Hierarchical Ring-Based Tree for Carrier Ethernet Protection
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current Carrier Ethernet networks face challenges in scalability, protection, restoration, traffic engineering, and Quality of Service (QoS) for both unicast and multicast traffic, particularly in achieving rapid failure recovery and efficient management.
Innovation Solution
The development of a Hierarchical Ring-Based Tree (HRBT) method that pre-provisions primary and secondary paths in a network, allowing for rapid switching in case of node or link failures, with a distributed architecture that minimizes central control and MAC address learning, and supports flexible topology design for both unicast and multicast traffic.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If 1:1 or 1+1 backup tree is maintained for multicast traffic protection, then reliability is improved, but device complexity and management difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into multiple spanning trees (primary and secondary) that are pre-calculated and pre-configured. Each tree handles specific failure scenarios, dividing the protection task into manageable segments rather than requiring a single complex backup mechanism for all cases.
Solution Approach 2:
Spanning trees are pre-calculated and pre-configured before failures occur. The RSTP protocol pre-establishes alternative paths and configurations, so when a failure happens, the network can immediately switch to the pre-prepared secondary tree without performing complex real-time calculations.
2Reliability
If backup tree is set up at connection establishment time, then protection capability is improved, but productivity decreases due to setup time
Solution Approach 1:
The secondary spanning tree is pre-calculated and pre-configured in advance using RSTP protocols, so when connection establishment is needed, the protective path is already ready and can be activated immediately without performing time-consuming tree calculations at connection setup time.
Solution Approach 2:
The network infrastructure automatically maintains and updates the secondary spanning tree configuration through RSTP protocols, eliminating the need for manual intervention or complex real-time computation during connection establishment. The system self-manages the protective paths.
3Speed
If hierarchical ring-based tree with pre-provisioned paths is implemented, then speed of failure recovery is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The network architecture is segmented into hierarchical rings with designated primary and secondary paths. This segmentation allows failures to be contained and handled at appropriate hierarchy levels, enabling fast recovery through localized path switching rather than requiring complex global reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
Primary and secondary paths are pre-provisioned and pre-configured in the hierarchical ring structure. When failures occur, the network can immediately switch to pre-established alternative paths within the hierarchy, achieving sub-50 millisecond recovery without complex real-time computation.
4Ease of operation
If distributed architecture with minimal central control is used, then ease of operation is improved, but reliability may worsen due to lack of centralized coordination
Solution Approach 1:
The network is segmented into autonomous hierarchical rings that can operate independently with minimal central control. Each ring maintains its own primary and secondary paths, allowing distributed operation while preserving reliability through local failure containment and recovery capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The distributed architecture incorporates feedback mechanisms where each node and ring monitors its own status and automatically triggers path switching when failures are detected. This decentralized feedback system maintains reliability without requiring centralized coordination for every failure event.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a novel method for hierarchy of preplanned protected path for both node and link failure in the realm of Carrier Ethernet Technology. In the event of failure in a hierarchy, the traffic is switched from work (primary) path to protected (secondary) path. If such path does not exist within a given hierarchy then traffic is routed through multiple hierarchies until SLA is met or no path exists. Hierarchies make the network fault resilient.