Optical Burst Switching Ring Protection via Master Node Monitoring
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ring network protection switching technologies are not directly applicable to centrally-controlled Optical Burst-switching Ring (OBRing) networks, as they require photoelectric conversion at nodes, which is not feasible in OBRing, and existing solutions like steering, cut-through, and wrapping modes are either ineffective or resource-wasteful.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method where a master node and slave nodes perform optical power monitoring, aggregate monitoring results, and trigger protection switching operations based on fault detection, allowing the network to switch to a protection state while maintaining all-optical switching and minimizing service interruption, using a control channel to manage bandwidth allocation and resource utilization.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional ring protection switching technologies (SDH, OTN, PTN) are applied to OBRing networks, then protection switching capability is achieved, but photoelectric conversion at nodes is required which is not feasible in all-optical OBRing architecture
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the traditional photoelectric conversion mechanism with an all-optical switching mechanism. Instead of converting optical signals to electrical signals for processing and switching, the system performs switching operations directly in the optical domain using optical cross-connects and wavelength-selective switches, thereby eliminating the need for photoelectric conversion while maintaining protection switching capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a control channel that operates separately from data channels to carry control signals and bandwidth allocation information. This control channel enables centralized control from the master node to slave nodes, coordinating protection switching operations without requiring photoelectric conversion at data transmission nodes, thus serving as an intermediary control mechanism
2Ease of operation
If steering mode protection switching is used in OBRing, then control information can be transmitted, but the mode is designed for distributed control and does not consider centralized control requirements where control information must traverse all nodes to return to master node
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of using distributed control where each node independently makes switching decisions, the patent inverts the control architecture to centralized control. The master node generates control information, transmits it through the control channel to slave nodes, and coordinates all protection switching operations centrally, ensuring compatibility with OBRing's centralized control requirements
3Reliability
If cut-through mode is applied to OBRing, then electrical domain faults can be handled by crossing nodes directly, but OBRing nodes perform transparent pass-through of services and only control channel performs photoelectric conversion making cut-through mode ineffective
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the network functions into control plane and data plane. The control channel is separated from data channels, with the control channel handling control signals and bandwidth allocation (performing photoelectric conversion at master node), while data channels perform transparent optical pass-through. This segmentation allows protection switching to be coordinated centrally without disrupting the transparent data transmission
4Reliability
If wrapping mode is used in all-optical switching OBRing, then photoelectrical optical network and all-optical networking are supported, but transceiver on spare fibre enters protection mode and stops data transceiving causing resource waste
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic protection switching where slave nodes remain in normal working state and continue data transceiving on spare fibres until a fault is detected. Upon fault detection, the master node dynamically switches to protection mode and coordinates slave nodes to redirect traffic. This dynamic approach prevents premature entry into protection mode, maintaining transceiver utilization while ensuring protection capability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution introduces a protection switching mechanism to OBRing networks, ensuring communication quality by efficiently handling faults and recovering services without resource waste, while maintaining all-optical switching capabilities and optimal transceiver utilization.
Implementation Method 1
a master node and a slave node separately perform optical power monitoring on respective channels
Data Source
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AI summary
Provided are a method, a system and a node for implementing APS in an OBRing network. The method comprises: a master node and a slave node separately perform optical power monitoring on respective channels, and aggregate monitoring results to the master node; when determining, according to the monitoring results, that a fault occurs, the master node sends a switching operation instruction to the slave node; and the slave node performs a switching operation and enters a protection working state. With the disclosure, a protection switching mechanism is introduced to the OBRing, which implements the processing on fault and ensures the communication quality of the OBRing. Further, the method provided in the disclosure, by employing different switching operations on a data channel and a control channel, not only meets the protection requirement demanded by the centralized-control OBRing on a control channel ring, ensures that the control channel can still work in a master-slave ring working mode, but also considers the utilization of a transceiver on a data channel, and brings the availability of the transceiver on each node into full play.