively) using one or more optical cables (not shown in Figure 1). The cables may span bodies of water such as the sea or ocean. Network element 108 may be located on the seabed and may be communicatively coupled to cable landing stations 102-106, and in some cases one or more of the cable landing stations 102-106 may be located on land, for example, at a landing site on a coast. Alternatively, one or more of the stations 102-106 may be located on land (e.g., a landing site on a coast), on the seabed, or at sea (e.g., an oil and / or drilling platform, and / or any other artificial structure, etc.).

[0042] Network element 108 can implement and / or support data transmission using a standard transmission data protocol, for example, based on the G.709 standard titled "Optical Transmission Network Interface" which was passed and published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) on December 13, 2012. In this regard, optical communication system 100 can provide an optical transmission network (OTN) and implement a hierarchical structure of abstraction layers such as optical transmission section (OTS), optical multiplexing section (OMS), optical channel (OCh), optical transmission unit (OTU), optical data unit (ODU), and optical channel payload unit (OPU), based on the ITU G.709 standard. These layers allow the underlying optical components of optical communication system 100 to be abstracted and allow communication trajectories to be dynamically formed, destroyed, and rerouted. For example, network element 108 can include optical add / drop multiplexing (OADM) capability and dynamically adjust channel allocation based on feedback and control messages from the NMS.

[0043] For example, transmission between stations 102-106 via one or more network elements 108 can be supported by one or more optical channels provided by wavelength division multiplexing (WDM). Transmission can be carried out using one or more optical cables containing one or more optical fiber pairs, which allow bidirectional communication between cable landing stations 102-106. Stations 102-106 may be equipped with optical devices for sending and receiving WDM optical signals between stations. Transmission can be carried out using CREs 119, 129, and 139 located within stations 102-106, respectively. A CRE may include, for example, optical components (e.g., optical transceivers), hardware, software, and / or any combination thereof that allow communication with one or more network elements 108. Such communication can be carried out by terminating between cable stations 102-106 and coupling to the corresponding bidirectional command / response (CR) telemetry paths of one or more network elements 108. Furthermore, the relationship between CREs 119, 129, 139 and network element 108 may be N:M, where any number of CREs can communicate with any number of network elements 108 (for example, by sending and receiving optical telemetry signals), and vice versa. Each CR telemetry path may include a dedicated optical channel and / or frequency, and CR telemetry paths can be operated on non-dedicated optical channels, or in a mixture of both.

[0044] The graphical user interfaces (GUIs) 113, 123, and 133 allow a user (not shown in Figure 1) to interact with relevant network management services and / or perform network management functions through one or more interfaces shown in the GUI, and these interfaces may be configured to provide visibility and allow interaction with various network management functions. Alternatively, remote interfaces such as network services, network servers (e.g., Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) servers), and / or any other communication interfaces can be provided to allow remote operation of one or more components of stations 102-106. The network management services can perform, for example, continuous long-distance network monitoring, fault detection (e.g., cable breakage or power supply equipment (PFE) failure), voluntary maintenance (e.g., firmware upgrade of optical components), alert management (e.g., originating from network element 108), network topology management (e.g., topology discovery, traffic rerouting, capacity allocation planning), etc.

[0045] Non-limiting examples of optical communication systems performing one or more of the above functions are described in U.S. Patent No. 10110466, co-owned by Tsaltskan et al., published on 23 October 2018, entitled “Optical Communication System with Distributed Wet Device Manager,” the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[0046] Referring again to Figure 1, the optical communication system 100 may include a single active node, such as a cable landing station 102, which is responsible for processing all incoming signal routing, data processing requests, etc. Standby nodes, such as stations 104 and 106, may be inactive and do not process any requests. However, stations 104 and 106 may be configured to take over the workload from the active node (e.g., station 102) if it fails and / or needs to be manually shut down for maintenance. The standby nodes can be continuously synchronized with the active node to ensure they have the most up-to-date copies of data and configurations. The system 100 may be configured to provide system redundancy and improved availability, as a single node failure will not cause an interruption within the system scope.

[0047] When a user submits a request via a GUI service (e.g., GUIs 113, 123, 133) at a specific cable station using System 100, the GUI service needs to locate an active node and then forward the request to it (for example, a request submitted via GUI 123 can be routed to station 102 via GUI request 122). The active node (i.e., station 102) is responsible for identifying the request later and determining the appropriate action to take. For example, if the request concerns the modification of a network element of a dry device, the active node (i.e., station 102) can forward the request to one or more network elements 108. For example, if the request concerns the modification of network element 108, the active node (i.e., station 102) can coordinate CREs 119, 129, 139 to locate the nearest CRE that can establish communication with one or more network elements 108. A CRE that successfully connects with one or more network elements 108 can then be used as a communication medium to send requests to one or more network elements 108 later.

[0048] If a failure occurs in the data communication network (DCN) 110, any of the nodes (i.e., stations 102-106) may become active. This can occur because, due to the lack of connection to DCN 110, the nodes are unaware of the existence of any other nodes. Once the connection is re-established, one node (i.e., station 102) may become active, while all other nodes (i.e., stations 104, 106) may become standby. Furthermore, the active node can rewrite the configuration, parameters, etc., of the standby nodes (i.e., stations 104, 106). This prevents any future conflicts and / or inconsistencies during the management of system 100. If the connection to DCN 110 is unavailable, conflicts can be resolved by simply rewriting the configuration, parameters, etc., of the standby nodes with information from the active node (i.e., station 102), regardless of any information previously collected by the active node.

[0049] Figures 2a-2c show examples of optical communication systems 200 according to several embodiments of this subject. System 200 can be coupled with several similar components of optical communication system 100 shown in Figure 1. However, system 200 can provide a peer-to-peer network of nodes, for example, a cable landing station, where each node is active. It can be seen that system 200 may be configured to coupled with one or more standby nodes, for example, as shown in Figure 1 (e.g., stations 104, 106).

[0050] System 200 may be configured to have one or more of the following technical advantages. For example, the system may be configured to balance the load between active nodes, thereby reducing the need for additional hardware and saving costs. By evenly distributing the workload across multiple nodes, System 200 can operate efficiently without requiring unnecessary hardware investment. System 200 may also be highly scalable, allowing for the addition of additional nodes without increasing the workload of existing nodes. This means that System 200 can handle continuously increasing workloads, user needs, etc., without compromising performance. System 200 may also include a graphical user interface (GUI) that can be located in one or more cable stations, reducing latency and improving the user experience. Such a design ensures that users can access system characteristics, functions, etc., without delay. System 200 may also be configured to perform data synchronization by integrating configuration, transmission parameters, etc., using timestamps, ensuring that no node has privileges over other nodes. This ensures the flexibility of System 200, allowing it to continue operating even in the event of partial failure and / or downtime. Since all nodes in system 200 are active, there is no need to predefine a specific order for active nodes, providing flexibility and allowing for easy configuration and management of system 200. Furthermore, system 200 may be configured to automatically determine possible CRE paths, taking into account changes in the ROADM waveform plan, the status of optical switch devices, the system topology, etc., allowing system 200 to adapt to continuously changing conditions and ensuring that system 200 maintains optimization and high efficiency.

