Carrier Ethernet Video Transport With Hitless Protection Switching
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional video transport over IP networks lacks mechanisms for hitless protection switching, especially during network congestion or fiber breaks, which can impact video service delivery.
Innovation Solution
The method involves encapsulating video input streams into Ethernet packets with sequencing and timing, duplicating and transmitting them over redundant paths, and using forward error correction packets to ensure uninterrupted service by substituting lost or defective packets, thereby providing hitless protection switching.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If video traffic is transported over public Internet IP infrastructure, then video transport capability is enabled, but hitless protection switching cannot be provided during network congestion or failures
Solution Approach 1:
The video transport system is segmented into multiple independent paths (primary and secondary) with distinct functional components at ingress and egress nodes. Each path can operate independently, allowing failure isolation and seamless switching between segments without affecting the entire system.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the operational parameters of packet handling by implementing sequence number tracking, timing information insertion, and dynamic packet selection based on reception status. These parameter changes enable intelligent packet management and hitless switching without fundamental system redesign.
2Reliability
If redundant packet transmission paths are implemented, then service continuity during failures is improved, but network bandwidth consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system transmits redundant video packets only partially - sending duplicate packets over secondary paths selectively based on failure detection. Under normal conditions, full redundancy is not maintained, reducing bandwidth consumption while still providing protection against failures.
Solution Approach 2:
The ingress node preliminarily prepares redundant packet paths and establishes backup transmission channels before failures occur. Timing information and sequence numbers are pre-inserted into packets, enabling rapid switching without waiting for failure detection and response.
3Ease of operation
If video packets are transmitted without sequencing and timing information, then transmission simplicity is maintained, but packet reassembly and synchronization at the receiver cannot be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The Ethernet packet structure is enhanced with multi-functional header fields that serve multiple purposes: sequence numbers enable reassembly and ordering, timing information enables synchronization and jitter compensation, and VLAN tags enable path identification. This universal enhancement maintains simplicity while adding critical functionality.
4Reliability
If conventional Ethernet is used without Carrier Ethernet extensions, then network simplicity is maintained, but hitless protection switching and service prioritization cannot be provided
Solution Approach 1:
Carrier Ethernet functionality is nested within the existing Ethernet protocol stack. VLAN tags, sequence numbers, and timing information are embedded within standard Ethernet frame structures, allowing Carrier Ethernet features to operate transparently over conventional Ethernet infrastructure without requiring complete protocol replacement.
Data Source
AI summary
The present disclosure provides video transmission systems and methods with video data flows transmitted over a Carrier Ethernet Network at Layer 2 with redundancy in order to provide hitless protection switching and uninterrupted video service delivery, such as during periods of asymmetric congestion or hard network failures. In an exemplary embodiment, the video transmission systems and methods provide the redundancy in a manner similar to 1+1 linear protection with hit-less protection switching. In another exemplary embodiment, the video transmission systems and methods provide encapsulated video signals over Ethernet using standardized Carrier Ethernet frames with additional sequencing information. Optionally, the video transmission systems and methods may also include packet-based forward error correction information for additional resiliency. These video transmission systems and methods provide uninterrupted and error-free video during broadcast despite network events such as fiber breaks, equipment failures, congestion, etc.