Home Path Bandwidth Reservation for Network Connection Restoration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication networks face challenges in quickly re-establishing connections after line or module failures, leading to inefficient rerouting and potential bandwidth resource conflicts, which can prevent connections from returning to their optimal home paths.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that utilize reserved priority bandwidth to restore connections to their home paths by analyzing bandwidth advertisements and determining the availability of normal priority bandwidth, allowing temporary use of reserved priority bandwidth when necessary, and reserving home path resources for efficient reversion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If path resources are released when an SNC moves off its home path, then bandwidth availability for other connections is improved, but the SNC cannot return to its home path after repair
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by reserving the home path resources in advance before the SNC actually returns to it. When an SNC moves off its home path due to failure, the home path resources are reserved rather than released, ensuring they remain available for future restoration. This pre-reservation mechanism guarantees that when the failure is repaired, the SNC can immediately revert to its optimal home path without competing for released bandwidth resources.
2Reliability
If path resources are strictly held when an SNC moves off its home path, then home path restoration is ensured, but overall bandwidth availability is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by differentiating the treatment of bandwidth resources based on their location and purpose. Home path resources are reserved with higher priority to ensure restoration reliability, while other available bandwidth resources remain accessible for new connections and alternate paths. This localized quality control allows the system to guarantee home path restoration while still providing bandwidth availability for other network operations.
3Loss of information
If standard network bandwidth advertisement is used, then bandwidth information is provided, but link status details are not communicated
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the bandwidth advertisement into multiple distinct components: standard bandwidth availability information and separate link status indicators. The link status advertisement explicitly communicates whether a link is up, down, or in transition states. This segmented information structure allows network elements to make informed decisions about path restoration by detecting both bandwidth availability and link operational status independently.
Data Source
AI summary
A network element, in a control plane enabled network, configured to retain a connection's home path while the connection is on an alternate path includes interfaces communicatively coupled to the network to form one or more links; circuitry communicatively coupled to the interfaces, wherein the circuitry is configured to route one or more connections which originate on the network element to the one or more links via the interfaces, wherein each of the one or more connections has an associated home path, and for a connection of the one of more connections which is not on its associated home path, reserve bandwidth for the connection through the control plane on the associated home path.