[0051] Referring to Figure 2a, the system 200 may include cable landing stations 202, 204, 206 and one or more network elements 208. Stations 202-206 may be communicatively coupled to one or more network elements 208. In some embodiments, a predefined network topology map can be used to configure stations 202-206 and one or more network elements 208. Each of the cable landing stations 202-206 may be communicatively coupled to a data communications network (DCN) 210 (similar to DCN 110).

[0052] As discussed herein, each cable landing station 202-206 may be configured as an active node cable landing station. Thus, each cable landing station may include all configurations, parameters, etc., for handling any requests that may be received from one or more users (not shown in Figure 2a), for example, determining the shortest and / or least error-resistant communication path for transmitting an optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal, etc.) from one station to another via one or more network elements 208.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2a, similar to the components of system 100 shown in Figure 1, cable landing station 202 may include a processing element 211, a graphical user interface 213, a database 215, one or more network / computing devices 217, and a CRE device 219. Similarly, cable landing station 204 may include a processing element 221, a graphical user interface 223, a database 225, one or more network / computing devices 227, and a CRE device 229, and cable landing station 206 may include a processing element 231, a graphical user interface 233, a database 235, one or more network / computing devices 237, and a CRE device 239.

[0054] Furthermore, one or more components of system 200 (e.g., processing elements 211, 221, 231) may include any combination of hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, one or more components of the system may reside in one or more computing devices such as one or more servers, one or more databases, one or more personal computers, one or more laptop computers, one or more mobile phones, one or more smartphones, one or more tablet computers, virtual reality devices and / or any other computing devices and / or any combination thereof. In some exemplary embodiments, one or more components of the system may reside in a single computing device and / or be part of a single communication network. Or, in addition, such devices may be arranged separately from one another. A device may be a computing processor, memory, software functions, routines, programs, calls and / or any combination thereof, and may be configured to perform certain functions related to the interfaces and / or document authentication processes disclosed herein.

[0055] In some embodiments, one or more components of System 200 may include a network-supporting computer. As described herein, the network-supporting computer may include, but is not limited to, computer devices or communication devices, including, for example, servers, network devices, personal computers, workstations, telephones, smartphones, handheld PCs, personal digital assistants, thin clients, fat clients, internet browsers, or other devices. One or more components of the system may be mobile computing devices such as iPhone®, iPod®, iPad® and / or any other suitable device running Apple's iOS® operating system, or any device running Microsoft's Windows®. Any device running a mobile operating system, Google's Android® operating system and / or any other suitable mobile computing device is, for example, a smartphone, tablet computer, or similar wearable mobile device.

[0056] One or more components of System 200 may include a processor and memory, and the processing circuit may include additional components, including a processor, memory, error and parity check / CRC tester, data encoder, collision avoidance algorithm, controller, command decoder, security primitives, and tamper-proof hardware, which may optionally perform the interfaces and / or document authentication functions described herein. One or more components of the system may further include one or more displays and / or one or more input devices. The displays may be any type of device for displaying visual information (e.g., computer monitors, flat panel displays, and mobile device screens), and include liquid crystal displays, light-emitting diode displays, plasma panels, and cathode ray tube displays. The input devices may include any device that inputs information into an available user device and is supported by the user device (e.g., a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, cursor control device, touchscreen, microphone, digital camera, video camera, or portable camera). These devices can be used to input information and interact with software and other devices described herein.

[0057] In some exemplary embodiments, one or more components of the system 200 may run one or more applications (e.g., software applications), and these applications may communicate with one or more components of the system over a network to send and receive data.

[0058] One or more components of system 200 may include one or more servers and / or be able to communicate with one or more servers via one or more networks and operate as a front-end-back-end pair corresponding to one or more servers. One or more components of the system may, for example, send one or more requests to one or more servers from a mobile device application (e.g., running on one or more user devices, components, etc.). These requests may relate to retrieving data from the servers. The servers may receive requests from the components of the system. In response to these requests, the servers may be configured to retrieve the requested data from one or more storage locations. Based on receiving the requested data from the database, the servers may be configured to send the received data to one or more components of the system, where the received data can respond to one or more requests.

[0059] System 200 may include one or more networks, storage sources and / or any other computing components. In some embodiments, the network may be one or more wireless networks, wired networks, or any combination of wireless and wired networks, and may be configured to connect to components of the system and / or to one or more servers. For example, a network may include one or more of the following types of networks and / or any other combination thereof: fiber optic networks, passive optical networks, cable networks, the Internet, satellite networks, wireless local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), virtual local area networks (VLANs), extranets, intranets, global mobile communication systems, personal communication services, personal area networks, wireless application protocols, multimedia messaging services, enhanced messaging services, short message services, time division multiplexing systems, code division multiplexing access systems, D-AMPS, Wi-Fi®, fixed wireless data, IEEE 802.11b, 802.15.1, 802.11n and 802.11g, Bluetooth, NFC, radio frequency identification (RFID), Wi-Fi® and / or any other type of network.

[0060] Furthermore, the network may include, but is not limited to, telephone lines, optical fibers, IEEE Ethernet® 802.3, wide area networks, wireless personal area networks, LANs, or global networks such as the Internet. The network may also support the Internet, wireless communication networks, cellular networks, etc., or any combination thereof. The network may further include one network or any number of the exemplary types described above, operating as independent networks or in conjunction with one another. The network may utilize one or more protocols of one or more network elements that are communicatively coupled. The network may convert other protocols to one or more protocols of a network device, or convert other protocols to one or more protocols of a network device. The network may include multiple interconnected networks such as the Internet, service provider networks, cable television networks, company networks such as credit card association networks, and home networks.

[0061] System 200 may include one or more servers, each of which may include one or more processors that can be coupled to memory. A server can be configured as a central system, server, or platform to control and retrieve various data at different times to perform multiple workflow operations. A server may be configured to connect to one or more databases. A server may be integrated into and / or communicatively coupled to at least one component of the system.

[0062] Furthermore, one or more components of system 200 may be configured to perform one or more operations using one or more containers. In some embodiments, each operation can be performed using its own container. A container may mean a standard unit of software, which may be configured to contain the code and all its dependencies that may be necessary to perform the operation. This allows for the rapid and reliable operation of the operation.

