Flexible Ethernet Port Negotiation Across Protocols
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing Ethernet standards lack flexibility to accommodate bandwidth requirements that fall between standard rates, leading to inefficiencies such as resource wastage or inability to support specific service rates like 200 Gb/s, necessitating a communication solution for ports with standard and flexible Ethernet protocols.
Innovation Solution
A communication method and device that enable ports to detect and adapt to either standard or flexible Ethernet protocols, allowing for communication by determining the supported protocol type and adjusting accordingly, using a mode conversion module and PCS code blocks for efficient information exchange.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a 100 GE port is used to carry a 50 Gb/s service, then the service can be transmitted, but bandwidth resources are wasted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the 100 GE port into two 50 Gb/s sub-ports through flexible Ethernet technology. Each sub-port can independently carry 50 Gb/s services, allowing precise bandwidth allocation that matches actual demand and eliminates resource wastage when only 50 Gb/s is needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic bandwidth allocation by enabling the 100 GE port to flexibly configure its operating mode between single-mode (100 Gb/s) and multi-mode (two 50 Gb/s sub-ports). This dynamic adjustment allows the system to adapt bandwidth resources to match varying service requirements in real-time.
2Adaptability or versatility
If there is no corresponding Ethernet standard granularity for carrying a 200 Gb/s service, then existing standards cannot support the service, but implementing new standards is complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent makes the Ethernet port universal by enabling it to support multiple service rates (100 Gb/s, 50 Gb/s, 200 Gb/s) through a single flexible Ethernet interface. The port can dynamically switch between different operational modes depending on the service requirements, eliminating the need for separate dedicated ports for each rate.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges multiple Ethernet interfaces into a single flexible Ethernet port that can handle different bandwidth requirements. By binding multiple physical interfaces and dividing them into time slots, the system creates a unified interface that can serve multiple service rates simultaneously or independently.
3Adaptability or versatility
If ports support both standard and flexible Ethernet protocols, then communication flexibility is improved, but protocol detection and compatibility complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements protocol negotiation through feedback mechanisms where communicating ports exchange capability information and automatically determine the appropriate protocol mode. The system continuously monitors link status and service requirements to adjust the operational mode, ensuring optimal protocol selection without manual configuration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary negotiation layer that facilitates communication between ports with different protocol capabilities. This intermediary mechanism handles the complexity of protocol detection and selection, allowing ports to automatically adapt to each other's capabilities through standardized negotiation procedures.
Data Source
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AI summary
A communication method, a communications device, and a storage medium are provided, to implement communication between another port and a port supporting both a flexible Ethernet protocol and a standard Ethernet protocol. In this embodiment of this application, a port of a first device supports a flexible Ethernet protocol and a standard Ethernet protocol, and a protocol type supported by a port of a second device includes the flexible Ethernet protocol and/or the standard Ethernet protocol. The first device obtains the protocol type supported by the port of the second device, determines a target protocol type based on the protocol type supported by the port of the second device and a protocol type supported by the port of the first device, and communicates with the second device based on the target protocol type. The target protocol type includes the flexible Ethernet protocol or the standard Ethernet protocol. In this way, communication between another port and a port supporting both the flexible Ethernet protocol and the standard Ethernet protocol is implemented.