400ZR Protocol TTI Insertion in Reserved Overhead Bytes
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Solution Overview
Problem
Optical Transport Network (OTN) frames use a Trail Trace Identifier (TTI) to identify sources and destinations, but FlexO, 400ZR, and 400ZR+ protocols do not support TTI or equivalent identifiers, limiting the ability to identify optical network frames in these protocols.
Innovation Solution
Inserting TTI information into the reserved bytes of FlexO, 400ZR, and 400ZR+ frames, allowing identification of the source network element within the optical network frame, even when the frames do not transport OTN traffic, by utilizing the reserved bytes in the overhead section for TTI data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of information
If FlexO, 400ZR, and 400ZR+ protocols use the standard frame structure without TTI fields, then the frame structure remains simple and compatible with existing standards, but the ability to identify source and destination network elements is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The reserved bytes in the overhead section of FlexO, 400ZR, and 400ZR+ frames are repurposed to carry TTI information. This allows the same frame structure to serve multiple functions: maintaining protocol compatibility while enabling source and destination identification capabilities that were previously only available in OTN frames.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the usage parameters of existing frame bytes by reassigning the reserved overhead bytes to carry TTI data. This parameter change enables identification functionality without altering the fundamental frame structure or requiring additional bytes, thus avoiding increased complexity.
2Adaptability or versatility
If OTN frames include TTI with SAPI and DAPI fields, then source and destination identification is enabled, but protocols like FlexO and 400ZR that don't transport OTN traffic cannot benefit from this identification capability
Solution Approach 1:
The invention makes the TTI mechanism universal across multiple protocols (OTN, FlexO, 400ZR, 400ZR+) by implementing the same identification approach in each protocol's frame structure. This allows trail trace information to be preserved and utilized across different protocol types, enhancing adaptability while preventing information loss.
3Loss of information
If reserved bytes in FlexO, 400ZR, and 400ZR+ frames are utilized for TTI data, then source identification is enabled without increasing frame size, but the reserved bytes can no longer be used for their original purposes
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of adding TTI fields to existing protocols (which would increase complexity), the patent inverts the approach by removing the restriction on reserved bytes and utilizing them for TTI purposes. This inversion allows reserved resources to serve their primary function of enabling identification while maintaining frame structure integrity.
Data Source
AI summary
A first network element includes trail trace identifier information in an optical network frame. The first network element obtains data to transmit over an optical network link to a second network element. The first network element generates an optical network frame with alignment marker bytes, which are followed by padding bytes. The optical network frame also includes overhead bytes following the padding bytes. The overhead bytes include a Multi-Frame Alignment Signal (MFAS) byte, a link status byte, and reserved bytes. The optical network frame also includes a payload bytes following the overhead bytes. The payload bytes encode at least a portion of the data to transmit to the second network element. The first network element inserts trail trace identifier information into the reserved bytes in the overhead bytes. The trail trace identifier information identifies the first network element as a source of the optical network frame.