[0063] In some embodiments, the processing element 211 of station 202 may be configured to receive one or more requests 212 (e.g., for the transmission of optical signals) from the graphical user interface 213 using one or more topology maps that can be stored in the database 215. Similar requests may be received by the processing elements of stations 204 and / or 206. To process such requests, the processing element 211 may be configured to access the CRE device 219 to coordinate the transmission of requests over one or more network elements 208, the one or more network elements 208 being communicatively coupled to the CRE device 219 via optical communication cables 218. The network elements 208 may further be communicatively coupled to the CRE devices 229, 239 using one or more optical communication cables 228, 238, respectively.

[0064] The processing element 211 may be configured to determine one or more communication paths for routing one or more optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals) in response to a received request, using one or more parameters such as station configuration / routing, one or more settings, one or more network topology maps, etc., stored by the station 202 in the database 215. For example, the processing element 211 may be configured to select the nominally shortest and / or least error-prone data telemetry path from the determined communication paths. Once a path is selected, network elements 208 (and / or any other components, e.g., CRE 219, 229, 239, etc.) determined to be located on such communication paths may be appropriately configured for use in routing optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.). Once one or more optical signals have been routed, the elements and / or components thus configured may be reconfigured to their previous configurations (e.g., initial configuration, configuration before signal routing, etc.). In some embodiments, the processing element 211 can update the network topology map using real-time and / or near real-time data and / or notifications received from one or more network elements 208 as a result of routing one or more such optical signals.

[0065] Similar to network element 108, network element 208 may be located on the seabed and / or on land to be communicatively coupled to cable landing stations 202-206. One or more of stations 202-206 may be located on land (e.g., landing sites on the coast), on the seabed, at sea (e.g., oil and / or drilling platforms, and / or any other artificial structures, etc.) and / or at any required location.

[0066] For routing one or more optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals), the graphical user interfaces (GUIs) 213, 223, 233 of each station 202-206 can be used to receive appropriate requests for such signal routing. In some examples, in non-limiting embodiments, requests can be received from one or more users (not shown in Figure 2a), where one or more users may include one or more computing entities, one or more human users, and / or any other type of user. To submit a request, one or more users can interact with GUIs 213, 223, 233. Alternatively, remote interfaces (e.g., network services, network servers (e.g., Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) servers), and / or any other communication interfaces) may be provided to allow remote operation of one or more components of stations 202-206. Upon receiving a request to route an optical signal, processing elements 211, 221, and / or 231 may be configured to interact with each other using one or more requests 241 (exchanged between processing elements 211 and 221), 251 (exchanged between elements 211 and 231), and / or 261 (exchanged between elements 221 and 231). These requests may be bidirectional and / or unidirectional. Requests 241, 251, and 261 may include various data, information, and routing parameters (e.g., frequency) related to stations 202-206, one or more network elements 208, optical paths, etc., and may be necessary to satisfy one or more requests for the transmission of an optical signal. For example, a request to route an optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal) can be submitted via the GUI 213 of station 202, indicating that station 204 is the destination station. The processing element 211 of station 202 can determine one or more optical transmission paths for routing a signal (e.g., a telemetry signal) and / or select a specific optical path (e.g., the optical path least prone to errors, the shortest optical path, etc.).Once the optical path is identified, the processing element 211 can configure the CRE 219 and one or more network elements 208 determined to be in the selected optical path for transmitting the optical signal. Alternatively, the processing element 211 may communicate with the processing element 223 of station 206 via one or more requests 241 to instruct the routing of the optical signal and / or provide information, configuration information, etc., about the selected optical path. The optical signal may then be routed from the CLS 202 to the configured optical elements 208 via one or more cables 218, and also routed to the CLS 223 via one or more cables 228, and then processed by the processing element 223. Alternatively, the signal may be routed between the CRE and / or any other components of system 200. Once the optical signal is routed, the configuration of any elements in the selected optical path can be (optionally) reverted to the configuration before routing. Routing of optical signals from other stations can be done in a similar manner.

[0067] In some embodiments, the peer-to-peer configuration of system 200 may be configured to decentralize the management platform among two or more active nodes (e.g., cable stations or nodes 202-206). Each node 202-206 (or peer) may be configured to have the same privileges and / or responsibilities, and all peers can contribute to the functionality and performance of the network. Furthermore, any user can retain control of their devices and data without relying on an intermediary. Also, if the data communications network (DCN) 210 goes down, each node 202-206 may remain active and may not be aware of the existence of any other nodes 202-206. As shown in Figure 2b, once the connection with DCN 210 is re-established, the state of each node 202-206 does not change, so any data and / or configuration can be integrated based on timestamps (e.g., a timestamp corresponding to the time the connection with DCN 210 was lost, a timestamp corresponding to the time one or more nodes 202-206 connected to DCN 210). In some embodiments, any changes to system 200 during a DCN 210 interruption can be integrated into system 200, following the most recent change. This method also ensures that system 200 remains up-to-date and accurate in the event of a DCN 210 failure. Data can be integrated between nodes 202-206 using communications 242 (between nodes 202 and 204), 252 (between nodes 202 and 206), and 262 (between nodes 204 and 206).

[0068] In some embodiments, as shown in Figure 2c, arbitrary data, information, configurations, etc., in the system 200 may be dynamically aggregated during normal operation rather than being statically duplicated in the databases of the network element 208 (e.g., databases 215, 225, 235). Aggregation can be performed using data transmissions 243 (from station 202), 253 (from station 206), and / or 263 (from station 204). The aggregated data may be stored in one or more databases 215, 225, 235, and / or any desired storage location.

[0069] Figures 3a-b show exemplary optical communication systems 300 according to several embodiments of the subject matter. The system 300 can be used to route optical signals between one or more cable landing stations using one or more optical cables containing one or more pairs of optical fibers. As shown in Figure 3a, the system 300 may include cable landing station A (CLS A) 302, cable landing station B (CLS B) 304, cable landing station C (CLS C) 306, cable landing station D (CLS D) 308, and cable landing station E (CLS E) 310. One or more of the cable landing stations 302-310, or each of them, may have the structures and / or components (including processing elements and CRE) shown and described in Figures 2a-c.

[0070] One or more branch units (BUs) BU1 312, BU2 314, and BU3 316 can be used to communicatively couple cable landing stations. One or more reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexers (ROADMs) may be located between one or more cable landing stations and branch units, wherein the ROADMs may be configured to block optical signals from CREs (e.g., telemetry signals) from a particular cable landing station, so that the CREs cannot control the operation of the branch units unless there is a change in the ROADM waveform plan. For example, ROADM 1 322 may be communicatively coupled to branch unit 312, ROADM 2 324 may be communicatively coupled to branch unit 314, and ROADM 3 326 may be communicatively coupled to branch unit 316.

