Flexible Ethernet Mapping to Optical Transport Network
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies lack standard and efficient methods for mapping Flexible Ethernet (FlexE) and Multi Link Gearbox (MLG) to Optical Transport Network (OTN), leading to high costs and complexity due to requirements for bit-demultiplexing, FEC decoding, alignment, and deskewing of Virtual Lanes.
Innovation Solution
A flexible mapping method that maps Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) structures from FlexE or MLG directly into Tributary Slots within OTN, allowing for resizing and aggregation, and includes de-mapping to Virtual Lanes, using Remote Management channels and Alignment Markers for status communication, without the need for alignment and deskewing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ODUflex(CBR) mapping is used to map FlexE to OTN, then mapping capability is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase due to requirements for bit-demultiplexing, FEC decoding, alignment, and deskewing of Virtual Lanes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the alignment and deskewing operations from the mapping process by maintaining PCS structures intact throughout the OTN mapping. Virtual Lanes are mapped directly to Tributary Slots without requiring FEC decoding or bit-demultiplexing, thereby removing complex processing steps while preserving mapping capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the OTN mapping process into independent Virtual Lane to Tributary Slot mappings, where each Virtual Lane can be mapped independently without requiring processing of other Virtual Lanes. This segmentation eliminates the need for complex alignment and deskewing operations across multiple lanes
2Adaptability or versatility
If conventional ODUflex(GFP) mapping is used to map FlexE to OTN, then mapping capability is achieved, but device complexity and cost increase significantly due to requirements for bit-demultiplexing, FEC decoding, alignment, deskewing, and packet layer processing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent removes packet layer processing (GFP-F mapping) from the FlexE to OTN mapping process. By maintaining PCS structures intact and mapping Virtual Lanes directly to Tributary Slots, the solution extracts and eliminates the need for complex packet termination, reordering, and deskewing operations
Solution Approach 2:
Instead of terminating PCS coding at the packet layer as in conventional GFP mapping, the patent inverts the approach by maintaining PCS structures throughout the transport network and only performing mapping at the Tributary Slot level, thereby simplifying the overall processing chain
3Device complexity
If FlexE mapping maintains PCS structures intact, then complexity and cost are reduced, but adaptability to different mapping requirements may be limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces dynamic resizing capability for ODUflex containers to adapt to different numbers of Virtual Lanes. The system can dynamically adjust the ODUflex size based on the number of Virtual Lanes being mapped, providing flexibility without requiring complex processing of each mapping scenario
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a universal mapping framework where Virtual Lanes are mapped to Tributary Slots using a consistent process regardless of the specific number or configuration of Virtual Lanes. The ODUflex container serves multiple functions by adapting its size to accommodate different mapping requirements while maintaining the same simplified mapping methodology
Data Source
AI summary
A flexible mapping method to map a Physical Coding Sublayer (PCS) structure from Flexible Ethernet and/or Multi Link Gearbox (MLG) to Optical Transport Network (OTN), includes receiving one or more Virtual Lanes; and mapping each of the one or more Virtual Lanes into a Tributary Slot, wherein a rate and number of the Tributary Slot(s) in OTN is set based on a rate and number of the one or more Virtual Lanes. A transport system and a flexible de-mapping method are also described. The systems and methods map the generalized MLG-style group of lanes (virtual PHYs/PMDs) into an OPUflex Tributary Slot (TS) structure, keeping PCS structures intact, and creates a single ODUflex container with a matching rate of FlexE for end-to-end flow.