Fast Rerouting Circuit Switched Mesh Network Traffic

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current optical transport networks face long recovery times due to complex restoration techniques, especially in mesh networks supporting SDH/SONET traffic, where shared protection paths are utilized without distributed routing and signaling.

Innovation Solution

A method for fast reconfiguring data streams in circuit-switched mesh networks using path identifiers carried in overhead bytes, allowing immediate switching to pre-provisioned alternate paths without involving the control plane, by reserving logical input and output ports and applying priorities for efficient rerouting.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If distributed routing and signaling protocols are used for path restoration, then network reliability is improved, but recovery time increases and device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork reliabilityVSAvoidrecovery time

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent pre-provisions alternate paths and configures switching rules in advance before failures occur. When a failure is detected, the network immediately switches traffic to the pre-configured protection path using simple local decisions based on path identifiers in overhead bytes, eliminating the need for complex real-time routing computations and signaling exchanges.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent extracts the complex distributed routing and signaling functions from the restoration process and replaces them with simple local switching decisions. The control plane is decoupled from the data plane, allowing fast restoration without invoking complex control protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Reliability

If distributed routing and signaling protocols are used for path restoration, then network reliability is improved, but device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvenetwork reliabilityVSAvoidrestoration mechanism complexity

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

Each cross-connecting node autonomously monitors its own incoming data streams for failure indications and independently switches to protection paths based on pre-configured rules and path identifiers, without requiring complex inter-node signaling or centralized control.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

3Ease of manufacture

If static protection mechanisms are used in SONET/SDH layer, then implementation is simple, but adaptability to dynamic network conditions deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveimplementation simplicityVSAvoidadaptability to network conditions

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of manufactureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces dynamic path identification and selection capabilities into the static SONET/SDH framework. By using path identifiers carried in overhead bytes and pre-provisioned switching rules, the system can dynamically select appropriate protection paths based on actual network conditions while maintaining the simplicity of static protection mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

Data Source

PatentUS7460469B2Fast rerouting of traffic in a circuit switched mesh network

Publication Date: 2008.12.02 ECI TELECOM LTD

AI summary

Technology for rerouting a data stream in a communication circuit switched mesh network comprising one or more cross-connecting nodes, the data stream comprises a plurality of data frames each associated with at least one overhead byte, and the rerouting is performed by using a path identifier while switching the data stream at one or more cross-connecting nodes; the path identifier is carried by at least one overhead byte associated with at least one of the data frames.