[0071] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3a, cable landing station A 302 may be communicatively coupled to branch unit 312 using optical cable 332. Cable landing station B 304 may be communicatively coupled to branch unit 312 using optical cable 338, where ROADM 322 is located between branch unit 312 and cable landing station 304 and blocks optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.) from the CRE of branch unit 312 by default. Branch unit 312 may be communicatively coupled to branch unit 314 using optical cable 334. Branch unit 314 may be communicatively coupled to cable landing station E 310 using optical cable 336. ROADM 324 may be located between branch units 314 and 316, which are communicatively coupled using optical cable 340, and by default blocks the routing of optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.) from one or more cable landing stations 306 and / or 308 to branch unit 314 via branch unit 316. Branch unit 316 may be communicatively coupled to cable landing station 306 using optical cable 342, and may also be communicatively coupled to cable landing station 308 using optical cable 344. ROADM 326 can by default block the routing of optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.) from cable landing station 308 to branch unit 316.

[0072] The arrangement shown in Figure 3a is for illustrative purposes only and is not provided to limit it. It can be understood that any desired arrangement of the cable landing station, branching unit, ROADM and / or any other components of the communication system 300 is possible.

[0073] As shown in Figure 3a, ROADMs 322-326 can be used to block optical signals from entering the corresponding branching units from the cable landing station, ensuring the high efficiency and effective operation of the optical communication system 300, while the ROADMs allow optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals) to pass through only when necessary. Since ROADMs 322-326 can be programmed to allow the establishment of new signals and / or connections, the use of ROADMs 322-326 also allows for easy reconfiguration and / or upgrade of the system 300.

[0074] Conventional optical communication systems typically cannot perform these steps effectively, efficiently, and / or error-free. For example, in such a system, if the only available CRE at a given time is at cable landing station 308, in order to control branching unit 314, the system operator must manually log into the system, modify the waveform plans of ROADM 2 324 and ROADM 326 to allow the passage of CRE signals from cable landing station 308 (e.g., one or more telemetry signals on one or more telemetry channels), send a command to branching unit 314 using the CRE at cable landing station 308, and then modify the waveform plans back.

[0075] To solve this problem, system 300 may be configured to automatically calculate ROADM waveform plans in the paths between CRE and network elements (e.g., branch units 312-316) and modify them accordingly. To this end, system 300 may be configured to generate system topology maps for one or more system segments (e.g., from cable landing station 302 to cable landing station 304, from cable landing station 304 to cable landing station 310, etc.). The system topology map may be stored in a storage location (e.g., memory, database, etc.) and can be used to track optical telemetry paths between various system components. System 300 can use the topology map (e.g., one or more optical switch components in a branch unit and / or one or more optical channels in one or more ROADMs are cross-connected together) to determine whether a particular telemetry path is possible.

[0076] In some embodiments, the system 300 can run a search algorithm for all possible CRE telemetry paths to controllable submarine network elements (e.g., branching units, ROADMs, etc.). For example, to control the operation of branching unit 314, the system 300 may require 0 hops 352 to determine that the path can pass through optical cable 336 and that one or more CREs at cable landing station 310 communicate with branching unit 314 (via the path of the ROADM). However, to control the operation of branching unit 314 from cable landing station 308, the system 300 may require 2 hops 358 to determine that the path can pass through cable 344, ROADM 326, branching unit 316, cable 340, and ROADM 324 and that one or more CREs at cable landing station 308 communicate with branching unit 314. Similarly, to control the operation of branch unit 316, system 300 may require one hop 356 to determine that the path can pass through optical cable 336, branch unit 314, and ROADM 324, and that one or more CREs at cable landing station 310 communicate with branch unit 316. Likewise, to control the operation of branch unit 312, system 300 may require one hop 354 to determine that the path can pass through optical cable 336, branch unit 314, and optical cable 334, and that one or more CREs at cable landing station 310 communicate with branch unit 312. The number of hops and / or complexity of a path can be determined based on the starting point where control of a particular network element (e.g., branch unit, ROADM, etc.) is performed, where complexity may increase with the number of network elements that can be positioned in the path.

[0077] In some exemplary, non-limiting embodiments, a search algorithm for determining a specific path for routing optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.) through a branching unit 314 performed by system 300 can be activated by setting branching unit 314 as the starting point (e.g., corresponding to 0 hops). System 300 can then identify one or more ROADMs directly and communicably coupled to branching unit 314 as 1-hop ROADMs. This set of 1-hop ROADMs may include all ROADMs (in this case, ROADM 324) directly connected to branching unit 314 via optical fiber.

[0078] Once a one-hop ROADM is identified, the system 300 may be configured to identify ROADMs that can communicately connect to the one-hop ROADM (i.e., ROADM 324). These ROADMs may then be designated as two-hop ROADMs (e.g., ROADM 326, as shown in Figure 3). To identify two-hop ROADMs, the system 300 can examine the connections of each one-hop ROADM and determine which ROADMs can be reached within two hops from the branching unit 314. For ROADMs with three or more hops, the search process can continue in a similar manner. By repeating this process, the system 300 can identify all ROADMs that can be reached from the branching unit 314 within a specified number of hops, and CREs directly connected to these n-hop repeaters are n-hop CREs. Generally, as the number of hops increases, the complexity of controlling the branching unit 314 with CREs may increase.

[0079] In some embodiments, the complexity of constructing a CRE path may be influenced by one or more factors, which may include existing conditions of branch unit optical switch states, ROADM waveform plans, CRE frequencies that may need to be configured, and / or any other factors. This can increase the complexity of determining the CRE path. To overcome this challenge, system 300 can perform a process that takes into account the state of all network elements (e.g., network element 208) and / or CRE frequencies to rank possible CRE paths from the simplest (e.g., shortest, least error-prone, etc.) to the most difficult. By performing this process, system 300 can take into account a variety of factors, such as the number of hops required, the distance between nodes (e.g., cable landing stations), the type of transmission equipment used, and the current state of the network. System 300 can determine such paths by the following formula:

[0080]

number

number

number

number

[0081] The time cost is determined by equation (1), and Table 1 shows exemplary possible CRE paths and their relative time costs.

