Pre-provisioning Recovery Paths in Mesh Networks
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current optical transport networks (OTN) in mesh networks take minutes to restore services after failures, such as a single fiber cut, due to the need for manual reconfiguration of cross-connects, whereas rapid restoration within hundreds of milliseconds is desired.
Innovation Solution
Pre-provisioning recovery paths by a controller computing module, creating a working path and a recovery path with intermediate network elements, provisioning the working path in an activated state and the recovery path in a pending state, configuring a pool of link resources, and automatically activating cross-connects along the recovery path upon failure detection.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual reconfiguration of cross-connects is used for service restoration, then network reliability is maintained, but service restoration time increases to minutes
Solution Approach 1:
The patent pre-provisions recovery paths by establishing cross-connects in advance before failures occur. The controller computes and sets up backup paths with intermediate network elements, so that when a failure happens, the recovery path is already configured and can be activated immediately without manual reconfiguration delays.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables automatic service restoration through self-healing mechanisms. When a failure is detected, the head end network element automatically detects the failure, allocates resources along the pre-provisioned recovery path, and activates cross-connects without requiring manual intervention or controller coordination for each step.
2Speed
If recovery paths are pre-provisioned with all cross-connects established, then service restoration speed increases, but network complexity and resource allocation difficulty increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the recovery path activation into two distinct phases: pre-provisioning phase where the controller establishes cross-connects and configures resource pools, and activation phase where individual cross-connects are activated independently upon failure detection. This segmentation allows complex paths to be managed systematically without overwhelming complexity during activation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically transitions recovery path cross-connects from a pending state (pre-provisioned but not active) to an active state upon failure detection. The controller dynamically allocates resources and activates only the necessary cross-connects along the recovery path, adapting the network state based on actual failure conditions rather than maintaining all connections in active state continuously.
3Loss of time
If automatic activation of recovery path cross-connects is implemented, then service restoration time reduces to hundreds of milliseconds, but control complexity and coordination requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the complex control functions from the activation process. The controller computes and pre-provisions the entire recovery path including all intermediate cross-connects and resource allocations before failures occur. During failure activation, the system only needs to execute simple cross-connect activation commands along the pre-computed path, separating the complex computation phase from the rapid execution phase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback mechanisms where the head end network element detects failures and triggers automatic activation of the recovery path. The controller receives failure notifications, verifies the pre-provisioned recovery path, and coordinates the activation of cross-connects along the path, using feedback loops to ensure proper sequencing and resource allocation during the rapid restoration process.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for of pre-provisioning recovery paths in a mesh network including creating i) a working path between a head end NE and a tail end NE of the mesh network and ii) a recovery path between the head end NE and the tail end NE, wherein the working path and the recovery path include one or more intermediate NEs; provisioning the working path in an activated state, including establishing cross connects of each of the NEs of the working path; provisioning the recovery path in a pending state, including establishing cross connects of each of the NEs of the recovery path; after provisioning the recovery path, detecting a failure along the working path, and in response, allocating and reserving link resources along the recovery path; and activating, by the NEs along the recovery path, cross connects of the recovery path into respective hardware associated with the NEs.