Adaptive FEC Rate Control for Optical Link Margin
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical transport systems (OTSs) face inefficiencies due to fixed optical signal rates and excessive initial performance margins, leading to underutilization of system resources and increased costs, as they struggle to adapt to aging components and changing link conditions.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a rate-adaptive forward-error-correction (FEC) system with a rate control unit (RCU) that dynamically adjusts FEC code rates based on estimated performance margins for each optical link, maintaining an adequate but not excessive performance margin throughout the OTS's lifespan.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a substantial initial performance margin is allocated to accommodate aging components, then the system can maintain QoS requirements throughout its lifespan, but system resources are significantly underutilized and costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the performance margin adaptive rather than fixed. The system continuously monitors actual system performance and dynamically adjusts the performance margin allocation based on real-time conditions. This allows the margin to be reduced when system health is good (improving resource utilization) and increased when degradation is detected (maintaining reliability), thus resolving the contradiction between guaranteed QoS and resource underutilization.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of performance margin from a static initial allocation to a dynamically adjustable parameter. By monitoring system health metrics and actual performance, the system adjusts the performance margin parameter in real-time, allowing optimal resource utilization while maintaining sufficient buffer for aging components. This parameter change enables the system to transition from conservative fixed allocation to adaptive optimization.
2Ease of manufacture
If fixed optical signal rates are used throughout the system lifespan, then hardware and software changes are minimized, but the system cannot adapt to changing traffic demand and link conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by allowing the optical signal rate to be dynamically adjusted based on monitored system conditions and traffic demand. The system maintains stable hardware and software configurations but introduces adaptability through parameter adjustment, specifically changing the optical signal rate parameter in response to detected link conditions and performance margins, thus resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces dynamics into an otherwise static system by enabling real-time adjustment of optical signal rates. The system transitions from fixed rates determined at deployment to dynamically adjustable rates based on continuous monitoring of link conditions, traffic demand, and performance margins, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions without hardware modifications.
3Reliability
If excessive initial performance margin is allocated, then QoS requirements are guaranteed under all conditions, but overall system throughput and capacity are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies feedback by continuously monitoring actual system performance, link conditions, and performance margin utilization. This feedback loop enables the system to adjust the performance margin allocation in real-time, reducing the margin when conditions are good (thereby increasing throughput) and increasing it when degradation is detected (maintaining QoS). This resolves the contradiction by replacing excessive static allocation with adaptive feedback-driven allocation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial action by allocating only the necessary performance margin rather than excessive initial margin. The system dynamically determines the appropriate margin level based on actual system health and conditions, avoiding the waste of allocating excessive margin that would unnecessarily reduce throughput. This partial allocation strategy optimizes the balance between reliability and productivity.
Data Source
AI summary
An optical transport system (OTS) having a plurality of optical transponders (OTs) connected via one or more optical links and adapted to communicate with one another using respective rate-adaptive forward-error-correction (FEC) codes. In one embodiment, the OTS has a rate control unit (RCU) adapted to configure the OTs to dynamically adjust the rates of the FEC codes based on an estimated performance margin for each link between two respective communicating OTs to optimize the overall capacity of the OTS while maintaining an adequate, but not excessive, overall system margin.