[0082] Table 1: Possible CRE paths and time costs [Table 1]

[0083] In the table above, "CLS A.CRE1" corresponds to the CRE device of cable landing station 302, and "CLS B.CRE1" corresponds to the CRE device of cable landing station 304. The estimated time can be determined by equation (1). System 300 may be configured to evaluate each possible CRE path (e.g., in the order CLS E.CRE1, CLS A.CRE1, CLS C.CRE1, CLS B.CRE1, CLS D.CRE1) based on the estimated time cost. Evaluation can be performed by trial and error to identify the simplest path that satisfies the specific requirements of system 300. This process can be repeated until the simplest CRE path is determined. For example, given system requirements, the simplest path may be the path that minimizes the number of waveform plans to be modified, the number of hops, and / or the distance between nodes (e.g., cable landing stations). By using the above process, system 300 can efficiently and effectively determine the simplest CRE path, ensure optimal system performance, and minimize the risk of errors or failures.

[0084] This specification presents the above discussion of the path determination process performed by System 300 for descriptive and non-limiting purposes. It can be understood that the process can be performed using any processing element of any component of System 300. In some embodiments, the processing element capable of performing the above process may be located within a particular cable landing station (e.g., processing element 211 of cable landing station 202, as shown in Figure 2a). The selection of the processing element capable of performing the process can be determined based on one or more starting and / or destination points (e.g., cable landing stations) and / or specific network elements (e.g., branching units, ROADMs, etc.) that need to be traversed and / or modified and / or controlled in order to transmit optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.). For example, to transmit a signal from cable landing station 302 to cable landing station 308, it can be determined that the processing element of cable landing station 302 may need to control the operation of all branching units 312-316 and ROAMs 324, 326. Any other arrangement is possible. Alternatively, an external processing element communicatively coupled to the system 300 may be configured to perform the above process.

[0085] Figure 4 shows a process 400 for determining CRE paths between one or more components of System 300, which can be performed by one or more components of System 300 according to some embodiments of this subject. Process 400 may be configured to take into account the complexity of constructing the CRE paths by analyzing data, information, etc., related to the topology of System 300, branch unit optical switch states, existing ROADM waveform plans, and / or any other information. As described above, any processing element (e.g., one or more internal to one or more components of System 300, and / or external, communicatively coupled to System 300) can perform process 400.

[0086] In 406, system 300 may be configured to receive various data and / or information related to system 300, which may include system topology 402 and one or more branch unit optical switch states 404, and to determine whether any CRE path (determined, for example, using the process discussed in Figures 3a-b) is possible. If no possible path exists, process 400 may terminate in 414. Otherwise, the process may proceed to 412 to determine whether the ROADM waveform plan needs to be modified.

[0087] In 412, the system 300 may be configured to receive further data and / or information, which may include CRE frequencies 408 and one or more ROADM waveform plans 410. Using equation (1), the system 300 may be configured to determine the time cost associated with each CRE path and to rank the paths accordingly. Based on such determination, the system 300 can determine whether any network element (e.g., branching unit, ROAM, etc.) can and / or can be modified. If NO, the process 400 may terminate in 414. Otherwise, in 416, the system 300 may select a particular CRE path and modify the network elements in that path accordingly.

[0088] Figure 5 shows an exemplary process 500 for determining a communication path for the transmission of optical signals in an optical communication system according to some embodiments of the subject. Systems 200 and / or 300 shown and described in conjunction with Figures 2a-3b can be used to perform process 500. For example, one or more processing elements of a cable landing station can perform process 500. Or, in addition, one or more external processing elements can perform process 500. As discussed herein, an optical communication system capable of performing process 500 may include a plurality of cable landing stations (e.g., stations 202-206, stations 302-310), which are configured to be communicably coupled using one or more optical communication cables in a peer-to-peer network to route one or more optical communication signals using one or more network elements (e.g., network element 208, BU1-BU3, 312-316, ROADM 322-326). Each cable landing station may include a management device (e.g., one or more processing elements 211, 221, 231) configured to determine one or more optical communication paths (e.g., CRE paths) for routing one or more optical communication signals, and a command / response optical device (e.g., CRE devices 219, 229, 239) communicably coupled to the management device for routing the one or more optical communication signals based on the optical communication paths.

[0089] In 502, a system (e.g., a cable landing station 302) can receive a request to route at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal). In 504, a topology map of a peer-to-peer network of multiple cable landing stations (e.g., topology map 402) can be accessed, and in 506, one or more optical paths (e.g., a telemetry path) for routing at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal) can be determined using the topology map. In some embodiments, when determining the paths, various parameters such as the CRE frequency 408 and / or the ROADM waveform plan 410 can be taken into consideration.

[0090] In 508, at least one optical communication path can be selected. This selection may be based on a ranking of paths, which may depend on the ability to modify one or more network elements, the associated time cost, the error-proneness of the path, etc. Once a path is selected, in 510, one or more optical devices (e.g., branching units, ROADMs, etc.) in the optical communication path may be configured for use in routing optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.). After configuring the devices, in 512, optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals, etc.) can be routed using the configured optical devices in the selected optical communication path. Figure 6 shows an example of a processing system capable of performing process 500.

[0091] As shown in Figure 6, the processing system 600 may include an input / output (I / O) device 601, a processor 603, a memory 605, storage 607, and one or more communication components 611. Each of the components 601 to 607 can be connected to one another by a system bus 609. The processor 603 may be configured to process instructions for execution within the system 600. In some embodiments, the processor 603 may be a single-threaded processor. Alternatively, the processor 603 may be a multi-threaded processor. The processor 603 may be configured to process instructions stored in the memory 605 and / or storage 607, and may include, but is not limited to, receiving and / or transmitting information by the I / O device 601. The memory 605 can store information within the system 600. In some embodiments, the memory 605 may be a computer-readable medium. Alternatively, the memory 605 may be a volatile memory unit. In some embodiments, the memory 605 may be a non-volatile memory unit. Storage 607 can provide mass storage to system 600. In some embodiments, storage 607 may be a computer-readable medium. Alternatively, storage 607 may be a floppy disk device, a hard disk device, an optical disk device, a tape device, a non-volatile solid memory, or any other type of storage device. I / O device 601 can provide input / output operations to system 600. In some embodiments, I / O device 601 may include a keyboard and / or a pointing device. Alternatively, I / O device 601 may include a display unit for displaying a graphical user interface.

[0092] In some exemplary embodiments, one or more components of System 600 may include any combination of hardware and / or software. In some embodiments, one or more components of System 600 may be located on one or more computing devices such as one or more servers, one or more databases, one or more personal computers, one or more laptop computers, one or more mobile phones, one or more smartphones, one or more tablet computers, virtual reality devices, and / or any other computing devices and / or any combination thereof. In some exemplary embodiments, one or more components of System 600 may be located on a single computing device and / or as part of a single communication network. Alternatively, such services may be located separately from one another.

