Optical Line Terminal Proxy for Multi-Dwelling Unit Upgrades

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Solution Overview

Problem

The existing methods for upgrading multi-dwelling unit (MDU) devices are inefficient, leading to bottlenecks in performance and requiring extensive time to upgrade thousands of devices, as they rely on bandwidth-intensive file transfers and network management protocols that impose high performance demands on the network management system (NMS).

Innovation Solution

The Optical Line Terminal (OLT) acts as a proxy for the NMS, providing a universal proxy setting and query mechanism to perform upgrade operations such as pre-upgrade checks, configuration saving, and software loading, thereby reducing the load on the NMS and enabling concurrent upgrades of multiple MDUs.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Productivity

If the NMS directly manages and upgrades each MDU device individually, then the upgrade process can be controlled and monitored, but the upgrade speed and concurrency are limited to hundreds of devices per night

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupgrade speedVSAvoidsystem complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an OLT as an intermediary between the NMS and multiple MDU devices. The OLT receives upgrade instructions from the NMS and distributes them to numerous MDUs simultaneously, enabling high-concurrency upgrades. This mediator architecture allows the NMS to maintain control while the OLT handles the complex task of coordinating upgrades across thousands of devices, resolving the contradiction between upgrade speed and system complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Productivity

If the NMS performs all upgrade operations for multiple MDUs, then centralized control is maintained, but the NMS performance demand becomes excessively high

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconcurrency of upgrading MDUsVSAvoidNMS performance demand
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the upgrade management functionality by separating the NMS from the actual upgrade execution. The NMS retains only the function of issuing upgrade instructions, while the OLT assumes responsibility for distributing and managing the upgrade process across multiple MDUs. This segmentation reduces the NMS performance demand while maintaining centralized control and enabling high concurrency in device upgrades.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Productivity

If traditional batch upgrade methods are used, then system stability is maintained, but the upgrade throughput cannot meet the requirement of upgrading thousands of devices per night

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveupgrade throughputVSAvoidupgrade time
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The patent enables continuous upgrade operations by allowing the OLT to manage multiple MDU upgrades simultaneously without requiring sequential NMS intervention for each device. The OLT maintains continuous communication with multiple MDUs, distributing upgrade files and monitoring progress in parallel, thereby achieving high throughput and reducing total upgrade time while maintaining system stability through controlled concurrent operations.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentEP3226469B1Method and device for upgrading multi-dwelling units in optical networks
Publication Date: 2019.07.31 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3226469B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3226469B1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP3226469B1 patent drawingFigure 4

AI summary

Embodiments of the present invention provide a method and a device for upgrading a multi-dwelling unit MDU. The method includes: receiving, by an optical line terminal OLT, an indication message sent by a network management system NMS, where the indication message indicates a task of upgrading multiple MDUs; sending, by the OLT, at least one first message to each MDU in the multiple MDUs according to the indication message, where the at least one first message is used to instruct the MDU to perform pre-upgrade preparation processing; and sending, by the OLT, an upgrade file to the multiple MDUs, so that the multiple MDUs perform upgrade according to the upgrade file. In the embodiments of the present invention, an NMS instructs an OLT to send an upgrade file to multiple MDUs, so that the multiple MDUs perform upgrade according to the upgrade file provided by the OLT. In the embodiments of the present invention, the multiple MDUs are upgraded by the OLT instead of the existing NMS, which can enhance concurrency of upgrading MDUs and improve performance of upgrading MDUs.