Deterministic Route Configuration for Optical Network Headends
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Solution Overview
Problem
In optical communication networks, multiple headend nodes independently determining new routes for demands can lead to conflicts, particularly when these routes attempt to use the same hardware or software resources, resulting in substantial delays in network recovery.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a distributed process where headend nodes deterministically generate new routes for demands using a deterministic path-finding method, ensuring a deterministic ordering of routes to avoid conflicts and schedule configuration instructions accordingly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Speed
If multiple headend nodes independently determine new routes for demands, then the network can respond to changes in parallel, but conflicts arise when routes use the same hardware or software resources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by having headend nodes calculate all new routes beforehand using a deterministic path-finding method before any configuration changes are made. This allows the system to plan the entire reconfiguration sequence in advance, ensuring that routes are assigned to time slots in a way that prevents resource conflicts, thus maintaining reliability while enabling parallel processing of route calculations.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamics by introducing a dynamic scheduling mechanism where configuration instructions are provided to headend nodes in a deterministic sequence based on calculated time slots. This dynamic ordering ensures that at any given moment, resource conflicts are avoided while still allowing multiple headend nodes to operate concurrently, resolving the contradiction between speed and reliability.
2Productivity
If headend nodes provide configuration instructions contemporaneously, then network reconfiguration is faster, but conflicts delay the recovery process
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by dividing the network reconfiguration process into discrete time slots, where each headend node is assigned a specific time slot for providing configuration instructions. This periodic scheduling ensures that configuration changes are made in an organized sequence, preventing conflicts while maintaining efficient productivity through parallel calculation and ordered execution.
3Reliability
If a deterministic path-finding method is used, then route ordering is consistent and conflicts are avoided, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements self-service by enabling each headend node to independently execute the deterministic path-finding method using local network information. This eliminates the need for a centralized control system to manage route assignments, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining reliable and consistent route ordering through the inherent determinism of the algorithm.
4Reliability
If configuration instructions are delayed until completion conditions are met, then conflicts are avoided, but the provisioning process takes longer
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves this contradiction by performing preliminary calculation of all route assignments and their corresponding time slots before any configuration instructions are provisioned. This advance planning ensures that when configuration instructions are delayed until completion conditions are met, the delay is minimal and predictable, while still maintaining reliability through conflict avoidance.
Data Source
AI summary
Headend nodes on a communication network can be configured to recover from a change of network conditions by generating new paths for demands. A headend node can generate paths both for demand(s) managed by the headend and other demand(s) managed by other headend(s). The headend nodes can be initialized with the same network representation and can deterministically identify paths, such that each headend identifies the same path for the same demand. The headend nodes can provide configuration instructions for the demands that they manage, but can provide them according to a deterministic schedule, to avoid conflicts.