[0093] In some embodiments, one or more components of System 600 may include a network-supporting computer. As described herein, the network-supporting computer may include, but is not limited to, computer devices or communication devices, including, for example, servers, network devices, personal computers, workstations, telephones, smartphones, handheld PCs, personal digital assistants, thin clients, fat clients, internet browsers, or other devices. One or more components of System 600 may be mobile computing devices such as iPhone®, iPod®, iPad® and / or any other suitable device running Apple's iOS® operating system, or any device running Microsoft's Windows®. Mobile computing devices such as mobile operating systems, any device running Google's Android® operating system and / or any other suitable mobile computing devices are, for example, smartphones, tablet computers, or similar wearable mobile devices.

[0094] One or more components of System 600 may include a processor and memory, and the processing circuit may include additional components, including a processor, memory, error and parity check / CRC tester, data encoder, collision avoidance algorithm, controller, command decoder, security primitives, and tamper-proof hardware, which may perform the functions described herein as necessary. One or more components of System 600 may further include one or more displays and / or one or more input devices. The displays may be any type of device that displays visual information (e.g., computer monitors, flat panel displays, and mobile device screens), and include liquid crystal displays, light-emitting diode displays, plasma panels, and cathode ray tube displays. The input devices may include any device that inputs information into an available user device and is supported by the user device (e.g., a touchscreen, keyboard, mouse, cursor control device, touchscreen, microphone, digital camera, video camera, or portable camera). These devices can be used to input information and interact with software and other devices described herein.

[0095] In some exemplary embodiments, one or more components of the system 600 may run one or more applications (e.g., software applications), which may, for example, communicate with one or more components of the system 600 over a network to send and receive data.

[0096] One or more components of system 600 may include one or more servers and / or be able to communicate with one or more servers via one or more networks and operate as a front-end-back-end pair corresponding to one or more servers. One or more components of system 600 may, for example, send one or more requests to one or more servers from a mobile device application (e.g., running on one or more user devices, components, etc.). These requests may relate to retrieving data from the servers. The servers may receive requests from components of system 600. In response to these requests, the servers may be configured to retrieve the requested data from one or more databases. Based on receiving the requested data from the databases, the servers may be configured to send the received data to one or more components of system 600, where the received data can respond to one or more requests.

[0097] System 600 may include one or more networks and / or be communicatively coupled to one or more networks. In some embodiments, the networks may be one or more wireless networks, wired networks, or any combination of wireless and wired networks, and may be configured to connect to components of System 600 and / or to connect components of System 600 to one or more servers. For example, a network may include fiber optic networks, passive optical networks, cable networks, the Internet, satellite networks, wireless local area networks (LANs), metropolitan area networks (MANs), wide area networks (WANs), virtual local area networks (VLANs), extranets, intranets, global mobile communication systems, personal communication services, personal area networks, wireless application protocols, multimedia messaging services, enhanced messaging services, short message services, time division multiplexing systems, code division multiplexing access systems, D-AMPS, Wi-Fi®, fixed wireless data, IEEE 802.11b, 802.15.1, 802.11n and 802.11g, Bluetooth, NFC, radio frequency identification (RFID), Wi-Fi® and / or any other type of network and / or any combination of these.

[0098] Furthermore, the network may include, but is not limited to, telephone lines, optical fibers, IEEE Ethernet® 802.3, wide area networks, wireless personal area networks, LANs, or global networks such as the Internet. The network may also support the Internet, wireless communication networks, cellular networks, etc., or any combination thereof. These networks may further include one network or any number of the exemplary types described above, operating as independent networks or in conjunction with one another. The network may utilize one or more protocols of one or more network elements that are communicatively coupled. The network may convert other protocols to one or more protocols of network devices, or convert one or more protocols of network devices to other protocols. The network may include multiple interconnected networks, such as the Internet, service provider networks, cable television networks, company networks, and home networks.

[0099] System 600 may include one or more servers and / or be communicatively coupled to one or more servers, which may include one or more processors that can be coupled to memory. A server can be configured as a central system, server, or platform to control and retrieve various data at different times to perform multiple workflow operations. A server may be configured to connect to one or more databases. A server may be incorporated into and / or communicatively coupled to at least one component of System 600.

[0100] The various elements of the components described with reference to Figures 1 to 6 above may include various hardware elements, software elements, or combinations thereof. Examples of hardware elements may include devices, logic devices, components, processors, microprocessors, circuits, processors, circuit elements (e.g., transistors, resistors, capacitors, inductors, etc.), integrated circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), memory units, logic gates, registers, semiconductor devices, chips, microchips, chipsets, etc. Examples of software elements may include software components, programs, applications, computer programs, application programs, system programs, software development programs, machine programs, operating system software, middleware, firmware, software modules, routines, subroutines, functions, methods, processes, software interfaces, application programming interfaces (APIs), instruction sets, computed code, computer code, code segments, computer code segments, words, values, symbols, or any combination thereof. However, whether or not to implement using hardware and / or software elements can vary depending on any number of factors (e.g., desired computing speed, optical power level, heat resistance, processing cycle budget, input data rate, output data rate, memory resources, data bus speed, and other design or performance constraints required for a given embodiment).

[0101] One or more aspects of at least one embodiment can be implemented by representative instructions stored in a machine-readable medium, the representative instructions representing various logics within a processor, and when read by a machine, the instructions cause the machine to produce logic and execute the techniques described herein. This expression, referred to as an "IP core," can be stored in a tangible machine-readable medium and provided to various customers or manufacturing facilities for loading into manufacturing machines that produce logic or processors. Some embodiments can be implemented, for example, using a machine-readable medium or article, the machine-readable medium or article, which can store instructions or sets of instructions, the instructions or sets of instructions, which cause a machine to execute the methods and / or operations according to the embodiments. Such a machine may include, for example, any suitable processing platform, computing platform, computing device, processing device, computing system, processing system, computer or processor, etc., and can be implemented in any suitable combination of hardware and / or software. Machine-readable media or articles may include, for example, any suitable type of memory unit, memory device, memory article, memory medium, storage device, storage article, storage medium and / or storage unit, such as memory, removable or non-removable media, erasable or non-erasable media, writable or rewritable media, digital or analog media, hard disk, floppy disk, read-only compact disk (CD-ROM), recordable compact disk (CD-R), rewritable compact disk (CD-RW), optical disk, magnetic media, magneto-optical media, removable memory card or disk, various types of digital versatile disks (DVD), magnetic tape, cassette tape, etc. Instructions may include any suitable type of code implemented in any suitable high-level, low-level, object-oriented, visualize, compiled and / or interpreted programming language, such as source code, compiled code, interpreted code, executable code, static code, dynamic code, cryptographic code, etc.

