Centralized L1-L2 Mapping Engine for Network Inventory Accuracy
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional methods for documenting physical connectivity in optical communication networks are prone to human error and inaccuracies, leading to potential outages during network modifications.
Innovation Solution
A centralized mapping engine automatically queries communication systems to maintain a circuit inventory database with end-to-end mappings between L1 and L2 components, using LLDP protocols to identify logical and physical connections, thereby reducing the risk of errors during network modifications.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual documentation methods (spreadsheets or third-party applications) are used to document physical connectivity, then the process is simple to implement, but human error and inaccuracies occur leading to potential outages during network modifications
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping engine automatically queries L1 and L2 components directly to discover and document their interconnections, eliminating the need for manual documentation. The system self-updates the circuit inventory database by autonomously collecting connectivity information from network components through standardized protocols, ensuring data accuracy without human intervention.
Solution Approach 2:
The mapping engine continuously queries L1 and L2 components to verify and update connectivity information in the circuit inventory database. This feedback mechanism ensures that the documented connectivity accurately reflects the actual network state, allowing the system to detect and correct discrepancies automatically.
2Measurement precision
If automated mapping engine is implemented to query L1 and L2 components, then accuracy of connectivity data is improved, but system complexity and implementation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping engine is implemented as a modular system that queries L1 components and L2 components separately through their respective standardized protocols. The circuit inventory database is segmented to store distinct connectivity information from different component types, allowing independent deployment and management of each module.
Solution Approach 2:
The mapping engine uses standardized protocols (such as SNMP, NETCONF, or proprietary APIs) that can query multiple types of L1 and L2 components universally. This multi-functionality allows the same mapping engine to work across different vendor equipment and component types without requiring custom implementation for each device.
3Stability of the object's composition
If manual documentation is used, then implementation is straightforward, but the data becomes corrupted over time and does not align with actual connectivity
Solution Approach 1:
The mapping engine performs continuous or periodic automated queries of L1 and L2 components to maintain the circuit inventory database. This continuous action ensures that connectivity data remains consistent with the actual network state without requiring manual verification, eliminating data corruption over time.
Data Source
AI summary
In certain embodiments, a communication (comm) network has interconnected comm systems and a mapping engine, each comm system having one or more Layer 1 (L1) components physically connected to one or more Layer 2 (L2) components, wherein components are physically connected to L1 components of different comm systems. Logical connections between the L2 components of the different comm systems are determined using a link-layer discovery process (LLDP), and physical connections between the L1 and L2 components of each comm system are determined using LLDP snooping. The mapping engine queries the L2 components for LLDP results and the L1 components for LLDP snooping results and generates end-to-end mappings for circuits between the L2 components of the different comm systems, where the end-to-end mappings are represented in a circuit inventory database that can be accessed to avoid system outages when the network is modified.