Flex Ethernet Service Mapping on Optical Transport Network

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional optical transport networks face high network construction costs and inefficient bandwidth utilization when handling flexible Ethernet services, as they require upgrading line interfaces and wasting bandwidth resources when transporting multiple Flex Ethernet services.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that extract Flex Ethernet services from a service layer, divide them into data queues, map each queue into OTN containers, and send them over existing 400G OTN line interfaces without upgrading bandwidth, allowing for efficient combination and transmission of multiple services over existing infrastructure.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of manufacture

If one Flex Ethernet service is mapped as a whole into one ODUk/ODUflex container, then the service can be transmitted simply, but the bandwidth utilization is low and network construction cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice mapping simplicityVSAvoidbandwidth utilization efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of manufactureVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the Flex Ethernet service into multiple data queues, where each data queue is independently mapped into an OTN container. This allows fine-grained bandwidth allocation and efficient utilization of existing 400G OTN line interfaces, avoiding the waste of bandwidth resources that occurs when mapping the entire service as a whole into a single container.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

2Speed

If the bandwidth of the line interface is upgraded to transport high-bandwidth Flex Ethernet services, then the service transmission capability is improved, but the network construction cost increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice transmission capabilityVSAvoidnetwork construction cost
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent divides high-bandwidth Flex Ethernet services into multiple data queues that can be transported over existing 400G OTN line interfaces without upgrading the line interface bandwidth. This segmentation enables efficient utilization of existing infrastructure, avoiding the need for expensive bandwidth upgrades while maintaining high service transmission capability.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent implements a hierarchical mapping structure where multiple data queues are nested within OTN containers, which are then transported over existing 400G OTN line interfaces. This nested structure allows efficient bandwidth utilization and enables the transport of multiple Flex Ethernet services over existing infrastructure without upgrading line interface bandwidth.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #7Nested doll (Nesting)

3Reliability

If two 400G OTN line interfaces are used to transport two 300G Flex Ethernet services respectively, then each service can be transmitted independently, but the remaining 100G bandwidth cannot be utilized and a third 400G OTN line is needed

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveservice transmission independenceVSAvoidbandwidth resource utilization
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent merges multiple data queues from different Flex Ethernet services into the same OTN containers for transport over shared 400G OTN line interfaces. This combining approach enables efficient utilization of the full 400G bandwidth, allowing two 300G Flex Ethernet services to be transported independently while fully utilizing the available bandwidth without requiring a third line interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentEP3285444B1Method and device for optical transport network to bear flex ethernet service
Publication Date: 2019.11.13 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3285444B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2A
  • EP3285444B1 patent drawingFigure 2B
  • EP3285444B1 patent drawingFigure 2C

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method and an apparatus for bearing a flexible Ethernet service on an optical transport network. The method includes: extracting a flexible Ethernet service from a flexible Ethernet service layer; performing data division on the flexible Ethernet service to obtain at least two data queues, where each data queue carries a queue identifier; mapping each data queue into an optical transport network container, where the optical transport network container includes an optical channel data unit-k container or an optical channel data unit flexible container; and sending the optical transport network containers to an optical transport network. By using the embodiments of the present invention, bandwidth utilization can be improved, and network construction costs of an optical transport network can be reduced.