[0102] The components and features of the above-described device can be implemented using discrete circuits, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), logic gates, and / or single-chip architectures in any combination. Where appropriate, the device features may also be implemented using microcontrollers, programmable logic arrays, and / or microprocessors, or any combination thereof. Hardware, firmware, and / or software elements may be collectively referred to herein, or simply as "logic" or "circuits."

[0103] It should be understood that the exemplary devices shown in the block diagram above may represent examples of functional descriptions for many potential embodiments. Therefore, the separation, omission, or inclusion of block functions shown in the diagram does not necessarily mean that hardware components, circuits, software, and / or elements for performing these functions are necessarily separated, omitted, or included in the embodiment.

[0104] At least one computer-readable storage medium may, when executed, contain instructions that cause a system to perform a method performed by any computer described herein.

[0105] Some embodiments may be described using the expression “one embodiment” or “embodiment” and its derivatives. These terms mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in relation to an embodiment is included in at least one embodiment. The phrase “in one embodiment” appearing in different parts of the specification does not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, unless otherwise specified, the features described above are considered to be usable in any combination. Thus, any features discussed individually can be used in combination with each other, unless one notices that these features are incompatible with each other.

[0106] In one embodiment, the optical communication system may include a plurality of cable landing stations configured to be communicatively coupled using one or more optical communication cables in a peer-to-peer network for routing one or more optical communication signals using one or more network elements, each of the plurality of cable landing stations comprising a management device configured to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing the one or more optical communication signals, and a command / response optical device communicatively coupled to the management device for routing the one or more optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals) based on the optical communication paths, and in response to receiving a request to route at least one of the one or more optical communication signals (e.g., telemetry signals), the management device of each cable landing station is configured to determine at least one optical communication path for routing the at least one optical signal (e.g., telemetry signals) in the one or more optical communication paths, based on a topology map of the peer-to-peer network in the plurality of cable landing stations.

[0107] In this system, each cable landing station further includes a storage location for storing a topology map of the peer-to-peer network.

[0108] In the system, determining the at least one optical communication path further includes identifying at least one network element from the one or more network elements, at least one cable landing station from the plurality of cable landing stations, and at least one of any combination thereof; configuring one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station with one or more routing parameters to route at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal) from a first configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices to a second configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices; and determining the at least one optical communication path based on the identification and the configuration.

[0109] In the system, after routing at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal), one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station are reconfigured from a second configuration to a first configuration.

[0110] In this system, each of the multiple cable landing stations is further configured as an active cable landing station.

[0111] In the system, the multiple cable landing stations are further connected to a data communications network configured to route one or more data signals using a peer-to-peer network of cable landing stations.

[0112] In this system, the configuration of the management device and command / response optical device of each cable landing station is further determined based on a timestamp associated with the connection from the data communication network to the peer-to-peer network of the cable landing station.

[0113] In the system, each of the plurality of cable landing stations is further configured to integrate, based on the timestamp, the configuration of its management device and command / response optical device with the configuration of one or more management devices and command / response optical devices of at least one other cable landing station among the plurality of cable landing stations.

[0114] In the system, the one or more network elements further include at least one of a smart network element, a smart subsea network element, a branching unit, an optical branching unit, an add / drop branching unit, an optical add / drop branching unit, a power supply branching unit, a repeater, a reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexer (ROADM), and any combination thereof.

[0115] In one embodiment, the optical communication device may include a management device configured to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing one or more optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals) using a topology map of a peer-to-peer network of a plurality of cable landing stations, and a command / response optical device communicatively coupled to the management device for routing the one or more optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals) based on the optical communication paths, wherein, upon receiving a request to route at least one of the one or more optical signals (e.g., telemetry signals), the management device is configured to determine at least one of the one or more optical communication paths using the topology map in order to route the at least one optical signal (e.g., telemetry signals) to at least one other cable landing station in the peer-to-peer network.

[0116] In the apparatus, determining the at least one optical communication path further includes identifying at least one network element from the one or more network elements, another cable landing station, and at least one of any combination thereof; configuring another command / response optical device of the command / response device and another cable landing station using one or more routing parameters to route the at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal) from a first corresponding configuration of the command / response device and another command / response optical device to a second corresponding configuration of the command / response device and another command / response optical device; and determining the at least one optical communication path based on the identification and the configuration.

[0117] In the apparatus, the one or more network elements further include at least one of a smart network element, a smart subsea network element, a branching unit, an optical branching unit, an add / drop branching unit, an optical add / drop branching unit, a power supply branching unit, a repeater, a reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexer (ROADM), and any combination thereof.

[0118] In the device, after routing at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal), the command / response device and another command / response optical device are reconfigured from a second corresponding configuration to a first corresponding configuration.

[0119] In the apparatus, the management device is further commutably coupled to a data communication network configured to route one or more data signals using a peer-to-peer network.

[0120] In the apparatus, the configuration of the management device and the command / response optical device is further determined based on a timestamp associated with the connection from the data communication network to the peer-to-peer network.

[0121] In the apparatus, the configurations of the management device and the command / response optical device are further configured to integrate with the configurations of at least one or more management devices and command / response optical devices of another cable landing station, based on the timestamp.

[0122] In one embodiment, a computer implementation includes: using at least one processor to receive a request to route at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal); using the at least one processor to access a topology map of a peer-to-peer network of a plurality of cable landing stations; using the at least one processor and the topology map to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing the at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal); using the at least one processor to select at least one optical communication path; using the at least one processor to configure one or more optical devices in the at least one optical communication path for routing the at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal); and using the at least one processor to route the at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal) using one or more configured optical devices in the at least one selected optical communication path.

[0123] In this method, the one or more optical devices further include at least one of one or more network elements, one or more command / response optical devices, and any combination thereof.

[0124] The method further includes identifying at least one network element from the one or more network elements, at least one cable landing station from the plurality of cable landing stations, and at least one of any combination thereof; configuring one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing stations with one or more routing parameters to route at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal) from a first configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices to a second configuration of the corresponding one or more command / response optical devices; and determining at least one optical communication path based on the identification and the configuration.

[0125] In this method, after routing at least one optical signal (e.g., a telemetry signal), one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station are reconfigured from a second configuration to a first configuration.

[0126] It is important to emphasize that this summary of the disclosure is provided to allow the reader to quickly determine the nature of this technical disclosure. It is submitted based on this understanding and is not to be used to interpret or limit the claims or their meaning. Furthermore, it is found that in the detailed description above, various features have been combined into a single embodiment in order to simplify the disclosure. Such a method of disclosure should not be interpreted as reflecting the intention that the embodiment for which protection is sought requires more features than those explicitly cited in each claim. On the contrary, as reflected in the following claims, the subject matter of inventive step lies in the fact that the features of a single disclosed embodiment are fewer than all of the features combined. Thus, the following claims are incorporated into the detailed specification, and each claim exists independently as a separate embodiment. In the attached claims, the terms “including” and “in which” are used as pure English equivalents of the corresponding terms “comprising” and “wherein.” Also, terms such as “first,” “second,” and “third” are used merely as labels and are not intended to impose a numerical requirement on their subjects.

[0127] The above content includes examples of the disclosed architecture. Of course, it is impossible to describe every conceivable combination of components and / or methods, but those skilled in the art will recognize that many other combinations and arrangements are possible. Therefore, the novel architecture aims to cover all changes, modifications, and variations that fall within the spirit and scope of the attached claims.

[0128] For illustrative and descriptive purposes, the foregoing description has been made in reference to exemplary embodiments. It is not intended to exhaustively enumerate or limit this disclosure to the exact form disclosed. Many modifications and changes are possible with respect to this disclosure. It is intended that the scope of this disclosure is not limited by the foregoing detailed description but rather by the appended claims. Future applications claiming priority to this application may require subject matter disclosed in a different form, and may include any set of one or more limitations typically disclosed in a different form than herein or otherwise indicated.

Claims

1. Includes a plurality of cable landing stations configured to be communicatively coupled using one or more optical communication cables in a peer-to-peer network for routing one or more optical signals using one or more network elements, Each of the aforementioned multiple cable landing stations is, A management device configured to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing the one or more optical signals, A command / response optical device is provided which is communicably coupled to the management device for routing one or more optical signals based on the optical communication path, Upon receiving a request to route at least one of the one or more optical signals, the management device of each cable landing station is configured to determine at least one optical communication path for routing the at least one optical signal from one or more optical communication paths, based on a topology map of the peer-to-peer network of the plurality of cable landing stations. Optical communication system.

2. Each cable landing station includes a storage location for storing the topology map of the peer-to-peer network. The optical communication system according to claim 1.

3. Determining the aforementioned at least one optical communication path is Identifying at least one network element from the one or more network elements, at least one cable landing station from the plurality of cable landing stations, and at least one of any combination thereof, To route the at least one optical signal from a first configuration of one or more corresponding command / response optical devices to a second configuration of one or more corresponding command / response optical devices, one or more routing parameters are used to configure one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station, Based on the above identification and configuration, the at least one optical communication path is determined, The optical communication system according to claim 1.

4. After routing the at least one optical signal, the one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station are reconfigured from the second configuration to the first configuration. The optical communication system according to claim 3.

5. Each of the aforementioned plurality of cable landing stations is configured as an active cable landing station. The optical communication system according to claim 1.

6. The plurality of cable landing stations are communicably coupled to a data communication network configured to route one or more data signals using the peer-to-peer network of the cable landing stations. The optical communication system according to claim 1.

7. The configuration of the management device and the command / response optical device of each cable landing station is determined based on a timestamp related to the connection from the data communication network to the peer-to-peer network of the cable landing station. The optical communication system according to claim 6.

8. Each of the plurality of cable landing stations is configured to integrate, based on the timestamp, the configuration of its management device and command / response optical device with the configuration of one or more management devices and command / response optical devices of at least one other cable landing station among the plurality of cable landing stations. The optical communication system according to claim 7.

9. The one or more network elements include at least one of a smart network element, a smart subsea network element, a branching unit, an optical branching unit, an add / drop branching unit, an optical add / drop branching unit, a power supply branching unit, a repeater, a reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexer (ROADM), and any combination thereof. The optical communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. A management device configured to determine one or more optical communication paths for routing one or more optical signals using a topology map of a peer-to-peer network of multiple cable landing stations, A command / response optical device is provided which is communicably coupled to the management device for routing one or more optical signals based on the optical communication path, Upon receiving a request to route at least one of the one or more optical signals, the management device is configured to use the topology map to determine at least one of the one or more optical communication paths in order to route the at least one optical signal to at least another cable landing station in the peer-to-peer network. Optical communication device.

11. To determine at least one optical communication path, Identifying at least one network element from one or more network elements, another cable landing station, and at least one of any combination thereof, To route the at least one optical signal from a first corresponding configuration of the command / response optical device and another command / response optical device to a second corresponding configuration of the command / response optical device and another command / response optical device, one or more routing parameters are used to configure the command / response optical device and another command / response optical device of the other cable landing station, Based on the above identification and configuration, the at least one optical communication path is determined, The optical communication device according to claim 10.

12. The one or more network elements include at least one of a smart network element, a smart subsea network element, a branching unit, an optical branching unit, an add / drop branching unit, an optical add / drop branching unit, a power supply branching unit, a repeater, a reconfigurable optical add / drop multiplexer (ROADM), and any combination thereof. The optical communication device according to claim 11.

13. After routing the at least one optical signal, the command / response optical device and another command / response optical device are reconfigured from the second corresponding configuration to the first corresponding configuration. The optical communication device according to claim 11.

14. The management device is communicatively coupled to a data communication network configured to route one or more data signals using the peer-to-peer network. The optical communication device according to any one of claims 10 to 13.

15. The configuration of the management device and the command / response optical device is determined based on a timestamp related to the connection from the data communication network to the peer-to-peer network. The optical communication device according to claim 14.

16. The configuration of the management device and the command / response optical device is configured to integrate with the configuration of at least one or more management devices and command / response optical devices of another cable landing station based on the timestamp. The optical communication device according to claim 15.

17. Receiving a request to route at least one optical signal using at least one processor, Accessing the topology map of a peer-to-peer network of multiple cable landing stations using at least one of the aforementioned processors, Using the at least one processor and the topology map, determine one or more optical communication paths for routing the at least one optical signal. Selecting at least one optical communication path using the aforementioned at least one processor, Using the at least one processor, one or more optical devices in the at least one optical communication path are configured to route the at least one optical signal. This includes routing the at least one optical signal using at least one processor and one or more optical devices configured in at least one selected optical communication path, Computerized implementation method.

18. The one or more optical devices include one or more network elements, one or more command / response optical devices, and at least one of any combination thereof. The computer implementation method according to claim 17.

19. The above configuration is, Identifying at least one network element from the one or more network elements, at least one cable landing station from the plurality of cable landing stations, and at least one of any combination thereof, To route the at least one optical signal from a first configuration of one or more corresponding command / response optical devices to a second configuration of one or more corresponding command / response optical devices, one or more routing parameters are used to configure one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station, Based on the above identification and configuration, the at least one optical communication path is determined, The computer implementation method according to claim 18.

20. After routing the at least one optical signal, one or more command / response optical devices of the corresponding cable landing station are reconfigured from the second configuration to the first configuration. The computer implementation method according to claim 19.

Images